THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

The devolved government for Scotland is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport.

The Scottish Parliament with 129 MSPs now sits at Holyrood in Edinburgh. It was reconvened in 1999 almost 300 years after it was adjourned as a result of the Act of Union in 1707.

The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the Parliament. The current administration was formed after elections in May 2011.

On October 15, 2012, the Edinburgh Agreement was signed by First Minister Alex Salmond and UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

It paves the way for a once in a generation referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 by confirming the Scottish Parliament’s power to hold a vote that will be respected by both governments.

In March 2013, it was announced that the independence referendum will take place on Thursday, September 18, 2014.  The question to be asked is: Should Scotland be an independent country.  Yes or No.

On November 26, 2013, the Scottish Government published its detailed prospectus, Scotland’s Future, making the case for independence.  

The Government's Purpose

To focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.

SPORT

Scottish sport

It could be Scotland’s dream landscape; or the people, with their lust for life and a huge desire to enjoy themselves; or an innate inventiveness and creativity. Most likely it’s a combination of all of these factors that has led to Scotland’s sporting heritage and today’s true love of sport.

Scotland’s sporting traditions are legendary worldwide. The country can lay claim to the invention of a number of popular international sports, including golf, rugby and tennis. Other sports are also rooted in Scotland’s history books, such as hockey  (which originates from shinty), curling, and, of course, the Scottish Highland Games.

Football is one of the nation’s most popular spectator sports. It was a Scotsman, William McGregor, who set up the first English football league and it was in Scotland in 1872 that the first international match was played in Partick, Glasgow, where England and Scotland drew 0-0.

Today, a passion for football is played out in villages, towns and cities across Scotland, where you’ll discover amateur through to world-beating professional matches, leagues, cups and championships.

Olympic Games success

Scottish sport is a hotbed of talent. The country was even more proud of its sporting heroes when 55 Scottish Olympians and 27 Scottish Paralympians were selected for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Team GB exceeded all expectations during this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic games, winning an unprecedented 185 medals in total.

Scotland’s 24 medals were in athletics, cycling, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, slalom canoeing, swimming and tennis.

And in 2014, Glasgow hosts the XX Commonwealth Games. Already the excitement is building for sports men and women – and spectators – with the opening of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and a myriad of other work being carried out on athletics arenas, swimming complexes and mountain bike trails.

There is also a wealth of opportunities for Scotland’s people to become involved in sports. State-of-the-art facilities, such as at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho; a wide variety of dry slope and real snow ski centres, world-acclaimed mountain biking trails, excellent athletics complexes and Sport Scotland’s National Sailing Centre on the Isle of Cumbrae all combine to provide a sporting environment to rival many countries worldwide.

Scottish Highland Games

TOSSING THE CABER

More traditional Scottish sports, such as tossing the caber, hammer throwing, tug o’ war and cross-country running, are celebrated at more than 60 Scottish Highland Games events across the country every year. Bringing a host of fun for spectators and participants alike, the Highland Games are a major part of Scotland’s summer sporting agenda.

Sport For All

The Scottish Government is committed to committed to removing all barriers in anyone's path and encouraging people to take part in sporting activities at all levels.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Scotland has twice been voted ‘European Region of the Future’ in the last four years (Financial Times’ Foreign Direct Investment magazine) and it’s not difficult to see why.

With a resilient and diverse economy coupled with a business and political environment which supports growth and entrepreneurship, there is no more promising location than Scotland in which to set up or invest.

Scottish economy

Population	Around 5.2 million (National Records of Scotland)
GVA	£102 billion (2009) (Office for National Statistics)
GVA (per head)	£19,744 (2009) (Office for National Statistics)
Currency	Pound sterling (GBP)
Labour Force	2.49 million (2010) (Office for National Statistics)
Scotland's top five export industries	Food and drink Chemicals Business services Electrical and instrument engineering Mechanical engineering (2009 Global Connections Survey, Scottish Government)
Top five export destinations	USA Netherlands France Germany Belgium (2009 Global Connections Survey, Scottish Government)

SCOTLAND’S GEOGRAPHY

Scotland's physical geography, including details of landmass, islands, coastline, major rivers, highest mountains and largest lochs.

Total Area	78,772 sq km (30,414 sq mi)
Highest mountain	Ben Nevis 1344m
Other mountains	Ben Macdui 1309m Braeriach 1296m
Largest loch	Loch Lomond 56 sq km
Other lochs	Loch Ness 56 sq km Loch Awe 38 sq km Loch Maree 29 sq km
Longest river	River Tay 193km
Other major rivers	River Spey 172km River Clyde 171km River Tweed 156km River Forth 105km
Islands	800 (130 inhabited)
Coastline	Approximately 10,000km with 3,900km mainland coast

SCOTTISH HISTORY

Scotland has a long and fascinating history. Many tales of battles fought are closely linked to a desire to rule a well located country, rich in natural resources. 

 Scottish history in the making

The first written records of Scottish history date back to the arrival of the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD. The Roman province of Britannia reached as far north as the Antonine Wall, which once ran across central Scotland from the River Clyde to the Firth of Forth. To the north lay the territory of Caledonia, which was ruled by the Picti people.

Frequent battles with the Picts saw the Roman retreat to Hadrian's Wall – which spanned the north of England from Carlisle in the west to Wallsend in the east. By the 3rd century, the Romans had all but departed the land that is now known as Scotland.

In the 5th century, the north-west of Scotland was raided and settled by Gaels (Scoti), originating from Northern Ireland. They later established the Kingdom of Dalriada in Scotland’s western regions.

In the same period, Angles conquered a territory south of the Antonine Wall to form the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Bernicia. This later become a part of the northern English kingdom of Northumbria.

At the end of the 8th century, all of Scotland's kingdoms were overthrown to some extent by marauding Vikings. Numerous defeats by the Norse raiders eventually forced the Picts and Scoti to end their long-held hostility towards each other and unite in the 9th century to form the Kingdom of Scotland.

However, the Scottish battles for power did not end there. In the 12th Century, Anglo-Norman barons, including the Bruce family, laid claim to much of mainland Scotland. In exchange for land, these barons helped King David I to secure his claim to the throne and feudalise much of Scotland.

By the 13th century, Alexander II and his son Alexander III were determined to bring all of the former Norwegian territories in the west of Scotland into their own territories. The Norwegian king, Hakon, sent a massive fleet to Scotland to hold on to his territories. In September 1263, the two forces clashed at the Battle of Largs in Ayrshire.

Three years later, with the conclusion of the Treaty of Perth, Magnus Hakonarson, King of Norway, gave up Scotland's western seaboard to Alexander III.

Scotland – whose throne passed through the control of the houses of Balliol and Bruce in the following years – had yet to win its freedom. The bloody wars of Scottish independence followed as the Scots tried to throw off the yoke of English influence.

Scottish landowner Sir William Wallace became one of the main battle leaders, defeating an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.
Wallace served as Guardian of Scotland until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk.

In 1305, he was captured in Robroyston, near Glasgow, and handed over to King Edward I of England, who had him hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason. In 1314, Robert Bruce inflicted a significant defeat on the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.

After  Robert Bruce was excommunicated by the Pope in 1318 for killing John “Red” Comyn, a group of Scottish Nobles gathered to write the Declaration of Arbroath in support of his right to the Scottish throne. 

Construction on one of Scotland’s most beautiful churches, Rosslyn Chapel, began in 1456.  The complex carvings and lost burial vault of the church have been an inspiration to many theories of connections to the Knights Templar, Freemasonry, Pagan imagery and even that the Holy Grail may be hidden underneath. 

James IV of Scotland holds the dubious honour of being the last ruling monarch of the British Isles to die on the battlefield.  The Battle of Flodden Field between the Scots led by King James IV and English forces began on the afternoon of 9 September 1513 and by nightfall the Scottish forces had suffered a decisive defeat as well as the loss of their King.

Whilst conflicts with England continued for centuries, the “Auld Alliance” with France provided not only a military ally but also a continental flair to Scottish culture.  Mary, Queen of Scots was born the daughter of a French mother and went on to become Queen Consort of France, albeit briefly, as well as of Queen of Scotland. 

Having spent much of her childhood in France, Queen Mary spent only a few years on the Scottish throne before being forced to abdicate her throne in favour of her son James VI.  Mary escaped to England to seek help from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, but would never see Scotland again. Mary was held prisoner in a succession of English castles for over 18 years before being beheaded for her part in a plot to take the English throne from Queen Elizabeth.

In 1603, after the death of Elizabeth I of England, James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English throne as James I. In 1707, the Acts of Union formally united Scotland with England and Wales as Great Britain.

During the Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe.

The country’s industrial decline following the Second World War was particularly acute but in recent decades Scotland has enjoyed a cultural and economic renaissance, fuelled in part by a resurgent financial services sector, the proceeds of North Sea oil and gas and, latterly, a devolved Parliament.

CULTURE, IDENTITY AND TRADITIONS

Scottish people are proud of their nationality but they also have a long tradition of welcoming new people and cultures. Historically, Scotland has appreciated the benefits of embracing different cultures.

Today, Scotland is a richly diverse country with dozens of different cultures living in harmony. Tolerance, equality of opportunity and social justice are important principles of Scottish people and communities.

We love a party

Scotland knows how to party – and extends an invitation to all. From large Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) street parties and music and film festivals to more intimate Burns’ Suppers and St Andrew’s Day celebrations, there is always a fun event to attend.

Getting together, sharing good times, ‘having a blether’ and welcoming others with open arms give Scotland its reputation for being a happy and friendly country.

Really, it’s no wonder that 50 million people around the world claim Scottish ancestry – and so many want to be a part of our Scottish family.

In this section, you’ll find all the facts about Scotland you need to know, including information about  the Scottish population, their language as well as famous Scottish people.

Scotland has been handing down its traditions for close to a thousand years now, since the earliest days of the clans in the 12th century. However, Scottish traditions are not something sterile under glass and steel in a cold museum. They are vibrant, living things, constantly growing and evolving, and every generation adds the thumbprint of its own particular Scottish culture to the whole.

Bagpipes, haggis and kilts

Everybody knows the cliché of the piper on the shortbread tin. But have you experienced the breath-taking reality of a hundred pipers skirling in uplifting unison? This isn't an image from Scotland's cultural past: it happens every August at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and on Glasgow Green.

Or take food, for example. We all know the stereotypical notions of traditional Scottish fare - haggis, porridge and whisky. Not anymore. Scotland's new elite of super-chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Nick Nairn and Andrew Fairlie are taking the country's incredible natural produce – our beef, venison and seafood – and elevating them to Michelin starred levels.

      

Or that the kilt is making a comeback on the catwalk as designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Glasgow's own Jonathan Saunders take traditional Scottish dress to places the clan chiefs never dreamed of.

Burns an a' that

The traditional Burns Supper, Hogmanay and St Andrews Day celebrations are still very much a part of Scottish culture but the Scots are now joined on these special days by Scot-o-philes across the globe. "Auld Lang Syne", a traditional Scottish song first written down by Burns, is the second most popular song in the world after "Happy Birthday".

THE SCOTTISH PEOPLE

Warm, fun-loving and generous Scottish people.

Scottish people have a worldwide reputation for warmth and friendliness. Whether it’s the 2.5 million visitors who travel to Scotland every year or the thousands who come to live permanently, so many talk of a genuine friendliness and a welcoming hospitality.

Did you know that almost three quarters of European visitors say that one of the main reasons for visiting Scotland is its people?

Everyday friendliness

The Scots love people – and they like to make others feel at home. You’ll find an enthusiastic friendliness in so many places. Ask a stranger for directions, buy something in a local shop, eat or drink in a pub or restaurant or put on the kettle in your workplace kitchen and you’ll be met with a smiling face and a friendly “Let me help”, “Tell me more about yourself” or “How are you?”