Scotland is a part of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| Scotland | |
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| location | |
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| Flag | |
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| Main information | |
| Capital city | Edinburgh |
| Political system | constitutional monarchy |
| Currency | Pound sterling (British pound) |
| Surface | 78 782 |
| Population | 5 404 700 |
| Tongue | Scottish, English |
| religion | Calvinism, Catholicism, Anglicanism |
| Code | 44 |
Regions
- Highlands - Scottish mountains with beautiful dungeon landscapes
- Hebrides
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
Cities
- Edinburgh - the cosmopolitan capital of Scotland
- Glasgow - the biggest city with history
- Aberdeen - granite city
- Inverness - the capital of the Highlands
- Dundee - a bustling academic city
Characteristic
History
Scotland has been inhabited since at least the 5th millennium BC. From the beginning, it was an area where various cultures and peoples (Picts, Celts, Normans, Romans, Angles) were confronted, but its wild nature always took the side of the current rulers of these lands.
Struggles for influence in Scotland run through its history. Over time, Scotland was joined with England, first by a personal union, when James VI of the Stuart dynasty ascended the English throne after the death of Elizabeth I, and then by the real union in 1707, when the Kingdom of Great Britain was established.
It has existed as a unified social and economic organism since the 9th century, when Kenneth MacAlpin, ruler of the Celtic kingdom of Dalriada, won the crown of the Pictish kingdom (his mother was of a Pictish royal line), uniting the two countries.
At the end of the thirteenth century, Scotland was invaded by the English, and then regained its sovereignty for two centuries, despite the growing English influence. In 1297 the rebellion of William Wallace broke out, and in 1314 Robert I Bruce was recognized as de facto King of Scotland (after the Battle of Bannockburn). From 1603, Scotland and England had a common ruler (personal union), and from 1707 a joint parliament. The Scots never came to terms with English domination, which, along with support for the legitimate Stuart dynasty, led to uprisings many times.
In May 1999, the Scots elected their own parliament in response to a 1997 referendum in which 75% of voters wanted to have their own legislature.
The establishment of the first Scottish parliament in three centuries was possible thanks to the policy of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who, by fulfilling his pre-election promises, significantly softened the policy towards the constituent parts of Great Britain.
A kind of an announcement of this policy change was the return of Scotland (1996) to the coronation stone of former Scottish kings, which for seven centuries also served British kings and was stored as such in England.
In 2007, the Prime Minister of the Scottish Government, Alex Salmond of the Scottish National Party, introduced a bill to hold an independence referendum that would allow Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom. On October 15, 2012, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Alex Salmond signed an agreement in Edinburgh under which the referendum was held on September 18, 2014. In a referendum, over 55% of Scots were in favor of remaining in the United Kingdom.
Culture and art
Policy
Since 1998, Scotland has had its own parliament and government. Elections to the Scottish Parliament were held in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2016. Until 2007, Scotland was ruled by the Labor Party, but after the SNP's victory, Alex Salmond, the leader of the winning party, became the new prime minister (first minister). It aims for the independence of the region.
The competences of local authorities include education, culture, public health, and to a large extent the economy and taxes. In 2011, the autonomy of Scotland was increased due to the possibility of it borrowing money (at least 300 million pounds per year) from the British Ministry of Finance in order to stimulate the economy. The SNP also postulates that the region should be able to set the corporate tax rate itself.
Society
Economy
Scotland is, next to Ireland, the center of the whiskey industry. Fishing and oil extraction from the bottom of the North Sea are an important element of the economy. Many of the oil companies are based in Aberdeen.
The industry is concentrated in the central part of the country, on the area of the Środkowoszkocka Lowland and on the eastern coast.
The metallurgical (iron and aluminum), electrotechnical, electronic, machine, chemical, textile, paper and food industries are well developed. Productive farmland stretches from the central lowland belt, across the east coast, to Fraserburgh. The main crops are barley and oats.
Scotland has its own banknotes and coins (Scottish pounds) issued by three Scottish banks - Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank. The applicable currency is pound sterling. You can pay with Scottish pounds throughout Great Britain, although outside Scotland they are not always honored. In currency exchange offices outside the UK, they are usually exchanged at a rate of less than pound sterling or are not accepted.
Climate
Drive
By plane
- Ryanair Edinburgh <-> Krakow
- Wizzair Glasgow <-> Poznan
- Ryanair Edinburgh <-> Łódź
- Wizzair Glasgow <-> Katowice
By rail
By car
Major cities of Scotland are hubs.
By bus
Megabus is a bus network of high-speed intercity connections. The earlier you book the ticket, the cheaper it is. Online ticket purchases except at Inverness Bus Station.
By ship
Communication
Worth seeing
Catholic Archcathedral in Edinburgh
The church is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh and the principal church of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. The current Archbishop is Cardinal Keith O'Brien, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland.
Loch Ness lake
It is situated at an altitude of 16 meters above sea level, southwest of Inverness. It is the largest body of water in the tectonic line known as the Great Glen, which runs north from Inverness to Fort William in the south. The Caledonian Canal, which connects the coasts on both sides of the Great Glen, runs through Loch Ness. Loch Ness owes its fame to a monster allegedly inhabiting its depths.
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
It is a large park open to the public with several greenhouses. The garden was established in 1817 and by the Royal Botanical Institute of Glasgow (eng. Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow) and was designed with the local university in mind. In 2004, a maintenance program for the palace was initiated as the iron structure was largely corroded. Conservation included the complete demolition of the Palace and the removal of parts down to the foundations. The plant collection was moved to Shafton, South Yorkshire, for renovation. The rebuilt palace was opened in 2006.
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery in Glasgow
It is the first museum to be established in Glasgow and the whole of Scotland and has one of the largest collections of art in Europe. Kelvingrove reopened on July 11, 2006 after the facility closed in 2003, followed by a long and costly renovation. The ceremony was presided over by Elizabeth II herself.
Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh
It is the seat of British monarchs in Scotland. In 1128 it was located here Holyrood Abbey. The courtyard of the building was built up gradually; in 1532, a watchtower was built in the north-west part of the castle. The Palace of Holyrood in its present form was built in the 17th century. The castle hosted, among others, the Queen of Scots, Maria Stuart.
Communication
The easiest way to communicate with Scots is in English and Scottish.
Money
Currency
The Scottish Pound may not be welcomed elsewhere in the UK. The Scottish pound can be exchanged practically only at the National Bank of Poland in Warsaw.
Earnings
The minimum wage in Great Britain is determined by law, the so-called National Minimum Wage - currently £ 6.20 gross per hour for people aged 22 and over, £ 4.83 for people aged 18-21 and £ 3.57 for those aged 18-21. [1]
Prices
- Irn-Bru - soda can - around 42p (42p)
- French fries - small serving - around 1.20 pounds (£ 1.20)
Accommodation
Science
Scotland has some of the best universities in the UK. Full undergraduate studies for EU members are partially paid for by the Scottish Government SAAS. Upon completion of the university, the student has to pay graduate endowment