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Glenfinnan Monument at Loch Shiel
Glenfinnan Monument at Loch Shiel in the Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland.
Image: Cayetano
 

___ Scotland

Scotland
Flag of Scotand
Flag of Scotland
A virtual guide to Scotland, a mountainous country occupying the the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scotland is one of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom.

The Scottish mainland shares a border with England in south, it has coastlines at the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea in west. The country consists of a mainland area plus some 790 islands, only about 10 per cent of which are inhabited. The largest island groups are the Shetland and Orkney to the north, and the Hebrides to the west which include Lewis, Harris, Barra, Skye and Mul.

With an area of 78,772 km², it is about the size of the Czech Republic, or somewhat smaller than the US state of South Carolina.

Scotland has a population of over 5,3 million people (est. 2015); capital is Edinburgh, largest city is Glasgow. Spoken languages are English, Scots (spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster), and Scottish Gaelic (a Celtic language native to Scotland).




Scotland


Country Profile



Background:
Scotland was settled by Celtic people during the Bronze and early Iron Age. An independent kingdom in the Middle Ages, it was amalgamated with England as a result of the union of the Crowns in 1603 and of the Parliaments in 1707.

The ancient Celtic society of the Highlands, based on clans, was destroyed in the aftermath of the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745–6 and the Highland clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Scotland is today one of the four constituent nations which form the United Kingdom. In 1997 the Scots voted in favor of the establishment of their own assembly with tax-raising powers, which was inaugurated in 1999.

In September 2014 Scotland held a referendum on Scottish independence from the UK. 55.3% of the people voted against independence.

related countries: United Kingdom

countries in the region: Faroe Islands, Iceland, Ireland, Denmark, Norway
 
 


Official Name:
Scotland
Scottish Gaelic: Alba

Time:
Local Time = UTC +0h
Actual Time: Sun-Mar-17  22:36
Daylight saving time (DST) from March to October: UTC +1

Capital City: Edinburgh

Other Cities:
Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Inverness, Stirling

Government:
Type: Constituent Nation of the United Kingdom
Head of state: HM Queen Elizabeth II

Geography:
Location: Northwest Europe, occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
Area: 78,772 km² (30,414 sq mi)
Terrain: mountainous in the Highlands, the low-lying Central Belt, and the hilly Southern Uplands.

Climate: unpredictable, northern European temperate, influenced by the sea, the cold arctic and the warm air from the gulf stream.

People:
Nationality: Noun--Scot(s), Adjective--Scottish, Scotch
Population: 5.3 million (2015)
Ethnic Groups: Scots, British
Religions: Church of Scotland (The Kirk) functions as the national church (42%), No Religion (28%), Roman Catholicism (16%)

Languages: English, Scottish Gaelic and Lowland Scots
Literacy: 99%

Natural resources: oil and gas, coal, zinc, iron, arable land

Agriculture products: barley, wheat, potatoes

Industries: construction, tourism, oil, gas, tidal, wave, wind and solar energy, engineering, defence, textiles

Exports - commodities: food and drinks, coke, petroleum, chemicals, Scottish whisky

Exports partners: USA, Netherlands, France, Germany

Currency: Pound sterling £ (GBP)



Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Official Sites of Scotland

Scottish Government
Scottish Office - official site of the Scottish Executive the devolved government for Scotland.

Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh.

Highland Council
A guide to local council services and the Highland area, education,tourism, employment,transport, business, local services and gaelic.


Statistics
General Register Office for Scotland
Scotland in figures.


Maps

 Map of the United Kingdom
Detailed Map of the United Kingdom.
Google Earth Google Earth Scotland
Searchable map and satellite view of Scotland.
Google Earth Google Earth Edinburgh
Searchable map/satellite view of Scotland's capital.
Google Earth Google Earth Glasgow
Searchable map/satellite view of Scotland's largest city.

Google Earth Google Earth Loch Ness
Searchable map/satellite view of Loch Ness and get a glimpse on Nessie.

Map of Europe
Political Map of Europe.
 

News

BBC News Scotland
Scotland related news from the BBC.
The Courier
Dundee-based paper covering mostly Fife and Tayside area.
Daily Record
Scotland's Daily Record newspaper.
Evening Times
Scotland's biggest selling evening newspaper from Glasgow.
Guardian Unlimited
National and international news.
The Herald
Popular Scottish quality newspapers.
The Press and Journal
Aberdeen-based newspaper.
The Scotsman
Based in Edinburgh offers national and international news.

 

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Arts & Culture

CCA - Centre for Contemporary Arts
The CCA in Glasgow presents contemporary visual art.
NVA - The Storr
The Storr - unfolding landscape, an art event involves a strenuous nighttime walk on a path that climbs almost 1500 feet at the island of Skye.
Scottish Arts Council

National Galleries of Scotland
Home to Scotland's greatest collection of European paintings and sculpture from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism.
National Museum of Scotland
The National Museums of Scotland show Scotland to the World and the World to Scotland.

Ancient Stones of Scotland
A fascinating journey through the ancient monuments of Scotland.
??The Gathering of the Clans
Bravehearts.
Highlander Web Magazine (aufgelöst 2014)
Electronic magazine in the Highlands Scotland.


??WhiskyWeb
Hot Stuff.
 
 

Business & Economy

Royal Bank of Scotland
Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Scottish Products
Glenmorangie
Single Highland Malt Whisky
Kilberry
Bagpipes
Pringle of Scotland
Knitwear.

Transportation
__Air
ScotAirways
Scottish regional airline.

BAA Edinburgh
Official Edinburgh Airport website.

__Rail
Scotrail
The Scottish Railroad.
The Jacobite Steam Train
For summer steam train journeys between Fort William and Mallaig.
 
 
Travel and Tour Consumer Information


Destination Scotland - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover Scotland: accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, biking, climbin, cruising, hiking, tours and much more.

The Scottish Tourist Board
Holidays in Scotland.

BBC Scotland
BBC portal to Scotland.
Gateway to Scotland
By the Department of Geography at the University of Edinburgh.
Gazetteer for Scotland
The definitive source of information on places and people in Scotland, with 9000 text entries, more than 3000 photographs and growing.

Scottish Climbing Archive
Scottish Climbing, a resource aimed at climbers and outdoor enthusiasts who either live locally or are planning to visit Scotland.


The National Trust for Scotland Education Website
To learn more about the Scottish heritage.

Edinburgh and Lothians
Edinburgh
The Municipality of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Tourist Board
A guide to Edinburgh, compiled and maintained by the official tourist board for Edinburgh and Lothians.

Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Nessies Home Page.

Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow City Council.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde valley Tourist Board
Travel around Glasgow.
TheGlasgowStory
Tells the story of Glasgow in words and pictures.

Highlands
Visit Highlands
The Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board - details of accommodation, places to go, activities, events, maps, guides to areas within the Scottish Highlands and travel, transport and car hire information
??Highland 2007
Highland 2007 - the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, until then the site might have more content.

Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye
A Guide To The Isle of Skye.

Orkney
Orkneyjar
The Heritage of the Orkney Islands.
 
Loch Ness
Castle at Loch Ness
© britainonview.com



Education

University of Aberdeen
A centre for higher education since 1505
University of Edinburgh
The first post-Reformation University in Scotland, and the first civic University to be established in the British Isles, founded 1583.
 
 

Environment & Nature

National Trust for Scotland
Scottish conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage.
Scottish Environment LINK
A Scottish Charity, the forum for Scotland's voluntary environment organisations.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Official environmental protection system for Scotland.
Scottish Natural Heritage
Site about Scotlands wildlife, its habitats and its landscapes.
Scottish Wildlife Trust
The official website of Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) with information on its 123 reserves.
 
 

History

A Brief History of Scotland
An 18-chapter history of Scotland. It covers everything from Scottish pre-history to the 1997 referendum.
A Timeline of Scottish History
A list of important dates in Scottish History from 3000 BC to present-day.
BBC - History - Scottish History
BBC site about the Scottish History.

Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland safeguards the nation's built heritage - Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments.

Scottish Genealogy
Scotland's People
Official government source for Scottish genealogy.
 
 Glamis Castle - Tayside
Glamis Castle - Tayside
© britainonview/Rod Edwards

Search


Scotland Directory
Directory of sites focused on Scotland.


Additional Information on Scotland


Open Directory Project: Scotland
Wikipedia: Scotland
 
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