Scotland

Scotland (English and Scots: Scotland, Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a former Kingdom and constituent country makes as with England, Wales and Northern Ireland part of onesovereign State: the United Kingdom. It includes the northern part of the island Great Britain and borders in the South to England. Scotland has its own legal system, flag,banknotes and domestic administration and forms a constituent country within the United Kingdom. [1]  Scotland has more than 5.3 million inhabitants. The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh.

The independence of Scotland is currently under discussion. A referendum is held on 18 september that must decide whether Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom.



Content
[hide] *1 General  ==General[ Edit] == ===Name[ Edit] === The name Scotland derives from the Latin name "Scoti" which was used by the Romans the Gaelic population in today's Scotland and to designate Ireland -unlike the Picts.The Scoti knew their power in the current Scotland to expand and mingled with the Pictish population. From the eleventh century, the term ' Scotia ' used for Scotland north of the river Forth. From the late Middle Ages the term got its current meaning. ===National symbols[ Edit] === The national flag of Scotland-known as the Saltire or the Andreas cross -was (according to legend) used as early as the ninth century and would be the oldest national flag in the world. Since 1606 the flag makes part of the Union Jack. There are numerous official and unofficial national symbols, including the Thistle, the national flower emblem, the Declaration of independence from 1320 (Declaration of Arbroath), the textile pattern tartan that often differs from clan to clan, and the Lion Rampantflag.
 * 1.1 Name
 * 1.2 national symbols
 * 2 History
 * 3 administrative divisions
 * 4 Geography
 * 4.1 geology and geomorphology
 * 4.1.1 Highlands
 * 4.2 Islands
 * 4.2.1 Central Lowlands
 * 4.3 Cities
 * 4.4 Lakes
 * 4.5 Climate
 * 5 demographics
 * 5.1 Language
 * 5.2 Religion
 * 6 Nature
 * 7 points of interest
 * 7.1 botanical gardens
 * 7.2 Castles
 * 8 Cultural
 * 8.1 Museums
 * 8.2 Music
 * 8.3 Gastronomy
 * Economy 9
 * 10 Politics
 * 10.1 Referendum on independence
 * 11 traffic and transport
 * 11.1 Train
 * 11.2 Bus
 * 11.3 Ferry
 * 11.4 Roads
 * 12 Sports
 * 13 Famous Scots
 * 14 Miscellaneous
 * 15 see also
 * 16 external links

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Flower of Scotland is often considered the national anthem of Scotland, and is played in, for example, footballand rugby matches in which the national team plays. Scotland the Brave is used for the Scottish team at the Commonwealth Games. Since Scotland has its own Parliament, there is a broader discussion. Other candidates includeHighland Cathedral, Scots Wha Hae and A man's A Man for A ' That.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Sint-Andreasdag (30 november) is a national holiday and since 2007 is a Bank holiday. Burns ' Night (on or around 25 January) is celebrated, however, more exuberant. Tartan Day is a recent newcomer from Canada. ==History<span class="mw-editsection" len="328" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The history of Scotland begins around 14,000 years ago when the first humans entered the region of the current Scotland when the ice age came to an end. There are many objects from the stone age, bronze age andiron age found, but few written sources have been preserved.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The written history of Scotland begins with the arrival of the Roman Empire in Britannia -the current England, Wales and the Scottish Lowlands. The areas that were inhabited by North layers Picts, the area stood by the Romans known as Caledonia. Since Scotland is located on the edge of Europe, it was long believed that the elements of civilization but slowly came to the country. Recent research has shown, however, that some developments earlier and more advanced society in the Scottish penetrated than initially thought. The sea was an important link.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Because of the geographical orientation of Scotland and its strong dependence on trade routes by sea, the country had many contacts with the Baltic States, Scandinavia, Ireland, France and the low countries. After theActs of Union with Scotland and England were connected in the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Scottish enlightenment and industrial revolution, Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial hearts ofEurope. After the Second World War, the industrial sector in which Scotland was hit extra hard. However, In the last decades revives Scotland some sort of cultural and economic renaissance, mostly because of a revival in the financial sector, the find of oil under the North Sea and the limited self-government. ==Administrative divisions<span class="mw-editsection" len="337" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Border between Scotland and England <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">For the local government is now Scotland divided into 32 Council areas (English: council areas). This subheading is introduced in 1996.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">From 1975 to 1996, the country was divided into regions.

<p lang="en" len="339" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The traditional division into counties, however, remains very popular in the parlance and is also used by the post.

<p lang="en" len="344" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">For ceremonial purposes the country is divided into Lieutenancy areas that are about but not quite with the counties line. ==Geography<span class="mw-editsection" len="325" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Mainland of Scotland covers approximately one third of the total land mass of Great Britain, which lies to the Northwest of continental Europe . The total area of the country is 78,772 km²,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Whitaker_2-0" len="170" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[2]. The only land border is with England, Scotland and is 96 km long and runs from the river Tweed on the East Coast to the Solway Firth on the west coast. West of Scotland is the Atlantic Oceanand the North Seato the East. Ireland is just 30 km from the Kintyre peninsula removed while Norway is 305 kilometres to the East and the Faroes 270 km to the North.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The current borders of Scotland are largely came about at the 1237 Treaty of York between Scotland and from the Kingdom of England<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" len="161" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[3]  and the 1266 Treaty of Perth between Scotland and Norway from.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Mackie_4-0" len="168" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [4]  exceptions are the island Man that was lost in the 14th century to England and is now a British Crown possession ; the Orkney and Shetland Islands of Norway in 1472 were retrieved and Berwick-upon-Tweed that was conquered by the English in 1482 .

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The geographical centre of Scotland lies a few miles from the village of Newtonmore in Badenoch.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" len="161" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [5]  With 1344 metres above sea level is the Summit of Ben Nevis is the highest point of the country, while the river Taywith 190 km the longest river is.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" len="161" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [6]  <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" len="161" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7] ===Geology and geomorphology<span class="mw-editsection" len="341" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === The Quirang on the island of Skye in theScottish Highlands. <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">During the Pleistocene ice ages in Scotland as a whole was covered by an ice sheet and the landscape is significantly changed by the ice sheets. From a geological point of view the country from three different areas: ====Highlands<span class="mw-editsection" len="326" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ==== <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Highlands are North and West of the Highland Boundary Fault which runs from Arran to Stonehaven. This part of Scotland is primarily made up of old rocks from theCambrian and Precambrian era that were printed during the Caledonian orogeny. It is cut by igneous rock of a later period the remains of which the current mountain ranges as the Cairngorms and the Cuillins forms. An important exception to the above are the layers of Old Red Sandstone at the coast of the Moray Firth fossil. The Highlands are generally mountainous and the greatest heights of the British Isles can be found. ===Islands<span class="mw-editsection" len="324" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Scotland has over 790 Islands which are divided into four main groups: Shetland, Orkney, the inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. ====Central Lowlands<span class="mw-editsection" len="333" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ==== <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Central Lowlands is a Rift Valley mainly Paleozoic formations exists. Many of the sediments have an important economic value since here the coal and iron was extracted from the ground that the industrial revolution in Scotland have made possible. In the past, there was also in this area to find volcanism , Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh is a remnant of a volcano. This area is relatively low-lying although hills as the Ochils andCampsie Fells nearby. ===Cities<span class="mw-editsection" len="323" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === View of the capital from the Edinburgh Castle<p lang="en" len="42" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The ten largest cities in Scotland are: ===Lakes<span class="mw-editsection" len="322" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There are numerous fresh water lakes in Scotland including Loch Lomond and Loch Ness. ===Climate<span class="mw-editsection" len="324" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ==Demographics<span class="mw-editsection" len="327" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Language<span class="mw-editsection" len="321" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Virtually all residents of Scotland speak Englishnowadays. Many Scots also speak lowland Scottish, a Germanic language related to English, which is very different from the Rp. About 70,000 people, mostly of the Western Islands, still speak Scottish Gaelic as their first language.

<p lang="en" len="385" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Historically Scotland divided into two cultural areas: the South lowland where mainly English was spoken and the still partly Gaelic-speaking Highlands in the North. ===Religion<span class="mw-editsection" len="324" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">67% of the Scottish population is religious. Many Scots are Protestant<sup class="noprint nopopups" len="311" style="line-height:1;">[source?]. The majority of the religious Scots feels at home at the Protestant Church of Scotland. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland has about 600,000 members, which is approximately 12% of the population. But the number of people who are presbyter calls it, is many times greater. About 800,000 people are Catholic. 0.9% (about 47.822 people), of the population is Islamic. Further there lives an even smaller minority that Jewish, Hindu, sikh or Buddhist are. The largest Buddhist temple complex is located in a Scottish village. ==Nature<span class="mw-editsection" len="323" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p lang="en" len="43" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There are two national parks in Scotland:

==Points Of Interest<span class="mw-editsection" len="336" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Botanical Gardens<span class="mw-editsection" len="334" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Castles<span class="mw-editsection" len="325" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p lang="en" len="34" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Some castles in Scotland are:
 * Cairngorms National Park
 * Trossachs National Park
 * Benmore Botanic Garden
 * Dawyck Botanic Garden
 * Glasgow Botanic Gardens
 * Logan Botanic Garden
 * Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

==Cultural<span class="mw-editsection" len="326" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p lang="en" len="12" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Are known:
 * Balmoral Castle
 * Balvenie Castle
 * Castle of Mey
 * Craigmillar Castle
 * Culzean Castle
 * Dirleton Castle
 * Dunvegan Castle
 * Edinburgh Castle
 * Eilean Donan Castle
 * Hermitage Castle
 * Stirling Castle
 * Tantallon Castle
 * Urquhart Castle

<p lang="en" len="27" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Typical Scottish clothing is:
 * the Highland Games, traditional folk play
 * the Scottish folk dances

===Museums<span class="mw-editsection" len="322" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Museums are mainly in the larger towns. National Galleries of Scotland are a number of museums in Edinburgh. ===Music<span class="mw-editsection" len="323" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Scottish music is mainly played with the bagpipes. The folkloric music of Scotland is rooted in the Gaelic or Celtic tradition, while those on the Islands is more influenced by the Scandinavian culture. The villages in the outlying areas of the Highlands organized meetings or "cèilidhean", where music, dance and poetry for amusement provided. ( Cèilidhean'Cèilidh, plural, literally means ' visit '.) Itinerant musicians were always welcome. ===Gastronomy<span class="mw-editsection" len="328" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">There are typically Scottish dishessuch as haggis, made from the stomach of a sheep or a runderdarm, Scotch egg (bird litter) and Scottish tablet (a kind of breast plate). The main drinks are beer and whisky. ==Economy<span class="mw-editsection" len="325" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Scotland lives especially of petroleum extraction in the North Sea, fishing and sheep farming. Other major branches include the modern technology, whisky, and tourism. The Highlands have especially extensive grazing and are very sparsely populated. ==Politics<span class="mw-editsection" len="325" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Famous Stirling Bridge William Wallace, where an important Scottish victory against the English<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, delivers 10.1% of the parliamentary seats in London, although it's only 8.7% of the UK population. However there is a strongseparatist party in Scotland, the Scottish National Party, active in actor Sean Connery has a strong ally.
 * Kilts and tartan

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">As already mentioned, the Parliament of Scotland was abolished in 1707. When Labour won the British elections in 1997, a referendum was held in Scotland to this back in, which the Scots accepted by 75%. It was thus reintroduced in 1998.

<p lang="en" len="318" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Scottish Parliament (The Scottish Parliament) has 129 seats, which since the parliamentary elections of 2007 are divided as follows:

<p lang="en" len="50" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The President of Parliament is a member of the SNP.
 * 47 Scottish National Party (separatist Social Democrats)
 * 46 Scottish Labour Party (federalist Socialists)
 * 17 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party (unionist conservatives)
 * 16 Scottish Liberal Democrats (federalist Liberals)
 * 2 Scottish Green Party (separatist Greens)
 * 1 Independents

<p lang="en" len="268" style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Prime Minister (First Minister) is Alex Salmond of the Scottish National Party (since 2007).

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Although the United Kingdom is formally a unitary State, the British Government has a significant number of powers ' outsourced ' to Scotland. The practical terms, health care, education, local government, Social Affairs, housing, economic development, spatial planning, tourism and traffic (roads, buses and ports), justice and Home Affairs, police and fire, environment, nature, monuments, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, sport, culture, statistics and population registers.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">' Reserved ' powers by the British Government where Scotland's control, its Constitutional Affairs, foreign policy, defense and national security, taxes and currency Affairs, immigration and nationalisation, energy policy, common market, trade and industry, railways and traffic legislation, employment, social security, games of chance, data protection, ethical issues and equal opportunities policy. The Schotlandwet from 1998 States that all powers not expressly reserved, in Scotland. ===Referendum on independence<span class="mw-editsection" len="350" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Since the election victory of the Scottish National Party in May 2011 (the SNP won the majority of seats in the Scottish Parliament) is the United Kingdom's secessionist revived. The Scottish first Minister and SNP leaderAlex Salmond promised before 2016 (officially the end of his tenure) to hold a referendum on independence. This endeavor had success. On October 15, 2012, an agreement was signed between Salmond and David Cameron, the British Prime Minister for such a referendum in the fall of 2014. The question in the referendum will be "Scotland Should be an independent country?" and this question will answer with ' yes ' or ' no '. The date for the referendum is finally fixed on 18 september 2014. The referendum will be open to all citizens living in Scotland by the European Union and of the Commonwealth, with a minimum age of sixteen years.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" len="161" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [8] ==Traffic and transport<span class="mw-editsection" len="335" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == The Falkirk wheel, a rotating boat lift near Falkirk===Train<span class="mw-editsection" len="322" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The Scottish rail network is operated by different companies. ScotRail is the largest; She is in charge of most "domestic" services, as well as the night trains to London. Other rail links with England are insured by East Coast and Virgin Trains.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Most of the larger places in Scotland are on the rail network connected. The main stations are Glasgow Central, Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley. Between Glasgow and Edinburgh are three railway lines, with a fourth under construction. In the metropolitan areas of Glasgow and Edinburgh drive local trains. Glasgow has a metro line. ===Bus<span class="mw-editsection" len="320" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Rural public transport by bus is among other things provided by Scottish Citylink. Royal Mail maintains a mailbox service throughout the country, which is also small and isolated hamlets, concluding on 16 November. In the large cities there are local bus companies. ===Ferry<span class="mw-editsection" len="322" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Scotland has a boat connection to Northern Ireland. It was from Belgium a few years to reach by boat directly under the line Rosyth ( Edinburghtown above)-Zeebrugge with Superfast Ferries. This service is discontinued in september 2008, but in May 2009 by Norfolkline is resumed. On 15 december 2010, this service was discontinued for passengers. There is passenger and cargo transport between the two ports.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" len="161" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"> [9]

Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, in the Outer Hebrides<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Skye is accessible via a bridge for several years, but most of the Islands are only accessible by ferry. The inhabited islands on the west coast are almost all accessible by ferries from Caledonian Macbrayne, also known as CalMac called.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Northlink Ferries sail to Orkney (90 minutes) and Shetland (12 hours), among other things from Aberdeen. Other ferry services to Orkney (only from april to October):

===Roads<span class="mw-editsection" len="322" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p lang="en" len="41" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">The main roads in Scotland are:
 * Pentland ferries
 * John O' Groats Ferries

==Sports<span class="mw-editsection" len="322" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p lang="en" len="21" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Football in Scotland:
 * M8 between Renfrewshire, Glasgow and Edinburgh
 * M74 between Glasgow and Carlisle, England
 * M9 between Edinburgh and Stirling
 * M90/A90 between Edinburgh, Fife, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Fraserburgh
 * M80 between Glasgow and Stirling
 * M77/A77 between Glasgow and Kilmarnock, Ayr and Stranraer
 * A1 between Edinburgh and London
 * A9 between Stirling, Inverness and Thurso

==Famous Scots<span class="mw-editsection" len="333" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p lang="en" len="291" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">See the category Scottish personfor an overview of articles about Scottish people. ==Miscellaneous<span class="mw-editsection" len="325" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ Edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" len="1" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p lang="en" len="26" style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:22.3999996185303px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Scotland is known for:
 * List of football clubs in Scotland
 * During the industrial revolution were many famous inventors, engineers and technicians of Scottish descent
 * Tony Blair, politician
 * Billy Boyd, actor
 * Gordon Brown, politician
 * Robert Burns, poet
 * Gerard Butler, actor
 * Jim Clark, formula one driver
 * Sean Connery, actor
 * Billy Connolly, comedian
 * David Coulthard, racing driver
 * Chris Hoy, track cyclist
 * Mark Knopflerof Dire Straits, singer
 * David Livingstone, missionary and Explorer
 * Amy Macdonald, musician
 * James McAvoy, actor
 * Ally McCoist, former footballer
 * Ewan McGregor, actor
 * Colin McRae, racing driver
 * Derek Ogilvie, medium
 * Gordon Ramsay, Chef
 * Adam Smith, Economist from the 18th century and founder of the ' modern economy '
 * Jackie Stewart, racing driver
 * Rod Stewart, (Scottish/English) rock singer
 * David Tennant, actor
 * KT Tunstall, musician
 * James Watt, inventor of the modern steam engine
 * William Wallace, fighter against the English domination
 * Bon Scott, Angus Young, Malcolm Young (Ac/dc)
 * Jim Kerr, lead singer of Simple Minds


 * Haggis, meat dish
 * Whisky
 * Tweed, specifically Harris Tweed
 * Loch Ness and the monster "Nessie"
 * Highland pony, a native free-roaming feral horse
 * New year's Eve, the Hogmanayparty
 * Robert Roy MacGregor, folk hero
 * William Wallace, fighter against the English domination
 * Some nice long hiking trails, such as the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way
 * The northernmost palm trees in the world in the village of Scourie