Scotland

Scotland Scotland (Scots) Alba (Scottish Gaelic)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem:various, predominantly "Flower of Scotland"
Location of Scotland (dark green) – inEurope(green & dark grey) – in theUnited Kingdom(green)
Status	Country
Capital	Edinburgh 55°57′11″N3°11′20″W / 55.95306°N 3.18889°W /55.95306; -3.18889
Largest city	Glasgow 55°51′40″N4°15′00″W / 55.86111°N 4.25000°W /55.86111; -4.25000
Ethnic groups ( 2022) [1]	List 92.9%White 3.9%Asian 1.2%Black 1.1%Mixed 0.9%other
Religion (2022) [1]	List 51.1%no religion 38.8%Christianity 20.4%Church of Scotland 13.3%Roman Catholic 5.1% other Christian 2.2%Islam 0.6%Hinduism 0.3%Buddhism 0.2%Sikhism 0.1%Judaism 0.6%other 6.2% not stated
Demonym(s)	Scottish • Scots
Sovereign state Legal jurisdiction	United Kingdom Scotland
Government	Devolved parliamentary legislaturewithin aconstitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Charles III
• First Minister	John Swinney
Parliament of the United Kingdom
•Secretary of State	Ian Murray
•House of Commons	57 MPs(of 650)
Legislature	Scottish Parliament
Formation
• Established	9th century (traditionally843)
• Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton	17 March 1328
• Treaty of Berwick	3 October 1357[2]
• Union with England	1 May 1707
• Devolution	19 November 1998
Area
• Total [b]	80,231 km2(30,977 sq mi)[3]
• Land [a]	77,901 km2(30,078 sq mi)[3]
Population
• 2022 census	5,439,842
• Density	70/km2(181.3/sq mi)[4]
GVA	2022 estimate
• Total	£165.7 billion
• Per capita	£30,419[5]
GDP(nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	£211.7 billion
• Per capita	£38,622[6][c]
Gini(2020–23)	33[7] medium inequality
HDI(2021)	0.921[8] very high
Currency	Pound sterling(GBP;£)
Time zone	UTC+0(GMT)
• Summer ( DST)	UTC+1(BST)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Drives on	left
Calling code	+44
ISO 3166 code	GB-SCT
Internet TLD	.scot[d]

Scotland(Scots:Scotland;Scottish Gaelic:Alba) is acountrythat is part of theUnited Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island ofGreat Britainand more than 790 adjacentislands, principally in the archipelagos of theHebridesand theNorthern Isles. To the south-east, Scotland has itsonly land border, which is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared withEngland; the country is surrounded by theAtlantic Oceanto the north and west, theNorth Seato the north-east and east, and theIrish Seato the south. The population in 2022 was 5,439,842.^[9]Edinburghis the capital andGlasgowis the largest of thecities of Scotland.

TheKingdom of Scotlandemerged as an independentsovereign statein the 9th century. In 1603,James VIsucceeded to the thrones ofEnglandandIreland, forming apersonal unionof thethree kingdoms. On 1 May 1707, Scotland and England combined to create the newKingdom of Great Britain,^[10][11]with theParliament of Scotlandsubsumed into theParliament of Great Britain. In 1999 aScottish Parliamentwas re-established, and hasdevolvedauthority over many areas ofdomestic policy.^[12]The country has its own distinctlegal system,education systemandreligious history, which have all contributed to the continuation ofScottish cultureandnational identity.^[13]Scottish EnglishandScotsare the most widely spokenlanguages in the country, existing on adialect continuumwith each other.^[14]Scottish Gaelicspeakers can be found all over Scotland, however the language is largely spoken natively by communities within theHebrides.^[15]The number of Gaelic speakers numbers less than 2% of the total population, though state-sponsoredrevitalisationattempts have led to a growing community ofsecond languagespeakers.^[16]

The mainland of Scotland is broadly divided into three regions: theHighlands, a mountainous region in the north and north-west; theLowlands, a flatter plain across the centre of the country; and theSouthern Uplands, a hilly region along the southern border. The Highlands are the most mountainous region of the British Isles and contain its highest peak,Ben Nevis, at 4,413 feet (1,345 m).^[9]The region also contains many lakes, calledlochs; the term is also applied to the many saltwater inlets along the country's deeply indented western coastline. The geography of the many islands is varied. Some, such asMullandSkye, are noted for their mountainous terrain, while the likes ofTireeandCollare much flatter.

Scotlandcomes fromScoti, the Latin name for theGaels.^[17]Philip Freemanhas speculated on the likelihood of a group of raiders adopting a name from anIndo-European root, *skot, citing the parallel in Greekskotos(σκότος), meaning "darkness, gloom".^[18]TheLate LatinwordScotia("land of the Gaels") was initially used to refer to Ireland,^[19]and likewise in earlyOld EnglishScotlandwas used for Ireland.^[20]By the 11th century at the latest,Scotiawas being used to refer to (Gaelic-speaking) Scotland north of theRiver Forth, alongsideAlbaniaorAlbany, both derived from the GaelicAlba.^[21]The use of the wordsScotsandScotlandto encompass all of what is now Scotland became common in theLate Middle Ages.^[10]

Prehistoric Scotland, before the arrival of theRoman Empire, was culturally divergent.^[22]

Repeated glaciations, which covered the entire land mass of modern Scotland, destroyed any traces ofhuman habitationthat may have existed before theMesolithic period. It is believed the first post-glacial groups ofhunter-gatherersarrived in Scotland around 12,800 years ago, as the ice sheet retreated after thelast glaciation.^[23]At the time, Scotland was covered in forests, had more bog-land, and the main form of transport was by water.^[24]These settlers began building the first known permanent houses on Scottish soil around 9,500 years ago, and the first villages around 6,000 years ago. The well-preserved village ofSkara Braeon the mainland ofOrkneydates from this period.Neolithichabitation, burial, and ritual sites are particularly common and well preserved in theNorthern IslesandWestern Isles, where a lack of trees led to most structures being built of local stone.^[25]Evidence of sophisticated pre-Christian belief systems is demonstrated by sites such as theCallanish StonesonLewisand theMaes HoweonOrkney, which were built in the third millennium BC.^[26]: 38

The first written reference to Scotland was in 320 BC by Greek sailorPytheas, who called the northern tip of Britain "Orcas", the source of the name of the Orkney islands.^[24]: 10

Most of modern Scotland was notincorporatedinto theRoman Empire, and Roman control over parts of the area fluctuated over a rather short period. The first Roman incursion into Scotland was in 79 AD, whenAgricolainvaded Scotland; he defeated a Caledonian army at theBattle of Mons Graupiusin 83 AD.^[24]: 12After the Roman victory, Roman forts were briefly set along theGask Ridgeclose to theHighland line, but by three years after the battle, the Roman armies had withdrawn to theSouthern Uplands.^[27]Remains of Roman forts established in the 1st century have been found as far north as theMoray Firth.^[28]By the reign of theRoman emperorTrajan(r. 98–117), Roman control had lapsed to Britain south of a line between theRiver Tyneand theSolway Firth.^[29]Along this line, Trajan's successorHadrian(r. 117–138) erectedHadrian's Wallin northern England^[24]: 12and theLimes Britannicusbecame the northern border of the Roman Empire.^[30][31]The Roman influence on the southern part of the country was considerable, and they introducedChristianityto Scotland.^{[24]: 13–14 [26]: 38}

TheAntonine Wallwas built from 142 at the order of Hadrian's successorAntoninus Pius(r. 138–161), defending the Roman part of Scotland from the unadministered part of the island, north of a line between theFirth of Clydeand theFirth of Forth.^[32]TheRoman invasion of Caledonia 208–210was undertaken by emperors of the imperialSeveran dynastyin response to the breaking of a treaty by the Caledonians in 197,^[28]but permanent conquest of the whole of Great Britain was forestalled by Roman forces becoming bogged down in punishingguerrilla warfareand the death of the senior emperorSeptimius Severus(r. 193–211) atEboracum(York) after he was taken ill while on campaign. Although forts erected by theRoman armyin the Severan campaign were placed near those established by Agricola and were clustered at the mouths of theglensin the Highlands, the Caledonians were again in revolt in 210–211 and these were overrun.^[28]

To the Roman historiansTacitusandCassius Dio, theScottish Highlandsand the area north of theRiver Forthwas calledCaledonia.^[28]According to Cassius Dio, the inhabitants of Caledonia were theCaledoniansand theMaeatae.^[28]Other ancient authors used the adjective "Caledonian" to mean anywhere in northern or inland Britain, often mentioning the region's people and animals, its cold climate, its pearls, and a noteworthy region of wooded hills (Latin:saltus) which the 2nd century AD Roman philosopherPtolemy, in hisGeography, described as being south-west of theBeauly Firth.^[28]The name Caledonia is echoed in the place names ofDunkeld,Rohallion, andSchiehallion.^[28]

TheGreat Conspiracyconstituted a seemingly coordinated invasion against Roman rule in Britain in the later 4th century, which included the participation of the GaelicScotiand the Caledonians, who were then known asPictsby the Romans. This was defeated by thecomesTheodosius; but Roman military government was withdrawn from the island altogether by the early 5th century, resulting in theAnglo-Saxon settlement of Britainand the immigration of theSaxonsto southeastern Scotland and the rest of eastern Great Britain.^[29]

Beginning in the sixth century, the area that is now Scotland was divided into three areas:Pictland, a patchwork of small lordships in central Scotland;^{[24]: 25–26}theAnglo-SaxonKingdom of Northumbria, which had conquered southeastern Scotland;^{[24]: 18–20}andDál Riata, which included territory in western Scotland and northern Ireland, and spread Gaelic language and culture into Scotland.^[33]These societies were based on the family unit and had sharp divisions in wealth, although the vast majority were poor and worked full-time insubsistence agriculture. The Picts kept slaves (mostly captured in war) through the ninth century.^{[24]: 26–27}

Gaelic influence over Pictland and Northumbria was facilitated by the large number ofGaelic-speaking clericsworking as missionaries.^{[24]: 23–24}Operating in the sixth century on the island ofIona,Saint Columbawas one of the earliest and best-known missionaries.^[26]: 39TheVikingsbegan to raid Scotland in the eighth century. Although the raiders sought slaves and luxury items, their main motivation was to acquire land. The oldestNorsesettlements were in northwest Scotland, but they eventually conquered many areas along the coast.Old Norseentirely displacedPictishin theNorthern Isles.^[34]

In the ninth century, the Norse threat allowed a Gael namedKenneth I(Cináed mac Ailpín) to seize power over Pictland, establishing a royal dynasty to which the modern monarchs trace their lineage, and marking the beginning of the end of Pictish culture.^{[24]: 31–32 [35]}The kingdom of Cináed and his descendants, called Alba, was Gaelic in character but existed on the same area as Pictland. By the end of the tenth century, the Pictish language went extinct as its speakers shifted to Gaelic.^{[24]: 32–33}From a base in eastern Scotland north of theRiver Forthand south of theRiver Spey, the kingdom expanded first southwards, into the former Northumbrian lands, and northwards intoMoray.^{[24]: 34–35}Around the turn of the millennium, there was a centralization in agricultural lands and the first towns began to be established.^{[24]: 36–37}

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, much of Scotland was under the control of a single ruler. Initially, Gaelic culture predominated, but immigrants from France, England and Flanders steadily created a more diverse society, with the Gaelic language starting to be replaced by Scots; and a modern nation-state emerged from this. At the end of this period, war against England started the growth of aScottish national consciousness.^{[36][37]: ch 1}David I(1124–1153) and his successors centralised royal power^{[36]: 41–42}and united mainland Scotland, capturing regions such as Moray,Galloway, andCaithness, although he could not extend his power over theHebrides, which had been ruled by variousScottish clansfollowing the death ofSomerledin 1164.^{[36]: 48–49}In 1266, Scotland fought the short but consequentialScottish-Norwegian Warwhich saw the reclamation of theHebridesafter the strong defeat of KingHaakon IVand his forces at theBattle of Largs.^[38]Up until that point, the Hebrides had been under Norwegian Viking control for roughly 400 years and had developed a distinctiveNorse–Gaelicculture that saw manyOld Norseloanwords enter theScottish Gaelicspoken by islanders, and through successive generations the Norse would become almost completely assimilated intoGaelic cultureand theScottish clansystem. After the conflict, Scotland had to affirm Norwegian sovereignty of theNorthern Isles, but they were later integrated into Scotland in the 15th century. Scandinavian culture in the form of theNorn languagesurvived for a lot longer than in the Hebrides, and would strongly influence the localScotsdialect onShetlandandOrkney.^[39]Later, a system offeudalismwas consolidated, with both Anglo-Norman incomers and native Gaelic chieftains being granted land in exchange for serving the king.^{[36]: 53–54}The relationship withEnglandwas complex during this period: Scottish kings tried several times, sometimes with success, to exploit English political turmoil, followed by the longest period of peace between Scotland and England in the mediaeval period: from 1217–1296.^{[36]: 45-46}

The death ofAlexander IIIin March 1286 broke the succession line of Scotland's kings.Edward I of Englandarbitrated between various claimants for the Scottish crown. In return for surrendering Scotland's nominal independence,John Balliolwas pronounced king in 1292.^{[36]: 47 [41]}In 1294, Balliol and other Scottish lords refused Edward's demands to serve in his army against the French. Scotland and France sealed a treaty on 23 October 1295, known as theAuld Alliance. War ensued, and John was deposed by Edward who took personal control of Scotland.Andrew MorayandWilliam Wallaceinitially emerged as the principal leaders of the resistance to English rule in theWars of Scottish Independence,^[42]untilRobert the Brucewas crowned king of Scotland in 1306.^[43]Victory at theBattle of Bannockburnin 1314 proved the Scots had regained control of their kingdom. In 1320 the world's first documented declaration of independence, theDeclaration of Arbroath, won the support ofPope John XXII, leading to the legal recognition of Scottish sovereignty by the English Crown.^{[44]: 70, 72}

A civil war between theBruce dynastyand their long-term rivals of theHouse of ComynandHouse of Balliollasted until the middle of the 14th century. Although the Bruce faction was successful,David II'slack of an heir allowed his half-nephewRobert II, theLord High Steward of Scotland, to come to the throne and establish theHouse of Stewart.^[44]: 77The Stewarts ruled Scotland for the remainder of theMiddle Ages. The country they ruled experienced greater prosperity from the end of the 14th century through the Scottish Renaissance to theReformation,^[45]: 93despite the effects of theBlack Deathin 1349^[44]: 76and increasing division betweenHighlandsandLowlands.^[44]: 78Multiple truces reduced warfare on the southern border.^{[44]: 76, 83}

TheTreaty of Perpetual Peacewas signed in 1502 byJames IV of ScotlandandHenry VII of England. James married Henry's daughter,Margaret Tudor.^[46]James invaded England in support of France under the terms of theAuld Allianceand became the last monarch inGreat Britainto die in battle, atFloddenin 1513.^[47]The war with England during the minority years ofMary, Queen of Scotsbetween 1543 and 1551 is known as theRough Wooing.^[48]In 1560, theTreaty of Edinburghbrought an end to theSiege of Leithand recognized the ProtestantElizabeth Ias Queen of England.^[45]: 112TheParliament of Scotlandmet and immediately adopted theScots Confession, which signalled theScottish Reformation's sharp break from papal authority and Roman Catholic teaching.^[26]: 44The Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, was forced toabdicate in 1567.^[49]

In 1603,James VI, King of Scotsinherited the thrones of theKingdom of Englandand theKingdom of Irelandin theUnion of the Crowns, and moved to London.^[50]This was apersonal unionas despite having the same monarch the kingdoms retained their separate parliaments, laws and other institutions. The firstUnion Jackwas designed at James's behest, to be flown in addition to theSt Andrew's Crosson Scots vessels at sea. James VI and I intended to create a single kingdom of Great Britain, but was thwarted in his attempt to do so by theParliament of England, which supported the wrecking proposal that a full legal union be sought instead, a proposal to which the Scots Parliament would not assent, causing the king to withdraw the plan.^[51]

Except for a short period underthe Protectorate, Scotland remained a separate state in the 17th century, but there was considerable conflict between the crown and theCovenantersover the form ofchurch government.^[52]: 124The military was strengthened, allowing the imposition of royal authority on the western Highland clans. The 1609Statutes of Ionacompelled the cultural integration of Hebridean clan leaders.^{[53]: 37–40}In 1641 and again in 1643, the Parliament of Scotland unsuccessfully sought a union with England which was "federative" and not "incorporating", in which Scotland would retain a separate parliament.^[54]The issue of union split the parliament in 1648.^[54]

After the execution of the Scottish king atWhitehallin 1649, amid theWars of the Three Kingdomsandits events in Scotland,Oliver Cromwell, the victoriousLord Protector, imposed the British Isles' first written constitution – theInstrument of Government– on Scotland in 1652 as part of the republicanCommonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland.^[54]The Protectorate Parliament was the first Westminster parliament to include representatives nominally from Scotland. The monarchy of theHouse of Stuartwas resumed with theRestoration in Scotlandin 1660. The Parliament of Scotland sought a commercial union with England in 1664; the proposal was rejected in 1668.^[54]In 1670 the Parliament of England rejected a proposed political union with Scotland.^[54]English proposals along the same lines were abandoned in 1674 and in 1685.^[54]The Scots Parliament rejected proposals for a political union with England in 1689.^[54]Jacobitism, the political support for the exiled Catholic Stuart dynasty, remained a threat to the security of the British state under the ProtestantHouse of Orangeand the succeedingHouse of Hanoveruntil the defeat of theJacobite rising of 1745.^[54]In 1698, theCompany of Scotlandattempted a project to secure a trading colony on theIsthmus of Panama. Almost every Scottish landowner who had money to spare is said to have invested in theDarien scheme.^[55][56]

After another proposal from the English House of Lords was rejected in 1695, and a further Lords motion was voted down in the House of Commons in 1700, the Parliament of Scotland again rejected union in 1702.^[54]The failure of the Darien Scheme bankrupted the landowners who had invested, though not the burghs. Nevertheless, the nobles' bankruptcy, along with the threat of an English invasion, played a leading role in convincing the Scots elite to back a union with England.^[55][56]On 22 July 1706, theTreaty of Unionwas agreed between representatives of theScots Parliamentand theParliament of England. The following year, twinActs of Unionwere passed by both parliaments to create the unitedKingdom of Great Britainwith effect from 1 May 1707^[57]with popular opposition and anti-union riots inEdinburgh,Glasgow, and elsewhere.^[58][59]The union also created theParliament of Great Britain, which succeeded both theParliament of Scotlandand theParliament of England, which rejected proposals from theParliament of Irelandthat the third kingdom be incorporated in the union.^[54]

With trade tariffs with England abolished, trade blossomed, especially withColonial America. The clippers belonging to the GlasgowTobacco Lordswere the fastest ships on the route toVirginia. Until theAmerican War of Independencein 1776, Glasgow was the world's premier tobacco port, dominating world trade.^[60]The disparity between the wealth of the merchant classes of the Scottish Lowlands and the ancient clans of the Scottish Highlands grew, amplifying centuries of division.

The deposedJacobite Stuartclaimants had remained popular in the Highlands and north-east, particularly among non-Presbyterians, including Roman Catholics andEpiscopalian Protestants. Two major Jacobite risings launched in1715and1745failed to remove theHouse of Hanoverfrom the British throne. The threat of the Jacobite movement to the United Kingdom and its monarchs effectively ended at theBattle of Culloden, Great Britain's lastpitched battle.

In the Highlands, clan chiefs gradually started to think of themselves more as commercial landlords than leaders of their people. These social and economic changes included the first phase of theHighland Clearancesand, ultimately, the demise of clanship.^{[61]: 32–53, passim}

TheScottish Enlightenmentand theIndustrial Revolutionturned Scotland into an intellectual, commercial and industrial powerhouse^[62]— so much soVoltairesaid "We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation."^[63]With the demise of Jacobitism and the advent of the Union, thousands of Scots, mainly Lowlanders, took up numerous positions of power in politics, civil service, the army and navy, trade, economics, colonial enterprises and other areas across the nascentBritish Empire. Historian Neil Davidson notes "after 1746 there was an entirely new level of participation by Scots in political life, particularly outside Scotland." Davidson also states "far from being 'peripheral' to the British economy, Scotland – or more precisely, the Lowlands – lay at its core."^[64]

TheScottish Reform Act 1832increased the number of Scottish MPs and widened the franchise to include more of the middle classes.^[65]From the mid-century, there were increasing calls for Home Rule for Scotland and the post ofSecretary of State for Scotlandwas revived.^[66]Towards the end of the century Prime Ministers of Scottish descent includedWilliam Gladstone,^[67]andthe Earl of Rosebery.^[68]In the late 19th century the growing importance of the working classes was marked byKeir Hardie's success in theMid Lanarkshire by-election, 1888, leading to the foundation of theScottish Labour Party, which was absorbed into theIndependent Labour Partyin 1895, with Hardie as its first leader.^[69]Glasgow became one of the largest cities in the world and known as "theSecond City of the Empire" after London.^[70]After 1860, the Clydeside shipyards specialised in steamships made of iron (after 1870, made of steel), which rapidly replaced the wooden sailing vessels of both the merchant fleets and the battle fleets of the world. It became the world's pre-eminent shipbuilding centre.^[71]The industrial developments, while they brought work and wealth, were so rapid that housing, town planning, and provision for public health did not keep pace with them, and for a time living conditions in some of the towns and cities were notoriously bad, with overcrowding, high infant mortality, and growing rates of tuberculosis.^[72]

While the Scottish Enlightenment is traditionally considered to have concluded toward the end of the 18th century,^[73]disproportionately large Scottish contributions to British science and letters continued for another 50 years or more, thanks to such figures as the physicistsJames Clerk MaxwellandLord Kelvin, and the engineers and inventorsJames WattandWilliam Murdoch, whose work was critical to the technological developments of the Industrial Revolution throughout Britain.^[74]In literature, the most successful figure of the mid-19th century wasWalter Scott. His first prose work,Waverleyin 1814, is often called the first historical novel.^[75]It launched a highly successful career that probably more than any other helped define and popularise Scottish cultural identity.^[76]In the late 19th century, a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations, such asRobert Louis Stevenson,Arthur Conan Doyle,J. M. BarrieandGeorge MacDonald.^[77]Scotland also played a major part in the development of art and architecture. TheGlasgow School, which developed in the late 19th century, and flourished in the early 20th century, produced a distinctive blend of influences including theCeltic RevivaltheArts and Crafts movement, andJaponism, which found favour throughout themodern artworld of continental Europe and helped define theArt Nouveaustyle. Proponents included architect and artistCharles Rennie Mackintosh.^[78]

Scotland played a major role in theBritish effortin theFirst World War. It especially provided manpower, ships, machinery, fish and money.^[79]With a population of 4.8 million in 1911, Scotland sent over half a million men to the war, of whom over a quarter died in combat or from disease, and 150,000 were seriously wounded.^[80]Field MarshalSir Douglas Haigwas Britain's commander on the Western Front. The war saw the emergence of a radical movement called "Red Clydeside" led by militant trades unionists. Formerly aLiberalstronghold, the industrial districts switched toLabourby 1922, with a base among theIrish Catholicworking-class districts. Women were especially active in building neighbourhood solidarity on housing issues. The "Reds" operated within the Labour Party with little influence in Parliament and the mood changed to passive despair by the late 1920s.^[81]

During the Second World War, Scotland was targeted byNazi Germanylargely due to its factories, shipyards, and coal mines.^[82]Cities such asGlasgowandEdinburghwere targeted by German bombers, as were smaller towns mostly located in the central belt of the country.^[82]Perhaps the most significant air raid in Scotland was theClydebank Blitzof March 1941, which intended to destroy naval shipbuilding in the area.^[83]528 people were killed and 4,000 homes totally destroyed.^[83]Perhaps Scotland's most unusual wartime episode occurred in 1941 whenRudolf Hessflew to Renfrewshire, possibly intending to broker a peace deal through theDuke of Hamilton.^[84]Before his departure from Germany, Hess had given his adjutant,Karlheinz Pintsch, a letter addressed toAdolf Hitlerthat detailed his intentions to open peace negotiations with the British. Pintsch delivered the letter to Hitler at the Berghof around noon on 11 May.^[85]Albert Speerlater said Hitler described Hess's departure as one of the worst personal blows of his life, as he considered it a personal betrayal.^[86]Hitler worried that his allies, Italy and Japan, would perceive Hess's act as an attempt by Hitler to secretly open peace negotiations with the British.

After 1945, Scotland's economic situation worsened due to overseas competition, inefficient industry, and industrial disputes.^[87]Only in recent decades has the country enjoyed something of a cultural and economic renaissance. Economic factors contributing to this recovery included a resurgent financial services industry,electronics manufacturing, (seeSilicon Glen),^[88]and theNorth Sea oiland gas industry.^[89]The introduction in 1989 by Margaret Thatcher's government of theCommunity Charge(widely known as the Poll Tax) one year before the rest of Great Britain,^[90]contributed to a growing movement for Scottish control over domestic affairs.^[91]

Following areferendum on devolution proposals in 1997, theScotland Act 1998^[92]was passed by the British Parliament, which established a devolvedScottish ParliamentandScottish Governmentwith responsibility for most laws specific to Scotland.^[93]The Scottish Parliament was reconvened inEdinburghon 4 July 1999.^[94]The first to hold the office offirst minister of ScotlandwasDonald Dewar, who served until his sudden death in 2000.^[95]

TheScottish Parliament Buildingat Holyrood opened in October 2004 after lengthy construction delays and running over budget.^[96]The Scottish Parliament's form ofproportional representation(theadditional member system) resulted in no one party having an overall majority for the first three Scottish parliament elections.

The pro-independenceScottish National Partyled byAlex Salmondachieved an overall majority in the2011 election, winning 69 of the 129 seats available.^[97]The success of the SNP in achieving a majority in the Scottish Parliament paved the way for theSeptember 2014 referendum on Scottish independence. The majority voted against the proposition, with 55% voting no to independence.^[98]More powers, particularly concerning taxation, were devolved to the Scottish Parliament after the referendum, following cross-party talks in theSmith Commission.

Since the 2014 referendum, events such as the UK leaving the European Union, despite a majority of voters in Scotland voting to remain a member, have led to calls for asecond independence referendum. In 2022, theLord AdvocateDorothy Bainargued the case for the Scottish Government to hold another referendum on the issue, with theSupreme Courtlater ruling against the argument.^[99]Following the Supreme Court decision, the Scottish Government stated that it wished to make amendments to theScotland Act 1998that would allow a referendum to be held in 2023.^[100]

The mainland of Scotland comprises the northern third of the land mass of the island of Great Britain, which lies off the northwest coast ofContinental Europe. The total area is 30,977 square miles (80,231 km²) with a land area of 30,078 square miles (77,901 km²),^[3]comparable to the size of the Czech Republic. Scotland's only land border is with England, and runs for 96 miles (154 km) between the basin of theRiver Tweedon the east coast and theSolway Firthin the west. The Atlantic Ocean borders the west coast and theNorth Seais to the east. The island of Ireland lies only 13 miles (21 km) from the south-western peninsula ofKintyre;^[101]Norway is 190 miles (305 km) to the northeast and theFaroe Islands, 168 miles (270 km) to the north.

The territorial extent of Scotland is generally that established by the 1237Treaty of Yorkbetween Scotland and the Kingdom of England^[102]and the 1266Treaty of Perthbetween Scotland and Norway.^[11]Important exceptions include theIsle of Man, which having been lost to England in the 14th century is now acrown dependencyoutside of the United Kingdom; the island groupsOrkneyandShetland, which were acquired from Norway in 1472;^[103]andBerwick-upon-Tweed, lost to England in 1482

The geographicalcentre of Scotlandlies a few miles from the village ofNewtonmoreinBadenoch.^[104]Rising to 4,413 feet (1,345 m) above sea level, Scotland's highest point is the summit ofBen Nevis, inLochaber, while Scotland's longest river, theRiver Tay, flows for a distance of 117 miles (188 km).^[9]

The whole of Scotland was covered by ice sheets during thePleistoceneice agesand the landscape is much affected by glaciation. From a geological perspective, the country has three main sub-divisions: the Highlands and Islands, the Central Lowlands, and the Southern Uplands.

TheHighlands and Islandslie to the north and west of theHighland Boundary Fault, which runs fromArrantoStonehaven. This part of Scotland largely comprises ancient rocks from theCambrianandPrecambrian, which were uplifted during the laterCaledonian orogeny. It is interspersed withigneousintrusions of a more recent age, remnants of which formed mountain massifs such as theCairngormsandSkyeCuillins.^[105]In north-eastern mainland Scotlandweatheringof rock that occurred before theLast Ice Agehas shaped much of the landscape.^[106]

A significant exception to the above are the fossil-bearing beds ofOld Red Sandstonesfound principally along theMoray Firthcoast. TheHighlandsare generally mountainous and the highest elevations in the British Isles are found here. Scotland has over 790 islands divided into four main groups:Shetland,Orkney, and theInner HebridesandOuter Hebrides. There are numerous bodies of freshwater includingLoch LomondandLoch Ness. Some parts of the coastline consist ofmachair, a low-lying dune pasture land.

TheCentral Lowlandsis arift valleymainly comprisingPaleozoicformations. Many of these sediments have economic significance for it is here that the coal and iron-bearing rocks that fuelled Scotland'sindustrial revolutionare found. This area has also experienced intense volcanism,Arthur's Seatin Edinburgh being the remnant of a once much larger volcano. This area is relatively low-lying, although even here hills such as theOchilsandCampsie Fellsare rarely far from view.

TheSouthern Uplandsis a range of hills almost 125 miles (200 km) long, interspersed with broad valleys. They lie south of a secondfault line(the Southern Uplands fault) that runs fromGirvantoDunbar.^{[107][108][109]}The geological foundations largely compriseSiluriandeposits laid down some 400 to 500 million years ago. The high point of the Southern Uplands isMerrickwith an elevation of 843 m (2,766 ft).^{[10][110][111][112]}The Southern Uplands is home to Scotland's highest village,Wanlockhead(430 m or 1,411 ft above sea level).^[109]

The climate of most of Scotland istemperateandoceanic, and tends to be very changeable. As it is warmed by theGulf Streamfrom the Atlantic, it has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes, such asLabrador, southernScandinavia, theMoscow regioninRussia, and theKamchatka Peninsulaon the opposite side ofEurasia. Temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the temperature of −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) recorded atBraemarin theGrampian Mountains, on 11 February 1895, the coldest ever recorded anywhere in the UK.^[113]Winter maxima average 6 °C (43 °F) in the Lowlands, with summer maxima averaging 18 °C (64 °F). The highest temperature recorded was 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) atFloors Castle,Scottish Borderson 19 July 2022.^[114]

The west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, owing to the influence of Atlanticocean currentsand the colder surface temperatures of theNorth Sea.Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides, is one of the sunniest places in the country: it had more than 300 hours of sunshine in May 1975.^[115]Rainfall varies widely across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest, with annual rainfall in a few places exceeding 3,000 mm (120 in).^[116]In comparison, much of lowland Scotland receives less than 800 mm (31 in) annually.^[117]Heavy snowfall is not common in the lowlands, but becomes more common with altitude. Braemar has an average of 59 snow days per year,^[118]while many coastal areas average fewer than 10 days of lying snow per year.^[117]

Scotland's wildlife is typical of the north-west of Europe, although several of the larger mammals such as the lynx, brown bear, wolf, elk and walrus were hunted to extinction in historic times. There are important populations of seals and internationally significant nesting grounds for a variety of seabirds such asgannets.^[119]Thegolden eagleis something of a national icon.^[120]

On the high mountain tops, species includingptarmigan,mountain hareandstoatcan be seen in their white colour phase during winter months.^[121]Remnants of the nativeScots pineforest exist^[122]and within these areas theScottish crossbill, the UK's onlyendemicbird species andvertebrate, can be found alongsidecapercaillie,Scottish wildcat,red squirrelandpine marten.^{[123][124][125]}Various animals have been re-introduced, including thewhite-tailed eaglein 1975, thered kitein the 1980s,^[126][127]and there have been experimental projects involving thebeaverandwild boar. Today, much of the remaining nativeCaledonian Forestlies within theCairngorms National Parkand remnants of the forest remain at 84 locations across Scotland. On the west coast, remnants of ancient Celtic Rainforest remain, particularly on the Taynish peninsula inArgyll, these forests are particularly rare due to high rates of deforestation throughout Scottish history.^[128][129]

The flora of the country is varied incorporating bothdeciduousandconiferouswoodland as well asmoorlandandtundraspecies. Large-scale commercial tree planting and management of upland moorland habitat for the grazing of sheep andfield sportactivities likedeer stalkinganddriven grouse shootingimpacts the distribution ofindigenousplants and animals.^[130]The UK's tallest tree is agrand firplanted besideLoch Fyne, Argyll in the 1870s, and theFortingall Yewmay be 5,000 years old and is probably the oldest living thing in Europe.^{[131][132][133]}Although the number of nativevascular plantsis low by world standards, Scotland's substantialbryophyteflora is of global importance.^[134][135]

During the 1820s, many Scots migrated from Scotland to countries such asAustralia, theUnited StatesandCanada, principally from the Highlands which remained poor in comparison to elsewhere in Scotland.^[136]The Highlands was the only part of mainland Britain with a recurrent famine.^[137]A small range of products were exported from the region, which had negligible industrial production and a continued population growth that tested the subsistence agriculture. These problems, and the desire to improve agriculture and profits were the driving forces of the ongoingHighland Clearances, in which many of the population of the Highlands suffered eviction as lands were enclosed, principally so that they could be used for sheep farming. The first phase of the clearances followed patterns of agricultural change throughout Britain. The second phase was driven by overpopulation, theHighland Potato Famineand the collapse of industries that had relied on the wartime economy of the Napoleonic Wars.^[138]

The population of Scotland grew steadily in the 19th century, from 1,608,000 in the census of 1801 to 2,889,000 in 1851 and 4,472,000 in 1901.^[139]Even with the development of industry, there were not enough good jobs. As a result, during the period 1841–1931, about 2 million Scots migrated to North America and Australia, and another 750,000 Scots relocated to England.^[140]Caused by the advent ofrefrigerationand imports of lamb, mutton and wool from overseas, the 1870s brought with them a collapse of sheep prices and an abrupt halt in the previous sheep farming boom.^[141]

In August 2012, the Scottish population reached an all-time high of 5.25 million people.^[142]The reasons given were that, in Scotland, births were outnumbering the number of deaths, and immigrants were moving to Scotland from overseas. In 2011, 43,700 people moved from Wales, Northern Ireland or England to live in Scotland.^[142]Themost recent census in Scotlandwas conducted by the Scottish Government and theNational Records of Scotlandin March 2022.^[143]The population of Scotland at the 2022 Census was 5,436,600, the highest ever,^[143]beating the previous record of 5,295,400 at the 2011 Census. It was 5,062,011 at the 2001 Census.^[144]An ONS estimate for mid-2021 was 5,480,000.^[145]In the 2011 Census, 62% of Scotland's population stated theirnational identityas 'Scottishonly', 18% as 'Scottish and British', 8% as 'British only', and 4% chose 'other identity only'.^[146]

Throughout its history, Scotland has long had a tradition of migration from Scotland and immigration into Scotland. In 2021, the Scottish Government released figures showing that an estimated 41,000 people had immigrated from other international countries into Scotland, while an average of 22,100 people had migrated from Scotland.^[147]Scottish Government data from 2002 shows that by 2021, there had been a sharp increase in immigration to Scotland, with 2002 estimates standing at 27,800 immigrants. While immigration had increased from 2002, migration from Scotland had dropped, with 2002 estimates standing at 26,200 people migrating from Scotland.^[148]

AlthoughEdinburghis the capital of Scotland, the largest city is Glasgow, which has just over 584,000 inhabitants. TheGreater Glasgowconurbation, with a population of almost 1.2 million, is home to nearly a quarter of Scotland's population.^[149]TheCentral Beltis where most of the main towns and cities of Scotland are located, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Perth. Scotland's only major city outside the Central Belt is Aberdeen. TheScottish Lowlandshost 80% of the total population, where theCentral Beltaccounts for 3.5 million people.

In general, only the more accessible and larger islands remain inhabited. Currently, fewer than 90 remain inhabited. The Southern Uplands is essentially rural and dominated by agriculture and forestry.^[150][151]Because of housing problems in Glasgow and Edinburgh,five new townswere designated between 1947 and 1966. They areEast Kilbride,Glenrothes,Cumbernauld,Livingston, andIrvine.^[152]

The largest council area by population isGlasgow City, withHighlandbeing the largest in terms of geographical area.

Scotland has threeindigenous languages: English,Scots, andScottish Gaelic.^[154][155]Scottish Standard English, a variety of English as spoken in Scotland, is at one end of a bipolarlinguistic continuum, with broadScotsat the other.^[156]Scottish Standard English may have been influenced to varying degrees by Scots.^[157][158]Highland Englishis spoken in that region, while Gaelic is mostly spoken in theWestern Isles, where it continues to be used by a large proportion of residents.

Overall, the use of Scotland's indigenous languages other than English has declined since the 19th century. The 2011 census indicated that 63% of the population had "no skills in Scots".^[159]The use of Gaelic is confined to 1% of the population.^[160]The number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland dropped from 250,000 in 1881 to 60,000 in 2008.^[161]Across the whole of Scotland, the 2011 census showed that 25,000 people (0.49%of the population) used Gaelic at home. The most common language spoken at home in Scotland after English and Scots is Polish, with about 1.1%of the population, or 54,000 people.^[162][163]

Immigration since World War II has given Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee small South Asian communities.^[164]In 2011, there were an estimated 49,000 ethnically Pakistani people living in Scotland, making them the largest non-White ethnic group.^[165]The 2004enlargement of the European Unionspurred an increase in migration fromCentralandEastern Europeto Scotland, and the 2011 census indicated that 61,000Poleslived there.^[165][166]

There are many more people with Scottish ancestry living abroad than the total population of Scotland. In the 2000 Census, 9.2 million Americans self-reported some degree ofScottishdescent.^[167]Ulster's Protestant population is mainly of lowland Scottish descent,^[168]and it is estimated that there are more than 27 million descendants of theScots-Irishmigration now living in the US.^[169][170]In Canada, theScottish-Canadiancommunity accounts for 4.7 million people.^[171]About 20% of the original European settler population of New Zealand came from Scotland.^[172]

As per the 2022 Census, a majority of Scots (51.12%) reported not following any religion. The most practiced religion is Christianity (38.79%), mostly theChurch of Scotland(20.36 %) andRoman Catholicism(13.3%).^[173]In almost every council area, the most common response to the census question was "No religion," except inNa h-Eileanan SiarandInverclyde, where the Church of Scotland (35.3%) and Catholicism (33.4%) were the most common responses, respectively.^[173]

Forms ofChristianityhave dominated religious life in what is now Scotland for more than 1,400 years.^[174][175]Since theScottish Reformationof 1560, thenational church(theChurch of Scotland, also known asThe Kirk) has beenProtestantin orientation andReformedin theology. Since 1689 it has had aPresbyteriansystem of church government independent from the state.^[10]Its membership dropped just below 300,000 in 2020 (5% of the total population)^{[176][177][178]}The Church operates a territorial parish structure, with every community in Scotland having a local congregation.

Scotland also has a significantRoman Catholicpopulation with 13.3% professing that faith, particularly in Greater Glasgow and the north-west.^[179][173]After the Reformation, Roman Catholicism in Scotland continued in the Highlands and some western islands likeUistandBarra, and it was strengthened during the 19th century by immigration from Ireland. Other Christian denominations in Scotland include theFree Church of Scotland, and various other Presbyterian offshoots. Scotland's third largest church is theScottish Episcopal Church.^[180]

Other minority faiths includeIslam(2.2%),Hinduism(0.55%), Sikhism and Buddhism.^{[173][181][182]}TheSamyé Lingmonastery nearEskdalemuir, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007, is the oldestBuddhistmonastery in Western Europe.^[183]

TheScottish education systemhas always had a characteristic emphasis on abroad education.^[185]In the 15th century, the Humanist emphasis on education cumulated with the passing of theEducation Act 1496, which decreed that all sons of barons and freeholders of substance should attend grammar schools to learn "perfyct Latyne", resulting in an increase in literacy among a male and wealthy elite.^[186]In the Reformation, the 1560First Book of Disciplineset out a plan for a school in every parish, but this proved financially impossible.^[187]In 1616 anact in Privy councilcommanded every parish to establish a school.^[188]By the late seventeenth century there was a largely complete network of parish schools in the lowlands, but in the Highlands basic education was still lacking in many areas.^[189]Education remained a matter for the church rather than the state until theEducation (Scotland) Act 1872.^[190]

Education in Scotland is the responsibility of theScottish Governmentand is overseen by its executive agencyEducation Scotland.^[191]TheCurriculum for Excellence, Scotland's national school curriculum, presently provides the curricular framework for children and young people from age 3 to 18.^[192]All 3- and 4-year-old children in Scotland are entitled to a free nursery place. Formal primary education begins at approximately 5 years old and lasts for 7 years (P1–P7); children in Scotland study National Qualifications of theCurriculum for Excellencebetween the ages of 14 and 18. The school leaving age is 16, after which students may choose to remain at school and study further qualifications. A small number of students at certainprivate schoolsmay follow theEnglish systemand study towardsGCSEsandAandAS-Levelsinstead.^[193]

There are fifteenScottish universities, some of which are among theoldest in the world.^[194][195]The four universities founded before the end of the 16th century – theUniversity of St Andrews, theUniversity of Glasgow, theUniversity of Aberdeenand theUniversity of Edinburgh– are collectively known as theancient universities of Scotland, all of which rank among the 200 best universities in the world in theTHE rankings, with Edinburgh placing in the top 50.^[196]Scotland had more universities per capita inQS' World University Rankings'top 100 in 2012 than any other nation.^[197]The country produces 1% of the world'spublished researchwith less than 0.1% of the world's population, and higher education institutions account for 9% of Scotland's service sector exports.^[198][199]Scotland's University Courts are the only bodies in Scotland authorised to award degrees.

Health care in Scotland is mainly provided byNHS Scotland, Scotland's public health care system. This was founded by theNational Health Service (Scotland) Act 1947(later repealed by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978) that took effect on 5 July 1948 to coincide with the launch of the NHS in England and Wales. Prior to 1948, half of Scotland's landmass was already covered by state-funded health care, provided by theHighlands and Islands Medical Service.^[201]Healthcare policy and funding is the responsibility of the Scottish Government'sHealth Directorates. In 2014, the NHS in Scotland had around 140,000 staff.^[202]

Thetotal fertility rate(TFR) in Scotland is below the replacement rate of 2.1 (the TFR was 1.73 in 2011^[203]). The majority of births are to unmarried women (51.3% of births were outside of marriage in 2012^[204]).

Life expectancy for those born in Scotland between 2012 and 2014 is 77.1 years for males and 81.1 years for females.^[205]This is the lowest of any of the four countries of the UK.^[205]The number of hospital admissions in Scotland for diseases such as cancer was 2,528 in 2002. Over the next ten years, by 2012, this had increased to 2,669.^[206]Hospital admissions for other diseases, such as coronary heart disease (CHD) were lower, with 727 admissions in 2002, and decreasing to 489 in 2012.^[206]

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, aconstitutional monarchywhose current sovereign isCharles III.^[207]The monarchy uses a variety of styles, titles and other symbols specific to Scotland, most of which originated in the pre–unionKingdom of Scotland. These include theRoyal Standard of Scotland, theroyal coat of arms, and the titleDuke of Rothesay, which is traditionally given to the heir apparent. There are also distinct ScottishOfficers of Stateand Officers of the Crown, and theOrder of the Thistle, achivalric order, is specific to the country.^[208]

TheParliament of the United Kingdomand theParliament of Scotlandare the country's primary legislative bodies. The UK Parliament issovereignand therefore has supremacy over the Scottish Parliament,^[209]but generally restricts itself to legislating over reserved matters: primarily taxes, social security, defence, international relations, and broadcasting.^[210]There is aconventionthe UK Parliament will not legislate over devolved matters without the Scottish Parliament's consent.^[211]Scotland is represented in theHouse of Commons, thelower chamberof the UK Parliament, by 57Members of Parliament(out of a total of 650).^[212]They are elected to single-memberconstituenciesunder thefirst-past-the-postsystem of voting. TheScotland Officerepresents the British government in Scotland and represents Scottish interests within the government.^[213]The Scotland Office is led by theSecretary of State for Scotland, who sits in theCabinet of the United Kingdom.^[214]The Labour MPIan Murrayhas held the position since July 2024.^[215]

The Scottish Parliament is aunicamerallegislature with 129 members (MSPs): 73 of them represent individual constituencies and are elected on afirst-past-the-postsystem, and the other 56 are elected in eight different electoral regions by theadditional member system. MSPs normally serve for a five-year period.^[216]The largest party since the2021 Scottish Parliament election, has been theScottish National Party(SNP), which won 64 of the 129 seats.^[217]TheScottish Conservatives,Scottish Labour, theScottish Liberal Democratsand theScottish Greensalso have representation in the current Parliament.^[217]Thenext Scottish Parliament electionis due to be held on 7 May 2026.^[218]

TheScottish Governmentis led by thefirst minister, who is nominated by MSPs and is typically the leader of the largest party in the Parliament. Other ministers are appointed by the first minister and serve at their discretion.^[219]As the head of the Scottish Government, the first minister is responsible for the comprehensive development, implementation and presentation of government policy, and is responsible for promoting the interests of the country at home and internationally.^[220]John Swinney, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has served as the first minister since 8 May 2024.^[221]

As leader of the Scottish Government, the first minister is a member of theHeads of Government Council, the body which facilitates intergovernmental relations between the Scottish Government, UK Government,Welsh Government, andNorthern Ireland Executive.^[222]Foreign policy is a reserved matter and primarily the responsibility of theForeign Office, a department of the UK Government.^[223]Nevertheless, the Scottish Government may promote Scottish interests abroad and encourage foreign investment in Scotland.^[224]The first minister and theconstitution secretary^[225]have portfolios which include foreign affairs.^[226][227]

Scotland's international network consists of two Scotland Houses, one inBrusselsand the other inLondon, seven Scottish Government international offices, and over thirty Scottish Development International offices in other countries globally. Both Scotland Houses are independent Scottish Government establishments, whilst the seven Scottish Government international offices are based inBritish embassiesor British High Commission offices.^[228]The Scottish Government, along with the other devolved governments of the United Kingdom, pay theForeign, Commonwealth and Development Officean annual charge to be able to access facilities and support in the Embassy or High Commission in which the Scottish international offices are based. The Scottish Government's international network allows Scottish Government ministers to engage with other international governments and bodies in relation to the government's policy objectives as well as that of Scottish businesses. Additionally, the international network of the Scottish Government acts as a mechanism to promote and strengthen the Scottish economy by creating opportunities for Scottish businesses to increase export sales of Scottish products, whilst working with their current, and any future, foreign investors to establish and maintain Scottish jobs in the goods sector.^[228]

Scotland is a member of theBritish–Irish Council, theBritish–Irish Parliamentary Assembly,Inter-Parliamentary Forum, theCommonwealth Parliamentary Association^{[229][230][231]}and theParliamentary Partnership Assembly with the European Union.^[232]The Scottish Government has a network of offices in Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, London, Ottawa, Paris, and Washington, D.C., which promote Scottish interests in their respective areas.^[233]The nation has historic ties to France as a result of the 'Auld Alliance', a treaty signed between the Kingdom of Scotland andKingdom of Francein 1295 to discourage an English invasion of either country.^[234]The alliance effectively ended in the sixteenth century, but the two countries continue to have a close relationship, with a Statement of Intent being signed in 2013 between the Scottish Government and theGovernment of France.^[235]In 2004 theScotland Malawi Partnershipwas established, which co-ordinates Scottish activities to strengthen existing links withMalawi, and in 2021, the Scottish Government andGovernment of Irelandsigned the Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Review, committing both governments to increased levels of co–operation on areas such as diplomacy, economy and business.^{[228][236][237]}Scotland also hashistorical and culturalties with theScandinavian countries.^[238][239]Scottish Government policy advocates for stronger political relations with theNordicandBalticcountries, which has resulted in some Nordic-inspired policies being adopted such as baby boxes.^[240][241]Representatives from the Scottish Parliament attended theNordic Councilfor the first time in 2022.^[242]

Devolution—the granting of central government powers to a regional government^[243]– gained increasing popularity as a policy in the United Kingdom the late twentieth century; it was described byJohn Smith, thenLeader of the Labour Party, as the "settled will of the Scottish people".^[244]The Scottish Parliament andScottish Governmentwere subsequently established under theScotland Act 1998; the Act followed a successfulreferendum in 1997which found majority support for both creating the Parliament and granting it limited powers tovary income tax.^[245]The Act enabled the new institutions to legislate in all areas not explicitly reserved by the UK Parliament.^[246]

Two more pieces of legislation, the Scotland Acts of2012and2016, gave the Scottish Parliament further powers to legislate on taxation and social security;^[247]the 2016 Act also gave the Scottish Government powers to manage the affairs of theCrown Estate in Scotland.^[248]Conversely, theUnited Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020constrains the Scottish Parliament's autonomy to regulate goods and services,^[249][250]and the academic view is that this undermines devolution.^[256]

The2007 Scottish Parliament electionsled to theScottish National Party(SNP), which supportsScottish independence, forming aminority government. The new government established a "National Conversation" on constitutional issues, proposing a number of options such as increasing the powers of the Scottish Parliament,federalism, or a referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. The three main unionist opposition parties–Scottish Labour, theScottish Conservatives, and theScottish Liberal Democrats–created a separatecommissionto investigate the distribution of powers between devolved Scottish and UK-wide bodies while not considering independence.^[257]In August 2009 the SNP proposed a bill to hold a referendum on independence in November 2010, but was defeated by opposition from all other major parties.^{[258][259][260]}

The2011 Scottish Parliament electionresulted in an SNP overall majority in the Scottish Parliament, and on 18 September 2014 areferendum on Scottish independencewas held.^[261]The referendum resulted in a rejection of independence, by 55.3% to 44.7%.^[262][263]During the campaign, the three main parties in the British Parliament–theConservatives,Labour, and theLiberal Democrats–pledged to extend the powers of the Scottish Parliament.^[264][265]An all-partycommissionchaired byRobert Smith, Baron Smith of Kelvinwas formed,^[265]which led to the Scotland Act 2016.^[266]

Following theEuropean Union Referendum Act 2015, the2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendumwas held on 23 June 2016 on Britain's membership of theEuropean Union. A majority in the United Kingdom voted to withdraw from the EU, while a majority within Scotland voted to remain a member.^[267]The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced the following day that as a result anew independence referendumwas "highly likely".^[268][267]On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom formally withdrew from the European Union. Because constitutional affairs are reserved matters under the Scotland Act, the Scottish Parliament would again have to be granted temporary additional powers under Section 30 to hold a legally binding vote.^{[269][270][271]}

Forlocal governmentpurposes Scotland is subdivided into 32 single-tier council areas.^[272]The areas were established in 1996, and their councils are responsible for the provision of all local government services. Decisions are made by councillors, who are elected atlocal electionsevery five years. The leader of the council is typically a councillor from the party with the most seats; councils also have a civic head, typically called theprovostorlord provost, who represents the council on ceremonial occasions and chairs council meetings.^[273]Community Councilsare informal organisations that represent smaller subdivisions within each council area.^[274]

Police Scotlandand theScottish Fire and Rescue Servicecover the entire country. For healthcare and postal districts, and a number of other governmental and non-governmental organisations such as the churches, there are other long-standing methods of subdividing Scotland for the purposes of administration.

There areeight cities in Scotland:Aberdeen,Dundee,Dunfermline,Edinburgh,Glasgow,Inverness,StirlingandPerth.^[275]City status in the United Kingdomis conferred by the monarch throughletters patent.^[276]

As one of the countries of the United Kingdom, theBritish Armed Forcesare the armed forces of Scotland. Of the money spent on UK defence, about £3.3 billion can be attributed to Scotland as of 2018/2019.^[277]Scotland had a long military tradition predating theTreaty of Unionwith England. Following the Treaty of Union in 1707, theScots ArmyandRoyal Scots Navymerged with their English counterparts to form theRoyal Navyand theBritish Army, which together form part of theBritish Armed Forces.^[278][279]TheAtholl Highlanders, Europe's only remaining legalprivate army, did not join the Scots Army or Royal Scots Navy in merging with English armed forces, remaining a private army not under the command of the British Armed Forces.^[280]

NumerousScottish regimentshave at various times existed in the British Army. Distinctively Scottish regiments in the British Army include theScots Guards, theRoyal Scots Dragoon Guardsand the154 (Scottish) Regiment RLC, anArmy Reserveregiment of theRoyal Logistic Corps. In 2006, as a result of theDelivering Security in a Changing Worldwhite paper, the Scottish infantry regiments in theScottish Divisionwere amalgamated to form theRoyal Regiment of Scotland.^[281]As a result of theCameron–Clegg coalition'sStrategic Defence and Security Review 2010, the Scottish regiments of the line in theBritish Armyinfantry, having previously formed the Scottish Division, were reorganised into theScottish, Welsh and Irish Divisionin 2017. Before the formation of the Scottish Division, the Scottish infantry was organised into aLowland BrigadeandHighland Brigade.^[282]

Because of their topography and perceived remoteness, parts of Scotland have housed many sensitive defence establishments.^{[283][284][285]}Between 1960 and 1991, theHoly Lochwas a base for the US fleet ofPolarisballistic missile submarines.^[286]Today,His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, 25 miles (40 kilometres) north-west of Glasgow, is the base for the fourTrident-armedVanguard-classballistic missile submarinesthat comprise the Britain'snuclear deterrent.

Scotland'sScapa Flowwas the main base for theRoyal Navyin the 20th century.^[287]As theCold Warintensified in 1961, the United States deployedPolaris ballistic missiles, and submarines, in theFirth of Clyde'sHoly Loch. Public protests fromCNDcampaigners proved futile. The Royal Navy successfully convinced the government to allow the base because it wanted its own Polaris submarines, and it obtained them in 1963. The RN's nuclear submarine base opened with fourResolution-classPolaris submarines at the expandedFaslane Naval Baseon theGare Loch. The first patrol of aTrident-armed submarine occurred in 1994, although the US base was closed at the end of the Cold War.^[288]

A single front-lineRoyal Air Forcebase is located in Scotland.RAF Lossiemouth, located inMoray, is the most northerlyair defencefighterbase in the United Kingdom and is home to fourEurofighter Typhooncombat aircraft squadrons, threePoseidon MRA1squadrons, and a full–time, permanently based RAF Regiment squadron.^[289]

Scots law has a basis derived fromRoman law,^[290]combining features of both uncodifiedcivil law, dating back to theCorpus Juris Civilis, andcommon lawwithmedieval sources. The terms of the Treaty of Union with England in 1707 guaranteed the continued existence of a separate legal system in Scotland from that of England and Wales.^[291]Prior to 1611, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, most notablyUdal lawinOrkneyandShetland, based on old Norse law. Various other systems derived from commonCelticorBrehon lawssurvived in the Highlands until the 1800s.^[292]Scots law provides for three types ofcourtsresponsible for the administration of justice: civil, criminal andheraldic. The supreme civil court is theCourt of Session, although civilappealscan be taken to theSupreme Court of the United Kingdom(or before 1 October 2009, theHouse of Lords). TheHigh Court of Justiciaryis the supreme criminal court in Scotland. The Court of Session is housed atParliament House, in Edinburgh, which was the home of the pre-UnionParliament of Scotlandwith theHigh Court of Justiciaryand the Supreme Court of Appeal currently located at theLawnmarket. Thesheriff courtis the main criminal and civil court, hearing most cases. There are 49 sheriff courts throughout the country.^[293]District courtswere introduced in 1975 for minor offences and small claims. These were gradually replaced byJustice of the Peace Courtsfrom 2008 to 2010.

For three centuries the Scots legal system was unique for being the only national legal system without a parliament. This ended with the advent of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, which legislates for devolved matters.^[294]Many features within the system have been preserved. Within criminal law, the Scots legal system is unique in having three possible verdicts: "guilty", "not guilty" and "not proven".^[295]Both "not guilty" and "not proven" result in anacquittal, typically with no possibility of retrial per the rule ofdouble jeopardy. A retrial can hear new evidence at a later date that might have proven conclusive in the earlier trial at first instance, where the person acquitted subsequently admits the offence or where it can be proved that the acquittal was tainted by an attempt topervert the course of justice. Scots juries, sitting in criminal cases, consist of fifteen jurors, which is three more than is typical in many countries.^[296]

TheLord Advocateis the chief legal officer of theScottish Governmentandthe Crownin Scotland. The Lord Advocate is the head of the systems in Scotland for the investigation and prosecution of crime, the investigation of deaths as well as serving as the principal legal adviser to the Scottish Government and representing the government in legal proceedings.^[297]They are the chiefpublic prosecutorfor Scotland and allprosecutionson indictment are conducted by theCrown Office and Procurator Fiscal Servicein the Lord Advocate's name on behalf of the Monarch.^[297]The officeholder is one of theGreat Officers of Stateof Scotland. The current Lord Advocate isDorothy Bain, who was nominated by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and appointed in June 2021.^[298]The Lord Advocate is supported by theSolicitor General for Scotland.^[299]

Since 2013, Scotland has had a unified police force known asPolice Scotland. TheScottish Prison Service(SPS) manages the prisons in Scotland, which collectively house over 8,500 prisoners.^[300]TheCabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairsis responsible for the Scottish Prison Service within the Scottish Government.

Scotland has a Western-styleopenmixed economyclosely linked with the rest of the UK and the wider world. Scotland is one of the leading financial centres in Europe, and is the largest financial centre in the United Kingdom outside of London.^[302]Edinburgh is the financial services centre of Scotland, with many large finance firms based there, including:Lloyds Banking Group, theBank of Scotland, the Government-ownedRoyal Bank of ScotlandandStandard Life.^[303]Edinburgh was ranked 15th in thelist of world financial centresin 2007, but fell to 37th in 2012, following damage to its reputation,^[304]and in 2016 was ranked 56th out of 86.^[305]Its status had returned to 17th by 2020.^[306]Traditionally, the Scottish economy was dominated byheavy industryunderpinned by shipbuilding in Glasgow, coal mining andsteel industries. Petroleum-related industries associated with the extraction ofNorth Sea oilhave also been important employers from the 1970s, especially in the north-east of Scotland. De-industrialisation during the 1970s and 1980s saw a shift from a manufacturing focus towards a moreservice-oriented economy. TheScottish National Investment Bankwas established by the Scottish Government in 2020, which uses public money to fund commercial projects across Scotland with the hope that this seed capital will encourage further private investment, to help develop a fairer, more sustainable economy. £2 billion of taxpayers money was earmarked for the bank.^[307]

In 2022, Scotland's gross domestic product (GDP), including offshore oil and gas, was estimated at £211.7 billion.^[6]In 2021, Scottish exports in goods and services (excluding intra-UK trade) were estimated to be £50.1 billion.^[308]Scotland's primary goods exports are mineral fuels, machinery and transport, and beverages and tobacco.^[309]The country's largest export markets in goods are the European Union, Asia and Oceania, and North America.^[309]Whisky is one of Scotland's more known goods of economic activity. Exports increased by 87% in the decade to 2012^[310]and were valued at £4.3 billion in 2013, which was 85% of Scotland's food and drink exports.^[311]It supports around 10,000 jobs directly and 25,000 indirectly.^[312]It may contribute £400–682 million to Scotland, rather than several billion pounds, as more than 80% of whisky produced is owned by non-Scottish companies.^[313]A briefing published in 2002 by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) for the Scottish Parliament's Enterprise and Life Long Learning Committee stated that tourism accounted for up to 5% of GDP and 7.5% of employment.^[314]

Scotland was one of the industrial powerhouses of Europe from the time of theIndustrial Revolutiononwards, being a world leader in manufacturing.^[315]This left a legacy in the diversity of goods and services which Scotland produces, from textiles,whiskyandshortbreadto jet engines, buses, computer software,investment managementand other related financial services.^[316]In common with most other advanced industrialised economies, Scotland has seen a decline in the importance of both manufacturing industries and primary-based extractive industries. This has been combined with a rise in theservicesector of the economy, which has grown to be the largest sector in Scotland.^[317]

The average weekly income for workplace-based employees in Scotland is £573,^[318]and £576 for residence based employees.^[318]Scotland has the third highest median gross salary in the United Kingdom at £26,007 and is higher than the overall UK average annual salary of £25,971.^[319]With an average of £14.28, Scotland has the third highest median hourly rate (excluding overtime working hours) of any of the countries of the United Kingdom, and like the annual salary, is higher than the average UK figure as a whole.^[319]The highest paid industries in Scotland tend of be in theutilityelectricity,gasandair conditioningsectors,^[319]with industries liketourism, accommodation and food and drink tend to be the lowest paid.^[319]The toplocal authorityfor pay by where people live isEast Renfrewshire(£20.87 per hour).^[319]

The top local authority for pay based on where people work isEast Ayrshire(£16.92 per hour). Scotland's cities commonly have the largest salaries in Scotland for where people work.^[319]2021/2022 date indicates that there were 2.6 milliondwellingsacross Scotland, with 318,369local authoritydwellings.^[320]Typical prices for a house in Scotland was £195,391 in August 2022.^[321]

Between 2016 and 2020, the Scottish Government estimated that 10% of people in Scotland were in persistent poverty following housing costs, with similar rates of persistent poverty for children (10%), working-age adults (10%) and pensioners (11%).^[322]Persistent child poverty rates had seen a relatively sharp drop, however, the accuracy of this was deemed to be questionable due to a number of various factors such as households re-entering the longitudinal sample allowing data gaps to be filled.^[322]The Scottish Government introduced the Scottish Child Payment in 2021 for low-income families with children under six years of age in an attempt to reduce child poverty rates, with families receiving a payment of roughly £1,040 per year.^[323]As of October 2023, 10% of the Scottish population were estimated to be living in poverty.^[324]

Although theBank of Englandis thecentral bankfor the UK, three Scottishclearing banksissueSterlingbanknotes: theBank of Scotland, theRoyal Bank of Scotlandand theClydesdale Bank. The issuing of banknotes byretail banksin Scotland is subject to theBanking Act 2009, which repealed all earlier legislation under which banknote issuance was regulated, and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Banknote Regulations 2009.^[325]

The value of the Scottish banknotes in circulation in 2013 was £3.8 billion, underwritten by the Bank of England using funds deposited by each clearing bank, under theBanking Act 2009, to cover the total value of such notes in circulation.^[326]

Scotland hasfive international airportsoperating scheduled services to Europe, North America and Asia, as well as domestic services to England, Northern Ireland and Wales.^[327]Highlands and Islands Airportsoperates eleven airports across theHighlands,Orkney,Shetlandand theWestern Isles, which are primarily used for short distance, public service operations, although Inverness Airport has a number of scheduled flights to destinations across the UK and mainland Europe.^[328]Edinburgh Airport is currently Scotland's busiest airport handling over 13 million passengers in 2017.^[329]It is also the UK's 6th busiest airport. The airlineLoganairhas its headquarters at Glasgow Airport and markets itself asScotland's Airline.^[330]

Network Railowns and operates the fixed infrastructure assets of the railway system in Scotland, while the Scottish Government retains overall responsibility for rail strategy and funding in Scotland.^[331]Scotland's rail network has 359 railway stations and around 1,710 miles (2,760 km) of track.^[332]In 2018–19 there were 102million passenger journeys on Scottish railways.^[333]On 1 January 2006,Transport Scotlandwas established, which would oversee the regulation of railways in Scotland and administer major rail projects.^[334]Since April 2022, Transport Scotland has taken ScotRail back into public ownership via itsoperator of last resort,Scottish Rail Holdings.^[335]It did the same with the Caledonian Sleeper service in June 2023.^[336]

TheGlasgow Subwayis the onlyunderground systemin Scotland. It opened on 14 December 1896, making it the third-oldest underground network in the world after theBudapest Metroand theLondon Underground. It is owned and operated byStrathclyde Partnership for Transport.^[337]

The Scottish motorways and majortrunk roadsare managed by Transport Scotland. The remainder of the road network is managed by theScottish local authoritiesin each of their areas.

Regular ferry services operate between the Scottish mainland and outlying islands. Ferries serving both the inner and outerHebridesare principally operated by thestate-owned enterpriseCaledonian MacBrayne.^[338][339]Services to theNorthern Islesare operated bySerco. Other routes, such as southwest Scotland to Northern Ireland, are served by multiple companies.^[340]DFDS Seawaysoperated a freight-onlyRosyth – Zeebrugge ferry service, until a fire damaged the vessel DFDS were using.^[341]A passenger service was also operated between 2002 and 2010.^[342]

Scotland's primary sources of energy are provided through renewable energy (61.8%), nuclear (25.7%) and fossil fuel generation (10.9%).^[344]Whitelee Wind Farmis the largest onshorewind farmin the United Kingdom, and was Europe's largest onshore wind farm for some time.^[345]Tidal poweris an emerging source of energy in Scotland. TheMeyGentidal stream energy plant in the north of the country is claimed to be the largest tidal stream energy project in the world.^[346]In Scotland, 98.6% of all electricity used was from renewable sources. This is minus net exports.^[344]Between October 2021 and September 2022 63.1% of all electricity generated in Scotland was from renewable sources, 83.6% was classed as low carbon and 14.5% was from fossil fuels.^[347]The Scottish Government has a target to have the equivalent of 50% of the energy for Scotland's heat, transport and electricity consumption to be supplied from renewable sources by 2030.^[348]They have stated that, in 2022, the equivalent of 113% of the country's overall electrical consumption was produced by renewable energy, making it the highest recorded figure of renewable energy generated to date.^[349]

Scotland's inventions and discoveriesare said to have revolutionised human technology and have played a major role in the creation of the modern world. Such inventions – thetelevision, thetelephone,refrigerators, theMRI scanner,flushing toiletsand thesteam engine– are said to have been possible by Scotland's universities and parish schools, together with the commitment Scots had to education during theScottish Enlightenment.^[350]Alexander Flemingis responsible for the discovery of the world's first broadly effectiveantibioticsubstance, which he namedpenicillin, earning him aNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicinein 1945.^{[351][352][353]}Modern Scottish inventions – theFalkirk Wheeland theGlasgow Tower– hold world records for being the only rotatingboat liftand the tallest fully rotating freestanding structure in the world respectively.^[354][355]

Scotland'sspace industryis a world leader in sustainable space technology,^[356][357]and, according to theUK Space Agency, there are 173 space companies currently operating in Scotland as of May 2021.^[358]These include spacecraft manufacturers, launch providers, downstream data analyzers, and research organisations.^[359]The space industry in Scotland is projected to generate £2billion in income for Scotland's space cluster by 2030.^[356]Scottish space industry jobs represent almost 1 in 5 of all UK space industry employment.^[360]In addition to its space industry, Scotland is home to two plannedspaceports–Sutherland spaceportandSaxaVord Spaceport– with launch vehicles such as theOrbex Primefrom Scottish–basedaerospace companyOrbexexpected to be launched from Sutherland.^[361]

Scottish musicis a significant aspect of the nation's culture, with both traditional and modern influences. A famous traditional Scottish instrument is theGreat Highland bagpipe, a woodwind reed instrument consisting of three drones and a melody pipe (called the chanter), which are fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag. The popularity ofpipe bands—primarily featuring bagpipes, various types of snares and drums, and showcasing Scottish traditional dress and music—has spread throughout the world. Bagpipes are featured in holiday celebrations, parades, funerals, weddings, and other events internationally. Many military regiments have a pipe band of their own. In addition to the Great Highland pipes, several smaller, somewhat quieterbellows-blown varieties of bagpipe are played in Scotland, including thesmallpipesand theBorder pipes.

Scottish popular musichas gained an international following, with artists such asLewis Capaldi,Amy Macdonald,KT Tunstall,Nina Nesbitt,Chvrches,Gerry CinnamonandPaolo Nutinigaining international success. DJCalvin Harriswas one of themost streamed artists on Spotifyin 2023,^[362][363]whilstSusan Boyle'sdebut albumwasone of the best-selling albums of the 21st century, and was the best-selling album internationally in 2009.^[364]Musical talent in Scotland is recognised via theScottish Music Awards,Scottish Album of the Year Award, theScots Trad Music Awardsand theBBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musicianaward.

Scotland has a literary heritage dating back to the early Middle Ages. The earliest extant literature composed in what is now Scotland was inBrythonicspeech in the 6th century, but is preserved as part ofWelsh literature.^[365]Later medieval literature included works in Latin,^[366]Gaelic,^[367]Old English^[368]and French.^[369]The first surviving major text inEarly Scotsis the 14th-century poetJohn Barbour's epicBrus, focusing on the life of Robert I,^[370]and was soon followed by a series of vernacular romances and prose works.^[371]In the 16th century, the crown's patronage helped the development of Scots drama and poetry,^[372]but the accession of James VI to the English throne removed a major centre of literary patronage and Scots was sidelined as a literary language.^[373]Interest in Scots literature was revived in the 18th century by figures includingJames Macpherson, whoseOssian Cyclemade him the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation and was a major influence on the European Enlightenment.^[374]It was also a major influence onRobert Burns, whom many consider the national poet,^[375]andWalter Scott, whoseWaverley Novelsdid much to define Scottish identity in the 19th century.^[376]Towards the end of the Victorian era a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations as writers in English, includingRobert Louis Stevenson,Arthur Conan Doyle,J. M. BarrieandGeorge MacDonald.^[377]

In the 20th century theScottish Renaissancesaw a surge of literary activity and attempts to reclaim the Scots language as a medium for serious literature.^[378]Members of the movement were followed by a new generation of post-war poets includingEdwin Morgan, who would be appointed the firstScots Makarby the inaugural Scottish government in 2004.^[379]Sorley MacLeanwas described by theScottish Poetry Libraryas "one of the major Scottish poets of the modern era" because of his "mastery of his chosen medium and his engagement with the European poetic tradition and European politics".^[380]Nobel Prize LaureateSeamus Heaneycredited MacLean with savingScottish Gaelic poetry.^[381]From the 1980s Scottish literature enjoyed another major revival, particularly associated with a group of writers includingIrvine Welsh.^[378]Scottish poets who emerged in the same period includedCarol Ann Duffy, who, in May 2009, was the first Scot named the monarch'sPoet Laureate.^[382]

National newspapers such as theDaily Record,The Herald,The ScotsmanandThe Nationalare all produced in Scotland.^[383]Important regional dailies include theEvening Newsin Edinburgh,The Courierin Dundee in the east, andThe Press and Journalserving Aberdeen and the north.^[383]Scotland is represented at theCeltic Media Festival, which showcases film and television from the Celtic countries. Scottish entrants have won many awards since the festival began in 1980.^[384]

Scotland's national broadcaster isBBC Scotland, a division of theBBC, which runs three nationaltelevision stationsBBC One Scotland,BBC Scotland channeland the Gaelic-language broadcasterBBC Alba, and the national radio stations,BBC Radio ScotlandandBBC Radio nan Gàidheal, among others. The main Scottish commercial television station isSTVwhich broadcasts on two of the threeITVregions of Scotland.^[385]

As one of theCeltic nations, Scotland and Scottish culture are represented at inter-Celtic events at home and over the world. Scotland hosts several music festivals includingCeltic Connections(Glasgow), and theHebridean Celtic Festival(Stornoway). Festivals celebrating Celtic culture, such asFestival Interceltique de Lorient(Brittany), thePan Celtic Festival(Ireland), and the National Celtic Festival (Portarlington, Australia), feature elements of Scottish culture such as language, music and dance.^{[386][387][388][389]}

The image ofSt. Andrew, martyred while bound to an X-shaped cross, first appeared in theKingdom of Scotlandduring the reign ofWilliam I.^[390]Following the death ofKing Alexander IIIin 1286 an image of Andrew was used on thesealof theGuardians of Scotlandwho assumed control of the kingdom during the subsequentinterregnum.^[391]Use of a simplified symbol associated with Saint Andrew, thesaltire, has its origins in the late 14th century; theParliament of Scotlanddecreeing in 1385 that Scottish soldiers should wear a white Saint Andrew's Cross on the front and back of their tunics.^[392]Use of a blue background for the Saint Andrew's Cross is said to date from at least the 15th century.^[393]Since 1606 the saltire has also formed part of the design of theUnion Flag. There are numerous other symbols and symbolic artefacts, both official and unofficial, including thethistle, the nation'sfloral emblem(celebrated in the song,The Thistle o' Scotland), theDeclaration of Arbroath, incorporating a statement of political independence made on 6 April 1320, the textile patterntartanthat often signifies a particularScottish clanand the royalLion Rampantflag.^{[394][395][396]}Highlanders can thankJames Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose, for the repeal in 1782 of the Act of 1747 prohibiting the wearing of tartans.^[397]

Although there is no officialnational anthem of Scotland,^[398]Flower of Scotlandis played on special occasions and sporting events such as football and rugby matches involving the Scotland national teams and since 2010 is also played at the Commonwealth Games after it was voted the overwhelming favourite by participating Scottish athletes.^[399]Other currently less popular candidates for the National Anthem of Scotland includeScotland the Brave,Highland Cathedral,Scots Wha HaeandA Man's A Man for A' That.^[400]

St Andrew's Day, 30 November, is thenational day, althoughBurns' Nighttends to be more widely observed, particularly outside Scotland. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament passed theSt Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007, designating the day an officialbank holiday.^[401]Tartan Dayis a recent innovation from Canada.^[402]

The national animal of Scotland is theunicorn, which has been a Scottish heraldic symbol since the 12th century.^[403]TheCourt of the Lord LyonregulatesScottish heraldryand the Public Register of All Armorial Bearings in Scotland.^[404]

Scottish cuisine has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own but shares much with widerBritishandEuropean cuisineas a result of local and foreign influences, both ancient and modern. Traditional Scottish dishes exist alongside international foodstuffs brought about by migration. Scotland's natural larder ofgame, dairy products, fish, fruit, and vegetables is the chief factor in traditional Scots cooking, with a high reliance on simplicity and a lack ofspicesfrom abroad, as these were historically rare and expensive.^[405]

Irn-Bruis the most common Scottish carbonated soft drink, often described as "Scotland's other national drink" (after whisky).^[406]During theLate Middle Agesandearly modern era,French cuisineplayed a role in Scottish cookery due to cultural exchanges brought about by the "Auld Alliance",^[407]especially during the reign ofMary, Queen of Scots. Mary, on her return to Scotland, brought an entourage of French staff who are considered responsible for revolutionising Scots cooking and for some of Scotland's unique food terminology.^[408]

Scotland hosts its own national sporting competitions and has independent representation at several international sporting events, including theFIFA World Cup, theUEFA Nations League, theUEFA European Championship, theRugby Union World Cup, theRugby League World Cup, theCricket World Cup, theNetball World Cupand theCommonwealth Games. Scotland has its own national governing bodies, such as theScottish Football Association(the second oldest national football association in the world)^[409]and theScottish Rugby Union. Variations of football have been played in Scotland for centuries, with the earliest reference dating back to 1424.^[410]

The world's first official international association football match, betweenScotlandandEnglandwas held in Glasgow on 30 November 1872, and resulted in a 0–0 draw.^[411]TheScottish Cupwas first contested in 1873, and is the oldest trophy in association football.^[412]TheScottish Football Association(SFA) is the maingoverning bodyfor Scottish association football, and a founding member of theInternational Football Association Board(IFAB) which governs theLaws of the Game. Scotland is one of only four countries to have a permanent representative on the IFAB; the other four representatives being appointed for set periods byFIFA.^[413][414]The SFA has responsibility for theScotland national football teamand theScotland women's team.

With the modern game ofgolforiginating in 15th-century Scotland, the country is promoted as thehome of golf.^{[415][416][417]}To many golfers theOld Coursein the Fife town ofSt Andrews, an ancientlinkscourse dating to before 1552,^[418]is considered a site of pilgrimage.^[419]In 1764, the standard 18-hole golf course was created at St Andrews when members modified the course from 22 to 18 holes.^[420]The world's oldest golf tournament, and golf's first major, isThe Open Championship, which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland, withScottish golfers winning the earliest majors.^[421]There are many other famousgolf courses in Scotland, includingCarnoustie,Gleneagles,Muirfield, andRoyal Troon.

The Scottish Rugby Union is the second oldest rugby union in the world.Murrayfield Stadiumin Edinburgh is the national stadium of theScottish national rugby team. The Scotland rugby team playedtheir first officialtest match, winning 1–0 against England atRaeburn Placein 1871. Scotland has competed in theSix Nationsfrom the inaugural tournament in 1883, winning it 14 times outright—including the last Five Nations in1999—and sharing it another 8. The Rugby World Cup was introduced in 1987 and Scotland have competed in all nine competitions, the most recent being in the2023 Rugby World Cup. Scotland competes with the England rugby team annually for theCalcutta Cup. Each year, this fixture is played out as part of the Six Nations, with Scotland having last won in 2024.^[422]

Other distinctive features of the national sporting culture include theHighland games,curlingandshinty. Inboxing, Scotland has had 13 world champions, includingKen Buchanan,Benny LynchandJim Watt. Scotland has also been successful inmotorsport, particularly inFormula One. Notable drivers include;David Coulthard,Jim Clark,Paul Di Resta, andJackie Stewart.^[423]InIndyCar,Dario Franchittihas won 4 consecutiveIndyCar world championships.^[424]

Scotland has competed at everyCommonwealth Gamessince 1930 and has won 356 medals in total—91 Gold, 104 Silver and 161 Bronze.^[425]Edinburgh played host to the Commonwealth Games in1970and1986, and most recentlyGlasgowin2014.^[426]

• Celtic languages
• Celts
• Ethnic groups in Europe
• Outline of Scotland

• Evans, Richard J.(2008).The Third Reich at War. New York: Penguin Group.ISBN978-0-14-311671-4.
• Sereny, Gitta(1996) [1995].Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth. New York: Vintage.ISBN978-0-679-76812-8.

• Scotland– official online gateway to Scotland managed by the Scottish Government
• Visit Scotland– official site of Scotland's national tourist board
• Scottish Government– official site of theScottish Government
• Scotlandweb resources provided by GovPubs at theUniversity of Colorado Boulder Libraries.
• ScotlandatCurlie
• Geographic data related toScotlandatOpenStreetMap

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