What do you know about Scotland?

Hi, I’m Diana and I’d like to speak about Scotland in brief.

  1. Scotland is the most northern part of the island of Great Britain.
  2. It is not densely populated: its population is a little over 5 million people.
  3. Scottish people are called Scots.
  4. The Cheviot Hills mark the boundary between England and Scotland.
  5. Scotland includes the Hebrides, the Orkney and the Shetland Isles.
  6. Scotland is divided into three regions: the Highlands, the Lowlands, the Southern Uplands.
  7. The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world.
  8. The highest peak is BenNevis (1343 m).
  9. Many valleys between the hills are filled with lakes called lochs.
  10. The best known is Loch Ness which is famous for a large monster called Nessie.
  11. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh.
  12. Edinburgh Castle is a world famous icon of Scotland and the most visited place in the city.
  13. The city is also famous for the Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama.
  14. The biggest city in Scotland is Glasgow which stands on the river Clyde.
  15. It is famous for Art Gallery, which has one of the finest collections of pictures in Britain.
  16. Ship-building, iron and steel, heavy and light engineering and coalmining are important industries in Scotland.
  17. Aberdeen  is the oil centre.
  18. Scotland had been an independent state and was forcefully joined into the UK after a long struggle for its independence in 1707.
  19. The patron saint of Scotland is St. Andrew.
  20. St. Andrew’s Day celelbrated on November 30 is the national holiday in Scotland.
  21. The flag of Scotland is blue with a white diagonal cross and it is called Saltire.
  22. The symbol of Scotland is a thistle.
  23. A kilt is the national dress of Scotland and is a sacred symbol of patriotism and honor for a true Scotsman.
  24. Kilts are made of tartan (coloured checks).
  25. The Clans of Scotland have a fascinating and complex history.
  26. The Gaelic word  “clan” means “family” or “descendants”.
  27. Each clan has its own tartan.
  28. Tartans are now part of international fashion.
  29. A bagpipe is considered to be a national Scottish instrument.
  30. The Highland Games is a festival with sports (including tossing the caber, putting the weight and throwing the hammer), dancing and piping competitions.
  31. They take place in the Highlands and attract large numbers of spectators from all over the world.
  32. Scotland is the home of golf which started there over 600 years ago.
  33. Among the famous Scots are Alexander Graham Bell who made the first telephone and John Logie Baird who invented the television.