The Kingdom of Scotland

 

Geography

Scotland is a comparatively small country, but extremely diverse both geologically and in terms of culture and tradition. It occupies the northern portion of the Island of Great Britain and is connected to England by its only land border in the south. Comprising of a Mainland and over 700 islands, grouped into several distinct archipelagos, Scotland is a hilly country with some rolling arable land in the southern and eastern areas. The climate is moderate, with few extremes, although it does receive a high level of rainfall, especially in the west and the mountains. Warmed by the temperate Gulf Stream, the country remains relatively mild throughout the winter months, at a latitude that elsewhere sees frozen harbours and lengthy snow coverage.

 

Scotland is bound on the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east by the North Sea. The west coast is punctuated by a series of fjords, cut into the bed rock as a result of repeated glaciations; the east coast is less serrated, although there are significant cliff outcrops. Several relatively large rivers flow from the mountains mainly to the North Sea and a few have developed wide estuaries. The Mainland is divided into four principal areas: the Southern Uplands (a range of rolling hills that forms the border with England); the Central Lowlands (a reasonably flat and fertile region that houses the bulk of the population); the Grampian Mountains (a broad range of hills that includes the highest peaks in the British Isles – in the northeast the range dips into a broad plateau famous for cattle rearing); and, the Northwest Highlands (a set of mountains and deep valleys rising out of the sea, and includes some of the oldest rocks in Europe).

 

Area

30,414 square miles

Latitude/Longitude

Between – 54°38’ N & 60°51’ N

And – 0°43’ W & 8°34’ W

(Includes the Island Groups)

 

Largest Island

Lewis & Harris 842 square miles

Highest Point

Ben Nevis 4409ft

Longest River

River Tay 117 miles

Largest Lake (area)

Loch Lomond 27 square miles

Largest Lake (vol)

Loch Ness 1.8 cubic miles (c. 917 billion gal)

Deepest Lake

Loch Morar 1017ft

Longest Fjord

Loch Fyne 44 miles

Highest Waterfall

Eas a’ Chual Aluinn 658ft

Tallest Sea Stack

Old Man of Hoy 449ft

 

Rainfall

Edinburgh 26 inches/year

Aberdeen 29 inches/year

Glasgow 47 inches/year

Fort William 76 inches/year

Warmest day

Greycrook, 2003 32.9°C

Coldest night

Braemar, 1982/1995 -27°C

 

Population

Historically the population of Scotland was derived from five principal groups – the Angles (Germanic peoples) in the southeast; the Britons, Gaels and Picts (Celtic peoples over the rest of the mainland; and the Norse or Vikings in the Hebridean and Northern Isles (with influence over parts of the mainland too). The earliest recorded evidence of human habitation in Scotland comes from a period during the last Ice Age, around 14,000 years ago. This is considered a hunting camp, with permanent inhabitation generally accepted to have begun around 8,000 years ago. Cultural advances, population migration into Scotland and the influence of the near continent have shaped the development of society and the demographic since. By 1000AD, the various groups mentioned above had more or less amalgamated into a coherent peoples known as the ‘Scots’. Although there was, and is, a huge difference culturally and linguistically between the Gaels of the Highlands and the Anglo-Celtic Lowland Scots. The country’s diverse geography has played a big role in this and other socio-cultural differences.

 

In 1500 the population of Scotland was fairly evenly spread across the nation, but advances firstly in agriculture, then in industry coupled with a beneficial geography, saw a swift rise in population in the Central Lowlands. From 1700 to 1900 Scotland’s population quadrupled. Glasgow became one of the world’s most important industrial cities, and the greatest ship-building town of all; Edinburgh emerged as a centre of enlightened thought, innovation and banking; Aberdeen was the foremost fishing city in Europe; and virtually all the world’s jute was at one time produced in Dundee. At the same time the Highlands, which had been under the Clan system saw a dismantling of their traditional way of life, and forced evictions were carried out by a brutal aristocracy during a period known as the Highland Clearances. However, in the 20th century with a huge rise in tourism and with the introduction of Hydro-based electricity generation, many places in Highlands rebounded and are thriving. There remains however a problem with depopulation in some areas, especially on the islands. This is also true of many of the post industrial towns of central Scotland.

 

Total Population

(2010 est.) 5,200,000

Capital City

Edinburgh      490,000

Largest City

Glasgow      1,200,000 (Greater Glasgow)

Other main towns

Aberdeen      185,000

Dundee          142,000

Perth              45,000

Stirling          34,000

Inverness      43,000

Ayr                 46,000

Most populated island

Lewis & Harris      20,000

Most remotely inhabited island

Fair Isle      69

Highest village

Wanlockhead 1417ft

 

Government

Scotland is an integral constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; along with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Kingdom of Scotland evolved in the 9th and 10th centuries following a unification of the Gaelic Kingdom of Dalriada and the Kingdom of the Picts; and was known as Alba (still the Gaelic name for Scotland). Over the course of the next few hundred years southern Scotland (Lothian, Strathclyde and Galloway) along with the Western Isles were annexed to Alba, as it developed into a more recognisable Scotland. Finally, in 1472 Orkney and Shetland were ceded in lieu of an unpaid dowry by the Danish king.

 

From 1296 to 1314 Scotland went through a bloody civil war as the Canmore dynasty of kings came to an end. The English king, Edward I invaded and took control. After several unsuccessful rebellions, including that by William Wallace, Robert the Bruce finally defeated the English (under Edward II) at Bannockburn. His victory ensured his claim to the throne. In 1320 the nobility of Scotland signed the Declaration of Arbroath, which cemented Scottish independence and established a covenant between the crown and the people. From here Scotland began to emerge as a modern nation state.

 

In 1603 King James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots, inherited the throne of England. He moved to London and was crowned James I. He renamed his combined realms as Great Britain. It is a reminder that the British royal house is descended in the Scottish line. Following the turbulent years of the 17th century which saw civil war, a new agreement was constituted between the crown and the people firstly the Claim of Right, and in England by the Act of Settlement. These documents created a limited monarchy, and power shifted towards parliament. In due course the king came to rely on his ministers, and executive power shifted to the government, which was answerable to parliament. However, many of the traditional roles and theoretical powers are retained by the monarch.

 

In 1707 Scotland entered into a political union with England (and by extension Wales), creating the United Kingdom. The British Parliament at Westminster in London now governed for the whole island. However, Scotland retained her independent legal system, her unique education system and the independence of the Church was guaranteed.

 

In 1997 the Scottish people voted overwhelmingly in a referendum for a new Scottish Parliament. This is a devolved set up – so power is devolved not transferred – and the first new session in nearly 300 years was opened by the Queen in 1999. So, today Scotland has control over her internal affairs while remaining part of the UK, and thus by extension a member of the European Union.

 

Form of Government

Constitutional Monarchy / Liberal Democracy

Head of State

HM Queen Elizabeth II (or Elizabeth, Queen of Scots)

Head of Government

Rt. Hon. David Cameron, MP, Prime Minister

Scottish First Minister

Rt. Hon Alex Salmond, MSP

Legislative Bodies

The House of Commons (UK Parliament)

The House of Lords (UK Parliament upper chamber)

The Scottish Parliament

Key Documents

The Declaration of Arbroath (1320)

National Covenant (1638)

The Claim of Right (1689)

Act of Settlement (1701 – English bill incorporated)

Act of Union (1707)

The Scotland Act (1998)

 

Languages

English (including the Scots dialect)

Gaelic (spoken by around 1% of the population)

Currency

Pound Sterling (£)

Time zone

Greenwich Mean Time (British Summer time +1 hour)

 

Principal offices of state

Her Majesty’s Lord High Commissioner to the General

Assembly of the Church of Scotland

The Lord Lyon, King of Arms

Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland

Lord High Constable

The Secretary of State for Scotland

Lord Advocate

Lord Justice General of ScotlandMaster of the Royal Household in Scotland

Lord Clerk Register