Scotland, part of the United Kingdom, occupies the northern one-third of the island of Great Britain. England is the only country which shares a border with Scotland, as all other borders are met with the Atlantic Ocean.
Additional to the mainland, the country consists of more than 790 islands, including the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. Its capital is Edinburgh and the largest city is Glasgow. White people make up 96% of the residence with the remaining 4% being Asian, Black, Arab, and Other. As for religion, 54% are Christian and 37% claim no religion at all.
Scotland's recorded history dates back to the 1st century started with the Roman Empire's invasion of Britain which resulted in the southern part of the island being annexed by Rome and their name changed to the province of Britannia. The tribes in the north, which would become Scotland, were uncontrollable and the Romans didn't want to deal with them. Emperor Hadrian ordered a wall to be built across the expanse of the island from coast to coast in order to separate those tribes from Britannia and to keep them from invading that province. That wall is called Hadrian's Wall, and much of it still stands today. Constant uprisings and the frequent battles between tribes prevented the Romans from truly conquering Scotland.
Scotland was converted to Christianity over time from the 5th to the 7th century by missionaries.
In the last decade of the 7th century, the Vikings invaded the British Isles repeatedly, and by the end of the 8th century, two notoriously hostile tribes, the Gaels and the Picts, had allied themselves against the Viking, and thus was born the Kingdom of Scotland.
The Normans conquered England in 1066, and many Anglo-Saxons settled in the Scottish Lowlands. Some aspects of the English culture was adopted by the Scots, and Feudalism was one of those aspects. The clan chiefs became the nobles, and the Norman language was introduced.
In 1286, Alexander III, King of Scots died, and the crown went to his 3-year-old granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway. In 1290, a treaty was signed by the Guardians of Scotland which stipulated that Margaret would marry Edward of Caernarfon later known as King Edward II) of England, whose father was King Edward I. Edward I was also Margaret's great uncle. The treaty stated explicitly that the marriage would not be a union of Scotland and England but that they would remain separate and divided. On her very first trip to her new kingdom, she became very seriously seasick and died, probably of dehydration in 1290. She was 7 years old and had not had her coronation.
There were 14 different people in rivalry for succession. In order to prevent a civil war King Edward I, the king of England, was asked to arbitrate. In 1292, he chose John Balliol, known far and wide as Toom Tabard (which is Scottish for "empty coat") to be king. After the coronation, Edward I used his influence to subjugate Scotland and degrade King John's authority as well as Scotland's independence.
In 1296, Edward I invaded Scotland and deposed King John. Uprisings and revolts broke out early the next year, led by William Wallace and Andrew Moray, who are among Scotland's most celebrated leaders even today. Wallace began his career with the assassination of the English High Sheriff of Lanark, William de Heselrig in May of 1297, and that career ended in 1305, when he was captured in Robroyston, and caused by Edward I to be stripped naked and dragged through London by a horse and then hanged, drawn, and quartered for high treason and crimes against civilians in war.
In 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was sent to the Pope in order to affirm the independence of Scotland from England.In 1327, King Edward II of England was deposed, imprisoned, and then murdered.
On May 1, 1320, Robert the Bruce led the invasion of the North of England and personally forced Edward III of England to sign the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton which acknowledged the independence of Scotland with Robert the Bruce as King. The treaty further secured the alliance of England by settling the marriage between Robert's son and heir to the throne, David, and the sister of Edward III, Joan of the Tower. They were married on July 17, 1328 when David was 4 years old and Joan was 7. Their marriage lasted for 34 years, but they had no children.
By the time David died in 1371, Scotland was an independent nation and so it remained until the Treaty of Union of 1707 was signed, creating a single Kingdom of Great Britain from the unification of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England.
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Artery Gallery is a Scottish art gallery based in Crieff, Perthshire, in central Scotland and is aiming to make art more affordable by offering you the best in Scottish and European contemporary art
http://www.arteryuk.com
Caledonian MacBrayne Hebridean & Clyde Ferries
Transport company that operates passenger and vehicle ferries throughout Scotland. The website provides islands and routes information, timetables/fares, reservations and customer information, day excursion and onboard services as well as accommodations information. The website also features a section called Island Hopscotch/Rover that offers a selection of pre-planned routes on island hopping holidays and a selection of fares.
http://www.calmac.co.uk
First for Life, the Fife Intensive Rehabilitation & Substance Misuse Team, is a non-profit organisation offering treatment, counselling and rehabilitation for substance misuse and abuse.
http://www.firstforfife.co.uk/
FLA, the Family Law Association, is a non-profit organisation provides information about Family Law in Scotland.
http://www.familylawassociation.org/
General Register Office for Scotland
GROS is part of the devolved Scottish Administration, charged with the registration of births, deaths, marriage, civil partnerships and adoptions, as well as the census and other records, many of which are available from its site.
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/
German Consulate General, Edinburgh, Scotland
Learn the Facts About Germany from the online version of the book, as well as other resources for information about German culture and foreign policy. General information is available about the Consular Services provided to Germans living in Edinburgh, Scotland.
http://www.edinburgh.diplo.de/
Scottish politics, reports, consultations and government office publications from the devolved government of Scotland.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Maintained by an executive agency of the Scottish Government, and charged with safeguarding the nation's historic environment and promoting its understanding, this site offers a list of historic places, with descriptions, tips on places to visit, and educational resources.
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
Islay is an island off the west coast from Scotland and is called Queen of the Hebrides. Islay info is a guide to the island with information about accommodation, activities, travel, and a history of the region. It includes a weblog and photographs of the island.
http://www.islayinfo.com
Legend of Nessie is a website dedicated to the Loch Ness monster, a legendary creature though to live in the Loch Ness body of water in Scotland. The site has information on those who have tried to find the creature and evidence that it exists. The site also has details on the geology of the Loch.
http://www.nessie.co.uk
Camping equipment and outdoors gear at reasonable prices in the United Kingdom.
http://www.outdoorscotland.co.uk/
This site serves as a gateway to working, studying, visiting and doing business in Scotland. It offers an overview of the country in the United Kingdom, provides information about employment or going to school, visiting the country or doing business in Scotland.
http://www.scotland.org/
The official web site for the Scottish Conservative Party outlines policies and provides information on campaigns, membership, and elected representatives.
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/
Company offers venue hire for four exclusive locations in Scotland, ideal for wedddings and corporate events.
http://www.scottishheritagecollection.co.uk/
Scottish Highlands & Islands Green Party
The Scottish Highlands and Islands Green Party web site contains its agenda, party news, as well as campaign and contact information.
http://higp.scottishgreens.org.uk/
The Scottish Labour Party is a democratic, socialist party made up of individuals and families working to build a better Scotland.
http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/
The Scottish Liberal Democrats seek to build, as well as safeguard a free and open Scottish society, balancing the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community.
http://www.scotlibdems.org.uk/
The Scottish Maritime Museum operates three museums that are centered on narrating Scotland's influence in the maritime history of the world. These three museums are located at Irvine, Braehead and in Dumbarton, holds exhibitions and collections that narrates the story of that great maritime tradition. The website provides information about the three museums that includes museums' services, opening hours and prices as well as location maps, directions and accessibility.
http://www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org
The Scottish National Party is a left-leaning nationalist party seeking immediate secession from the United Kingdom.
http://www.snp.org/
SNH is an organization that seeks to preserve the natural resources of Scotland. You can find out about the region's nature reserves and find great natural areas near you. You can also find out where the SNH stands on a variety of economic and environmental issues.
http://www.snh.org.uk/
The Scottish Socialist Party seeks to be an independent, socialist republic, fighting against poverty and greed, and for humanity and peace.
http://www.scottishsocialistparty.org/
Features the latest news and current events around Scotland, from a liberal perspective. Includes opinion and debate, sports news, business headlines, arts and lifestyle section, multimedia and classifieds.
http://www.sundayherald.com
The Edinburgh branch of the Scottish Green Party includes information about its agenda, campaigns, events and activities.
http://www.edinburghgreens.org.uk/
The Hairy Coo is a tour company in Edinburgh offering fun and fascinating tours of Scotland. Their tours allow you to experience the best of Scotland. You can choose between day trips, multi-day tours and private tours. All tours are guided by an experienced and entertaining Scottish tour guide.
https://www.thehairycoo.com/
Provides information on Scottish politics and politicians. The Scottish Parliament website also has information on the bills currently being considered by the Parliament. You can find contact information for the Members of the Scottish Parliament. You can also find out how to submit petitions to the Scottish Parliament.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/
Scotland-based solicitors that specialise in personal injury cases. The firm offers a free consultation and no win-no fee arrangements.
http://www.thompsons-scotland.co.uk
Offering information about the famous highlands area of Scotland. Users can request brochures and email updates to help plan a trip to the area. The website also has details on upcoming sporting and cultural events in the Highlands.
http://www.visithighlands.com/
Website offers information about accommodation, attractions, events, maps for walking and much more about Loch Ness as a holiday destination.
http://www.visitlochness.com/
The Visit Scotland website has everything to you need to plan a trip to Scotland. You can arrange a car hire, buy ferry tickets, book coach tickets and train tickets through this website. You can also get insurance for your travel to Scotland through this website and find out information on where to stay and where to go.
http://www.visitscotland.com/
Zero Waste Scotland is a non-profit organisation which provides information about how to reduce and reuse your waste via composting, as well as press releases and case studies.
http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk