Scotland Is Special

There is no place on Earth like Scotland!

Scotland is the country north of England, part of Great Britain ( England , Scotland and Wales ) and of the United Kingdom ( England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland ). It is a country in a country!

Although often times it is cold and grey and it rains a lot, many visitors fall in love with this country. They love the beautiful empty hills of the north. They love the sea and the islands. They love the bi cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. They love the people. This country is special as well as its people, the Scottish; they are special too: warm, friendly and with a greatly developed sense of humor!

Scotland is different, very different, it has a magic of its own, and this makes it is simply delightful!

Scotland today

There are more than five million people in Scotland today. Most Scots live in the south, in or near the big cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The north of the country is rather empty as not many people live there. Aberdeen – the oil city of Scotland- is the only big city in the north.

Scottish people are called Scots, but not Scotch! Scotch is a drink made in Scotland.

Everyone in Scotland speaks English nowadays (some words in Scotland are different). However, at one time, people in the north and west did not. They had a different language, a beautiful one called Gaelic. About 60,000 people speak Gaelic today.

Scotland is not a very hot country so make sure you bring warm clothes with you when you plan to visit. In the summer time, the days are long and it is rather warm. Nevertheless, it can be cold and wet, too! The winter days are short and snow shows up as well.

Scotland was a poor country for many years, but today is has developed a strong economy and things are greatly improved. The Scotch whisky brings great income to Scotland as it has become a well-known international drink. There is oil and gas in the sea between Scotland and Norway and that represents another source of profit along with the money from tourism; the visitors love to spend their money over here because there are lots of things to do and see.

Scotland’s past

Many important people make the history of Scotland; some of them are briefly mentioned and introduced below.

Between 1066 and 1328, there were many battles between England and Scotland . In 1314, the Scottish King, Robert de Bruce, beat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. 10,000 Englishmen died and, soon after, Scotland was free. For many Scots, Robert represents one of the most important personalities in the history of Scotland .

In 1542, a Mary became Queen of Scotland: she was one week old when she became a queen! However, Mary, the Queen of Scots became a tall and beautiful woman but she was not exactly the queen people dreamed of. She had three husbands before she turned twenty-four. Many Scots did not want her as a queen any longer,so, Mary asked the English Queen, Elizabeth, to help her, but Elizabeth put her in prison for nineteen years.

Time passed –just as fast as nowadays- and Mary’s son, James Stuart became King of Scotland.

Later, when Queen Elizabeth died without children he became King James I of England, too. Then in 1707, the two countries became Great Britain .

In 1745, the King of England and Scotland was a German from Hanover called George.

Charles Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, came from France to Scotland : he was James’s grandson and he wanted to be the King of Scotland and England too. At the battle of Culloden in 1716, the English beat Charles, but he succeeded to run through the Highlands and the islands back to France (with "a little help from his friends" of course).

Numerous important personalities came from Scotland , for e.g.: Alexander Graham Bell who invented the first telephone and John Logie Baird, who completed the first television.

Traditional Scotland

When they think about Scottish traditions the kilt immediately pops up to many people’s minds. Kilts are those "skirts" the Scottish wear-a knee-length pleated tartan skirt worn by men in the Highlands of northern Scotland - and Scottish men say it’s a blessing to have them as the kilts are warm! They wear a kilt not only because it looks good but also because they want to show other people their origins, they are Scottish!

From May to September, visitors can go to one of a hundred or more Highland Games or Gatherings.

Some Scottish traditions are more for visitors. Is the Loch Ness Monster for visitors? An old story says that there is a very big animal in Loch Ness. Many people go there to look for it, but Nessie does not come. Is it there? Go and see!

For many Scots, playing golf has become a great tradition. Although the following saying states that "the smaller the ball is, the more expensive the game is", golf is very popular in Scotland and it is affordable too! The golf capital of Scotland is St Andrews, a small city near Edinburgh.

For what it was and for what it is, Scotland’s uniqueness fascinates the visitor and leaves a pleasant scent and a vivid memory combined with the life passionate Scottish dance!