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Welcome to Scotland

  • The Scottish flag

    © Lance Bellers/Shutterstock

    Photo of a Scottish flag

  • Stream train crossing a viaduct in the Highlands

    © fotoVoyager/iStockphotos

    Photo of a stream train crossing a viaduct in the Highlands

  • Bagpipe

    © mipan/iStockphotos

    Photo of a bagpipe

  • Men in kilts

    © Gannet77/iStockphotos

    Photo of men in kilts

  • Better together?

    © Alessandro Rota/Sipa USA/NTB scanpix

    Photo of the "Better together" campaign office in Edinburgh

  • Oil platforms off the coast of Cromarty

    © ZRyzner/Shutterstock

    Photo of oil platforms off the coast of Cromarty

  • The Squinty Bridge in Glasgow

    © fujji/Shutterstock

    Photo of the Squinty Bridge in Glasgow

  • Rangers and Celtic supporters at a Scottish Premier League match

    © Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

    Photo of Rangers and Celtic supporters at a Scottish Premier League match
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Welcome to Scotland

Which of these words do you expect to find in a description of Scotland? Tick the boxes.

bagpipe coastline desert hotdog immigration lake monsoon pineapple referendum tartan

Now listen and see if you were right.

Welcome to Scotland

Beautiful mountains and lakes, men in kilts playing the bagpipes. Black terriers, or Scotties as they’re usually called. Is that what you associate with Scotland? Many people do. So isn’t it strange that many of these things did not originate in Scotland! The special criss-cross pattern on kilts is called tartan. Are they Scottish? No. Kilts came from Ireland and tartan patterns were used in Central Asia and continental Europe as long ago as the Bronze Age. What about bagpipes, surely they must be Scottish? Not originally. Historians think they came from Central Asia, as well. However, all these things now feel Scottish to the Scots and others, and they are presented as Scottish in books and in the media.

So where exactly is Scotland? It’s located in the northernmost part of the UK and shares a border with England to the south. Its population in 2011 was about 5.3 million, about the same size as Norway. Scotland has three official languages: English, Scots (a type of English) and Scottish Gaelic, which is a completely different language.

In 2014 the Scots were asked if they wanted to be an independent country, or stay part of the UK. Have a look at Better Together? to find out more about the 2014 referendum. Although the United Kingdom is ruled from London, Scotland has had considerable independence for some time. It has its own parliament and legal system, for example. One major difference is that courts of law can choose between three decisions: guilty, not guilty, or not proved. The Scottish education system and health care system are also slightly different from those in England. Did you know that you can finish school in Scotland when you are 17, one year earlier than in England?

Scotland has a lot in common with Norway, and not just its mountainous landscape, its wildlife and beautiful coastline. Fishing has always been important to the economy, and since the 1970s the oil and gas sector has also played a significant role. Like Norway, Scotland has a proud shipbuilding tradition, and from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century the Clydebank shipyard near Glasgow was the largest in the world. They built ships for trading, passenger ships and warships.

Glasgow is one of Scotland’s two most important cities and home to rival football clubs Celtic and Rangers. The capital, Edinburgh, is an important European financial and academic centre. Some find Edinburgh more sophisticated, others think it’s snobbish and dull. Some consider Glasgow rather rough. Others find it lively and creative, a place with attitude.

DOCUMENT Getting the gist


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DOCUMENT Your turn to talk


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