Scotland country description. Scotland is a strange but charming country

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As for every state, the features of Scotland are characteristic exclusively for this unusual and outlandish country. Scottish specificity is manifested in all aspects of life and is expressed in a large number of outlandish traditions, customs, household items, natural, historical attractions, famous people whose fates are connected with this country. by the most famous facts about Scotland are as follows:

The most iconic musical instrument in Scotland is the bagpipe. It is as popular as the balalaika in Russia, the harp in Greece and the banjo in America. There are a lot of jokes about bagpipers in the United Kingdom in which they are presented as ridiculous rural simpletons. Few people know that the bagpipe was invented in India and brought to Scotland by the ancient Romans.
The first thing that is associated with Scotland is the national plaid men's skirt - the kilt. In everyday life, only guardsmen wear a kilt, but at festivals, holidays and events, you can see this piece of clothing on almost every man.
On the territory of the country there are a myriad of lakes, rivers and fresh water bodies, which in total cover an area of 950 sq. km. The most mysterious and popular for tourists is Loch Ness. Such a stir is associated with a monster named Nessie that allegedly lives in it.
Whiskey is the favorite drink of the Scots. Translated from Celtic name The drink translates as "water of life", and was originally prescribed as a medicine. The inventor of whiskey is not known for certain, but, according to some hypotheses, scotch was brought to the country from Ireland. Today the brand is officially registered at the state level.
One more accidental invention related to Scotland. Mac- a piece of clothing, is a waterproof raincoat. The name of the clothing was named after the creator - Charles Mackintosh, who unintentionally soaked the jacket with a rubber solution, after which the fabric stopped passing water.
Most red-haired people live in Scotland. Only 13% of the indigenous population have red hair, and almost half of the Scots carry “red” hair color in their genes, that is, their descendants can potentially be red. From time to time, marches are held in some cities in support of red-haired people, where you can see Scots with curls of all shades.
The number of Scots living in the country itself and in North America is approximately the same. More than 5 million people who are citizens of Canada and the United States identify themselves as ethnic Scots.
Some Hollywood movies were filmed in Scotland. One of the most famous is Braveheart, which won five Oscars in 1995. The film is based on the historical period of the 13th century, when Scotland was fighting for independence from the British Empire.
Sean Connery is considered the most famous Scottish actor., who was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. The screen master played 007 James Bond for 21 years, although he began his career with the Mr. Universe bodybuilding contest, where he took third place.
The mythical character of the series is familiar to the whole world as Duncan Macleod- Highlander of all times and peoples. According to legend, at the end of the 16th century, the immortal warrior was born in Scotland, in the most beautiful highlands.
It's hard to believe, but Scrooge McDuck was included in the honorary citizens of Glasgow in 2007, the hero of the animated series "DuckTales". The greedy and enterprising drake was a Scot by origin, and, according to the scenario, before leaving to work in the United States, he was an ordinary shoe shiner.
Scottish land has given the world a huge number of great scientists who have made significant contributions to science. The most famous are: the Scottish engineer James Watt, after whom the unit of power is named; father of economic thought Adam Smith; philosopher David Hume; physicist William Kelvin; astronomer James Ferguson.
Classics of world literature considered the great Scottish writers - Sir Walter Scott, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lord Byron.
Lots of highly paid actors have Scottish roots: Gerard Butler, Ewan McGregor, David Tennant, James McAvoy, Dougray Scott. Of the Scottish musicians, Annie Lennox, Angus Young, guitarist for AC / DC, Exploited and Mogway became legends.
little known fact- Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov was a descendant of a native of Scotland. At the beginning of the 17th century, George Lermont, with the rank of lieutenant, joined the ranks of the Russian army, after which he adapted his surname in the Russian manner and converted to Orthodoxy.
Record holder for the minimum duration of a scheduled air flight is considered a flight connecting the two Scottish islands - Papa Westray and Westray. In total, passengers fly for two minutes, while the runway of one island can be seen from another.
Castles are considered the most popular Scottish attractions.. A huge number of them have been preserved in the country from different times. The most visited is Edinburgh Castle, located in the state capital. An amazing feature of the citadel is that it was built approximately in the 11th-12th centuries on the top of an ancient extinct volcano.
The legal and legal system of Scotland interprets verdicts in criminal cases in a rather peculiar way. The judge can issue three sentences - "not guilty", "guilty" and " committed crime has no evidence."
The Scots are famous inventors who remake many things with marvelous originality. For example, in 2002, the only engineering structure of its kind, the Falkire Wheel, was built in the country - a carousel elevator designed for the passage of ships between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The purpose of creating the canal was to combat the water level difference, thanks to which barges and ships cross from one water reservoir to another in 15-20 minutes. The total height of the elevator is 35 meters, which corresponds to a 12-storey building.

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My heart is in the mountains... Until now I am there.

Following the trail of a deer, I fly over the rocks.

I chase a deer, I scare a goat.

My heart is in the mountains, and I am below.

Robert Burns, translated by S. Marshak

Scotland is independent - any resident will tell you that. Nominal belonging of Scotland to the United Kingdom for stern men in kilts means almost nothing. Walter Scott and Robert Burns are honored in the mountains above the queen, and the Scots see their history partly as an endless war with the English conquerors, partly as a scientific and technological revolution, the fruits of which Scotland graciously shared with a much less developed England. And, oddly enough, to a certain extent the Scots are right.

Roughly speaking, the history of Scotland began with the Romans. Various tribes lived in the mountains before their arrival, but the Romans brought a letter with them and for the first time described indigenous people. It is amazing to what extent power-hungry southern warriors have reached in search of new territories. Of course, Rome could not control the mountains: only the territories of the south fell under the partial control of the empire. northern tribes Gaels and Picts continued to remain unconquered.

However, life in these inhospitable lands was in full swing even before the Roman conquest. For example, the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae on the coast of the Orkney Islands is considered to be better preserved than other European analogues and therefore even included in the list. cultural heritage UNESCO. Skara Brae is amazing: in 3000 BC, people living here built houses from processed stone (the forerunner of brick), equipped shelves, chests, tables and chairs inside, used household utensils, each house had its own toilet, and in the village - like a sewer system! The northern civilization appeared almost earlier than the Sumerian; what is the reason that we know the Sumerians and the ancient Egyptians so well from history books, but we rarely hear about the Scottish civilization? It's simple: the northerners did not think of writing. The processing of materials and the manufacture of household items reached a very high level among the Scots of that time, but by the arrival of the Romans, almost nothing remained of the Neolithic skills. In fact, the Romans "nullified" history - and a legend was born.

Orkney cromlechs

A well-known monument of the Neolithic period in Scotland is the cromlech Ring of Brodgar. At the time of construction (approximately 2500 - 2000 BC), a huge circle with a diameter of 104 meters was surrounded by sixty megaliths (this is the third largest cromlech in Great Britain). 27 of them survived, and, unlike the famous Stonehenge cromlech, the Ring of Brodgar, apparently, had no overlap. In total, several dozen settlements with stone buildings built on a very high technological level, several cromlechs and tombs, as well as individual megaliths.

First statehood

The starting point in the history of the Scottish kingdom is 843. However, exact date the unification of the Scottish and Pictish tribes is unknown. But it is known who became the "culprit" of this event - the great Kenneth I McAlpin, nicknamed the Bold, the first king of a united Scotland. But before turning to the first period of Scottish independence (from 843 to 1296), we will turn our attention to the Highlanders' earlier attempts at statehood.

The first states on the territory of modern Scotland arose almost immediately after the departure of the Romans - in the II-III centuries AD. Their formation took place in the traditional way: a stronger tribe, led by a smart and courageous leader, subjugated the weaker ones, at the same time annexing their territories to their own. It is curious that one of the most powerful state formations - the Gaelic kingdom of Dal Riada - was formed by tribes that moved to Scottish lands from neighboring Ireland. During its heyday, the territory of Dal Riada covered the entire territory of modern Northern Ireland and about a quarter of Scotland. The first king of the united Dal Riada is considered to be the semi-legendary Erk (approximately the 4th century), but the real dating was only established from the middle of the 6th century: in 540, the king of Dal Riada Komgall, who ruled from 507, died. Further, there are practically no problems with dates.

By the way, all this ancient history restored mainly on the basis of two documents, analogues of our "Tale of Bygone Years". The first, the Annals of Ulster, written in the 16th century, covers the history of Ireland and partly Scotland from the 6th to the 16th centuries, the second, the Annals of Tigernach, is replete with gaps, but it was created much earlier, and therefore the events of the 4th-8th centuries indicated in it inspire much more confidence.

In addition to Dal Riada, in the territory of modern Scotland in the early Middle Ages, there were a number of large Pictish kingdoms - Phoebe, Moray and the very northern Kate, as well as several smaller states (Ke, Fidah, Fotla and others). Around the 5th century, a united kingdom of the Picts began to take shape. Gradually, it “swallowed” one state after another, and by the end of the 7th century it was a powerful formation that occupied about two-thirds of the area of \u200b\u200bmodern Scotland. It was a heyday: the Picts regularly went on campaigns against the Angles, and on May 20, 685 they defeated the English army in legendary battle at Nekhtansmer. Moreover, the defeat was so crushing that the Angles were never able to regain their former power - the Saxon tribes gained much more influence on the territory of England. Thus, the battle to some extent predetermined the entire history of Britain up to Norman Conquest.

In addition to the Gaels (read: Scots) and Picts, there were Britons in the south of Scotland. state formations For example, Strathclyde. The latter remained independent until the 11th century, but under the military pressure of the united Scottish kingdom, it nevertheless fell.

However, this will happen later. In the meantime, in 841, Kenneth I Macalpin, a man who immediately went to war against the Pictish kingdom, became the king of Dal Riada. However, there are a few "buts". Firstly, Dal Riada was constantly at war with the Picts. And secondly, not all sources recognize Kenneth as the king of Dal Riada - but in this case it is not at all clear where he came from. One way or another, by 843 he finally captured the Pictish lands (with the exception of the northernmost, subordinated later) and declared himself king of the united kingdom of Alba. That is Scotland.

Then the story went on knurled - more or less. The kings of Alba seized more and more lands, while trying not to quarrel with the English kings. It should be noted that at that time England did not yet exist: it was divided, like Scotland before, into a number of smaller states. The Scots had contact mainly with Northumbria, immediately adjacent to their territories, and with Wessex. In 871, Alfred the Great ascended the throne of Wessex, using the title "King of England" for the first time. He led a very active foreign and domestic policy, fought the Danes and the Vikings, lost and won territories - but this practically did not concern the Scots. Objectively speaking, nobody needed their mountains, and there were very few flat territories in Alba. The situation was somewhat improved by the Scottish king Malcolm II the Destroyer, who saw the conquest of Northumbria as the whole goal of his reign - and carried it out in 1018, capturing part of the flat lands and significantly expanding the territory of Scotland. The Anglo-Scottish wars went on with varying success until 1286, when the irreparable happened. That is, of course, fixable, but at the cost of considerable effort.

clan system

Already in the days of Dal Riada, the famous Scottish clan system began to take shape. Tribal relations among the Highlanders up until the 18th century were more important than any feudal ones; the son obeyed first of all his father, and only secondarily - to his king. Finally, the laws and rules of the clans (by the way, clann in Gaelic means “family”) were formed around XIII century. Contrary to the general misconception, the clans did not differ at all in the color of the tartan that went to the kilt. Actually, outwardly, they most often did not differ in any way, since even in rich clans, mountain life was extremely simple: the son of the head of the clan could graze the cows himself, and put on what was available, without thinking about some special pattern. Some clans really wore a special cage, but this was not due to aesthetic considerations, but to the presence on the clan territory, for example, of one or another dye for threads. In addition, seamstresses in one village knew how to make one pattern, in another - another, and in the third there was not a single needlewoman at all, so the inhabitants dressed in any way. Modern system"clan colors and patterns" was proposed by Sir Walter Scott and developed by a council of clans
in the 19th century.

So, the clan system was primarily characterized not by differences in clothing, but by the complex relationships of clans among themselves and with the state. To some extent, this weakened the country. The unification of the clans in order to create an organized army was a real quest for the king, to use modern terminology. Especially considering that the clans were constantly at odds with each other, and the cause of the conflict could be the murder of a clan member, the theft of a cow, or simply the principle “there is nothing to do, let's fight”.

Globally, the clans were divided, as now, into two groups: highland and lowland. Today there are about 350 clans in Scotland. By the way, the famous prefix "poppy" ("son") is inherent almost exclusively in the lowland clans. Highlanders often have surnames of Gaelic origin - Anstruther, Brisbane, Haliburton and so on. The former British prime minister, Tony Blair, for example, is from the Blair clan. The Kennedy clan is also known - the descendants of its representatives were famous American politicians.

Every Scottish clan today is officially registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon heraldic organization, but not everyone has a coat of arms. Moreover, not every clan has a head - the lion's share of clans (more than 2/3) belong to the so-called armigerous clans, that is, clans that once had a leader, but different reasons abandoned the hierarchical structure.

Fight for independence

In 1286, the 44-year-old king of Scotland, Alexander III, died due to an accident. His death was suspicious: shortly before that, he had married the Countess de Montfort, Yolande de Dreux, in order to finally conceive a legitimate male heir. After her husband's death, Yolanda suffered a miscarriage, and as a result, Alexander's two-year-old granddaughter named Margaret became heir to the Scottish crown. Margaret's parents were the daughter of Alexander from his first marriage and the Norwegian king Eric II. In view of the "wrong" sex of the heiress for the throne of Alexander, a struggle broke out between the barons. Meanwhile, Margaret was declared queen, and a coronation was scheduled for 1290. But on the way from Norway, a seven-year-old girl by that time died - and Scotland was thrown into turmoil.

The throne was claimed by two people who descended from the Scottish king David I and therefore had certain rights. The first was 75-year-old Robert Bruce, according to legend, also a leper. The second is 42-year-old John Balliol. It was proposed to the English king Edward I to resolve the dispute - and he chose Balliol. Not because of age. The fact is that Bruce, a representative of the Scottish clan nobility (who, however, was a descendant of the French who came with William the Conqueror), was a fierce supporter of the war with England. And Balliol seemed to Edward a rag. The Scottish barons of Balliol did not recognize; nevertheless he was crowned in 1292. Edward twirled John as he pleased, squeezing money and territory out of Scotland. As a result, John showed character, with difficulty gathered the baronial army, and in 1295 went to war with England, which he successfully lost. The unfortunate king abdicated, gave the crown of Scotland to Edward and went to the Tower, and the country lost its independence.

It was then that William Wallace appeared, known to us primarily for the famous film by Mel Gibson "Braveheart". Edward's mistake was that he relied on the obedience of the defeated Scots. But they were a resilient people. A year later, in 1297, in different parts uprisings broke out against the occupation, and one of them, led by the petty nobleman William of the Wallace clan, gained momentum sufficient for open battles with an organized English army. On September 11, 1297, Wallace won a sensational victory over the one sent to suppress the uprising punitive expedition. The victory was largely due to the fact that the Scots caught the English while crossing the Forth River near Stirling and brought down the bridge under the main part of the army. Today, a rather modest monument by British standards stands on this site, resembling a memorial plaque in the style “He lived and worked here ...” Nothing majestic is required: every Scot knows who won whom and when in Stirling.

A year later, twice as large an army, led personally by Edward, defeated Wallace, and after more than six years of guerrilla fighting, he was finally caught and quartered. But by this time a man had appeared who had accepted the banner of struggle from Wallace. This man was the grandson of the aforementioned Robert the Bruce - Robert Bruce Jr. The barons united under him; in 1306 he was crowned king of Scotland, and over the next eight years he gradually regained much of the lost territory. On June 24, 1314, Bruce's troops wiped out half of all armed forces England at the legendary Battle of Bannockburn. Bruce managed to move the front to the territory of the British. In 1328, after another fourteen years of war, the English were forced to recognize Scottish independence in order not to lose their own.

Robert I the Bruce and William Wallace are revered today as one of the main characters Scotland. There are monuments to them in almost every city, and the Wallace Monument in Stirling (this city was the capital of Scotland until the 12th century) is one of the largest monuments in the world. In Scotland, only one more monument of this size was awarded great person- Walter Scott.

coronation stone

To this day, for the coronation of the monarchs of Great Britain, the legendary Skoon stone is used, which is laid at the base of the throne. According to legend, this stone was brought to Scotland by Scott, the daughter of Pharaoh Ramses II, a thousand years before our era. In reality, the history of the Skoon Stone has been traced since about the 9th century, when King Kenneth I moved it from Dunadd to Skoon - this fact is documented. Until 1296, the monarchs of Scotland were crowned on the Scone stone, but Edward, having defeated John Balliol, captured the stone and transported it to Westminster Abbey. There is a legend among the Scots that John's courtiers replaced the stone, putting in its place another one taken from the palace toilet, so as not to give Edward the sacred relic. This is not hard to believe: the author of this material saw the Skunsky stone with his own eyes and can confirm its suspicious similarity with the closet. But let's believe that this is just a legend.

The Skoon Stone was in Westminster from 1296 to 1996. In honor of the 700th anniversary of the famous theft, Elizabeth II decided to return the Skoon Stone to Edinburgh Castle, to its rightful owners. For the coronation of Charles after the death of Elizabeth, the stone will be taken to London, and then returned to Edinburgh again. By the way, shortly before the coronation of Elizabeth, in 1950, the stone was stolen by a group of students, accidentally split into two parts, fastened again and found only a year later at the direction of one of the captured intruders.

The Scone stone at the base of the throne (photograph from the period of Westminster Abbey).

Second statehood

It should be noted that the claims of the British to the Scottish throne were not limited to this. In 1332, after the death of Bruce, the British cunningly elevated their protege, Edward Balliol, to the throne. David II, the son of Bruce, fought for the throne with him - and eventually won, but did not leave heirs, as a result of which there was a change of dynasty, and the Stuarts came to replace the Bruces. They ruled the country until the very end of its independence - until 1703.

Moreover, the Scottish Stuart dynasty did the impossible. Thanks to a competent political game after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, who left no heirs, a Scot ascended the throne of England. James VI, who took the Scottish throne in 1567, was not a great king in terms of expansion or historical decisions. But he led a competent, accurate policy, in right time He made compromises, in the right place - showed firmness. For example, he allowed the Presbyterians the freedom to create their own church movement, which eventually became dominant in religious life Scotland.

Jacob became king of Scotland at a very young age, he was barely a year old. And on March 24, 1603, the childless Elizabeth of England died. Along with Jacob, other distant descendants of Henry VI Tudor could also inherit the English throne, but Jacob, being an excellent politician, enlisted the friendship of the closest adviser to the queen, Robert Cecil - and he persuaded dying queen sign a document elevating Jacob to the rank of heir. So the King of Scotland became King of England under the name James I.

From that moment on, England and Scotland have always been ruled by the same monarch. Jacob had already decided to move the court from cold Edinburgh to a much richer and more turbulent London. Scotland began to decline.

Dependency for good

Queen Anne was the last monarch to hold the Scottish title. At the beginning of the 18th century, Scotland had two problems. Firstly, anti-English sentiment rose again, demanding that after the death of Anna, Scotland should elect its own king, and not combine several titles in one monarch. Secondly, the economic condition of Scotland was not just below average. The country was slipping into outright poverty. Therefore, the British Parliament took unprecedented measures. The Scottish Parliament was proposed for approval by the "Act of Union" - a document by which the two countries were united into the Kingdom of Great Britain. The most interesting thing is that the English lords were against this act no less than the Scottish ones: the hardest economic crisis provoked unsuccessful attempt Scots to establish Darien Colony in Central America, could pull the English financial system. But nevertheless, in 1706 the act was finally formulated and on May 1, 1707 came into force. Scotland lost its independence for the second time.

But, as it turned out, dependence benefited the country - primarily for economic reasons. From the second half of the 18th century, the city and port of Glasgow began to grow rapidly; by the middle of the 19th century, it was he who competed on equal terms with London for the title of the economic center of Great Britain (however, they always spoke of it as a second city, since they simply had no right to put Glasgow above the capital). This was due primarily to the powerful shipbuilding industry. Rail transportation gained strength much later, and insular Great Britain has always been heavily dependent on maritime transport. There were shipyards in all cities, but no one could compete with Glasgow. Metallurgy and the textile industry also grew by leaps and bounds. In addition, the so-called "tobacco lords" reigned in Glasgow - the rich, who made their fortune in the tobacco trade, which was imported from America. The economic growth of Glasgow continued for 200 years - until the outbreak of World War II. Today it is the second largest city in the UK in terms of population, wealth and size.

The Industrial Revolution brought fame and prosperity to Scotland. With a population ten times smaller than in England, Scotland has given the world no less great engineers, scientists, writers than the rest of Great Britain put together. In every small Scottish town there is a great man, on whose biography the tourism industry of the area is built. For example, a small 45,000-strong Greenock is entirely dedicated to the life and work of James Watt, who was born here and kept a workshop where he created a number of steam engines (he did his main scientific work in Glasgow). The whole of Edinburgh is simply “studded”, may I forgive this word, with monuments to their great children.

There was some economic decline in the 1950s, but the Scots overcame it. Today Scotland, with only 5 million people, is one of the most comfortable regions for living and working. And the climate there is very funny - in good sense the words.

The honor of the new discovery of regalia to the world belongs to the great Scottish writer and historian Sir Walter Scott. Examining ancient documents, he came to the conclusion that the regalia can be stored in a cache located in the immediate vicinity of the throne room. Edinburgh castle. With the permission of Prince George (the future King George IV), Walter Scott, with a group of fellow historians, conducted a detailed search of the castle and the throne room in particular, found a cache, and in 1818 revealed dust-covered, but completely intact regalia. Today they are on display at the Edinburgh Castle Museum. For trying to photograph them, a tourist can get a considerable fine.

And again - free-oh-oh-oh-ode!

Scotland does not give up. In 1999, at the initiative of a real Scot, British Prime Minister Ton Blair, the country again received its own parliament, abolished by an act of 1707. Basically, election campaign The Labor Party was built to some extent on the postulate of the return of independence to Scotland: all as one Scottish deputies voted for the Blair Laborites.

Completely separate from the English and Scottish judicial system: different laws, different rules, different civil and criminal codes. And the Presbyterian Church of Scotland is an independent body from English religious structures. In general, Scotland is almost independent. Union with England is more a tribute to tradition than an economic or political necessity.

A historic referendum on Scottish independence is scheduled for autumn 2014. It will be timed to coincide with the 700th anniversary of the victory over the British at the Battle of Bannockburn. To date, only 30% of the Scots are in favor of independence. This is due to the fact that Scotland already feels completely and completely independent, and being part of the UK relieves the Scots of the need, for example, to maintain their own army - with the exception of the traditional Scottish riflemen. Another question is that 90% of British oil reserves are located in Scotland - only Norway has more in all of Europe. So 2014 promises to be a very, very interesting year.

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Origins of the Scottish Nation

First written references about Scotland appeared during the period of the Roman conquest of the British Isles. Modern Wales and England were occupied by the Romans, who made them their provinces and took them under political and administrative control. In the north, a part of the land remained, referred to in the sources as Caledonia, where the tribes of the Picts and Gaels lived, who, after the departure of the Romans, created their own kingdoms, one of which, Dal Riada, was located on part of the territory of present-day Great Britain and two Irish islands. Scotland occupied approximately the land of present-day Argyll, and the famous Pictia became part of Fortriu. The official history of Scotland dates back to 843, when the kingdom of the Scots and Picts was headed by the monarch Kenneth McAlpin.

Scotland in the Middle Ages

Over the next few centuries, Scotland began to occupy an area almost identical to the modern one. This time for the country was relatively peaceful and calm - the Scots interacted well with the English rulers, and the small feudal fragmentation did not interfere with the normal life of the local population. A sharp change in the political course of Scotland began with the era of the conquest of England by the Normans, who came to these lands in the middle of the 11th century. Political vicissitudes and dynastic marriages led to the fact that the influence of Celtic Christianity was reduced, and a stream of immigrants from the Netherlands poured into the country. Late 13th century was marked by total the transfer of Scottish lands to the noble families of the Normans and Anglo-Normans. From that moment on, the rapprochement between England and Scotland could not prevent the periodically flaring up armed conflicts between the countries. The English kings reclaimed Scottish lands with enviable regularity, and the Scottish army invaded the northern regions of England. Scottish King William I the Lion, as a result, he was captured by the British and was able to gain freedom only after the conclusion of an unfavorable treaty for his state that Scotland became part of England, and the English church was to determine the religious preferences of the indigenous population. Subsequently, these Negative consequences were eliminated, and the Scottish church separated from the English and became directly subordinate to the papacy. Scotland gained independence again after Richard the Lionheart, being in a difficult financial situation, gave the Scottish territories for 10 thousand marks, which was agreed in the treaty of 1189 concluded at Canterbury.

Time of Troubles

From the end of the 13th century for Scotland are coming troubled times associated with the absence of a direct heir from the last Scottish king Alexander III. Declared queen underage granddaughter of the monarch - Margarita was to marry an English heir - Prince Edward However, on the way to her future spouse, the girl died in the Orkney Islands at the age of five. The direct branch of the Scottish rulers finally stopped and during this period several potential contenders for the throne appeared on the political arena. The struggle for the crown began, accompanied by intrigues, litigation and proceedings between English and Scottish aristocrats. The throne passed from one noble person to another, and the losers were forced to turn to Norway or France for support. The result of the struggle was an attack on Scotland from English king Edward and the defeat of the troops of the Scottish ruler John Balliol. The English became the full owners of the Scottish territories, plundering and destroying the local population, which rebelled in 1297 under the leadership of William Wallace and Andrew de Moray. In a bloody battle at Stirling Bridge, the British were defeated, Andrew de Moray died of his wounds, and Scotland gained full independence and new ruler - William Wallace, whose position was referred to as the Guardian of Scotland. Edward I continued the war against the Scots and defeated them the very next year, while Wallace escaped, was betrayed by his associates and executed in London. In the next nine years, the struggle for power led to coronation in 1306 of Robert I the Bruce who defeated the troops of the English king Edward II. The son of Robert, David II was able to keep the throne, but, having died suddenly, he left no heirs.

The Stuart dynasty in Scottish history

The closest heir to David III was Robert Stewart,who was crowned as legitimate monarch on March 26, 1371 and from that moment the history of Scotland will be connected for three hundred years with the name of the Stuarts. In the 16th century born on the English throne ascended by Anne Boleyn daughter Henry VIII - Queen Elizabeth I. Since Henry's marriage to his first wife was broken off contrary to the laws of the Roman Catholic Church, subsequent marriages were not officially recognized, just as the children born from these unions did not have a legal right to the crown. considered the legitimate ruler of England Mary Stuart, the Scottish queen, however, the events turned into an execution for Mary, but her son Jacob managed to sit on the English throne. Elizabeth had no heirs, and after her death, James Stuart became the sole legitimate ruler of England. During his reign, Scotland was a fully sovereign state until until the middle of the 17th century when the dictatorship Oliver Cromwell led to the merger of Scottish and English lands into one state. Scotland regained its independence in 1660 under the rule of King Charles II. from the Stuart family. The issue of church government remained controversial - the struggle between Presbyterians and Protestants was gaining momentum. Threatening England to elect a Protestant king, Scotland insisted on in 1707 "Act of Union", after which the common kingdom of Great Britain was formed.

Jacobin rule

The last attempt to restore the Stuart dynasty was 1745-46 years, when under the leadership of Charles Edward, the son of Jacob, an uprising was raised called Jacobite in history. The contender for the crown was supported by clans from the highlands, but among the rest of the people and ordinary Englishmen, the rebellion did not receive support. An English army was sent to quell the unrest under the leadership of William Augusta. At the battle of Culloden in the north of the country, the Jacobites were defeated, and the battle was the last military clash in Great Britain. Jacob ended his days in 1766 in Albano and was interred in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. His son died at 67 and is buried next to his father. Since there were no heirs after Charles Edward, the only contender for the throne was a cardinal from the Stuart family, however, he did not leave legitimate children and the dynasty that ruled Scotland for three hundred years ceased to exist.

Scotland in modern times

With the beginning of the industrial revolution of the 19th century, the position of Scotland was quite unstable. On the one hand, education was actively developing in the country, which led to rapid success in commerce, science and industrialization, on the other hand, the English industrial revolution negatively affected the success of the Scots. In addition, part of the population from the mountainous areas was forcibly deported under the pretext of fencing. It is amazing how Scotland managed to maintain the independence of its judiciary, administrative and political administration during the long centuries of confrontation with England. The national forces of Scotland have retained their identity, culture, traditions and customs, which is clearly seen here to this day. Second World War led to the decline of the Scottish economy, a decline in production, a decrease in financial transactions. The recovery process was long and painstaking, and the government viewed the region as low-income, depressed, and slow-growing. The salvation for the country was its reorientation with the support of foreign investment. Companies from the USA and Japan become sponsors of oil and gas production in the North Sea provided significant assistance in the construction of oil terminals. In 1999, elections were held to the Scottish Parliament; since the early 2000s, nationalists have been in the lead in the state, whose party won the 2007 parliamentary elections. The holding of an independence referendum in 2014 finally secured the status of Scotland as an autonomous state within the United Kingdom.

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No name 17.03.19 22:48

Thank you. Briefly and clearly.

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Student, got the school! 30.11.18 22:17

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Description

Scotland is located in the north of Great Britain and is part of the United Kingdom. Despite its dependent status, it retained the right to be called a state. Scotland is a kingdom that has maintained its independence for almost a millennium. However, from the beginning XVIII century the English monarch became the head of the kingdom, and Scotland itself formed a union with England and Wales, which made it possible to create Great Britain.

Scotland has retained its national banner, which is St. Andrew's flag - a blue canvas with an oblique ("St. Andrew's") cross white color. St. Andrew the First-Called is considered the heavenly patron of the Scots and is part of the national Scottish myth. St. Andrew's flag is one of the most recognizable symbols of Scotland.

The capital of Scotland is the city of Edinburgh with a population of almost 500 thousand inhabitants. This city is considered the “pearl” of Scotland and the most visited city by tourists in the country and the second after London in the whole of the UK. More than 13 million people visit the Scottish capital every year, which far exceeds not only the number of city residents, but also the population in the whole country. Edinburgh city center listed world heritage UNESCO.

Despite the capital status, Edinburgh is inferior in terms of the number of inhabitants to Glasgow, which is home to about 700 thousand people. It is the largest economic and business center of the country. Dundee and Aberdeen are also the largest settlements in Scotland.

Despite the official absence state language, most widespread received English, it is spoken by almost the entire population of the country. The native languages of the Scots - Gaelic and Scots are much less common, especially Gaelic, which is spoken by less than 1% of the country's population.

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Geography

Scotland is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and only in the south has a land border. The total area of the country is almost 79 thousand km2, of which 97% is on land. Scotland is separated from Ireland by the North Channel and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean; at its narrowest point, the distance between the two islands is only 30 km. Southern Scotland - the only part countries that have a land border: for 95 km Scotland borders on England.

In addition to part of the UK, Scotland owns about 790 islands, the largest archipelagos are the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, as well as the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Most of the Scottish islands are located in Atlantic waters off the northwest coast of the country.

Scotland is the most mountainous part of Great Britain: about 80% of the country's territory is occupied by mountains and hills, and only 20% by lowlands.

From a topographical point of view, the entire territory of the country can be divided into 3 regions:

The North Scottish Highlands (Highland), which occupies 60% of the territory of Scotland. Highland consists of several ridges and plateaus, separated by depressions. Particularly prominent is the area of the Grampian Mountains, in which highest point Great Britain Ben Nevis. It is in the Highland region that the most famous lakes of Scotland are located. largest locality of this region - Aberdeen, which is the third largest city in Scotland.

The Mid-Scottish Lowland occupies 20% of the country's territory and is located south of the Highlands, from which it is separated by the North Scottish Fault. It is on the territory of the Mid-Scottish Lowlands that most of population of the country and are located Largest cities kingdoms: Glasgow and capital Edinburgh.

The South Scottish Highlands are located south of the Lowlands on the border with England. The upland is a line of heather-covered hills separated by valleys. This area is sparsely populated.

In addition to the hills and mountains, for which the Scots got their nickname "highlanders", the pride of the country are the famous lakes, which make up 90% of the reserves fresh water throughout the UK. Loch Ness is not only world famous for its "monster", but also contains more water than all the rivers and lakes of England and Wales combined. But Loch Ness is not the largest body of water in Scotland, by area. water surface he was ahead of Loch Lomond lakes (more than 70 km 2).

The rivers of Scotland, as well as throughout the UK, are neither long nor full-flowing. The largest river in the country is the Tey, which is less than 200 km long.

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Climate

The climate of Scotland is temperate oceanic, and it differs more low temperatures than the climate of England.

The Scottish climate is influenced by 2 main factors:

the Atlantic masses formed under the influence of the Gulf Stream;
cold masses of the North Sea.

Due to the fact that the northern part of the island of Great Britain, where Scotland is located, is surrounded by the sea on three sides, the local climate is characterized by extremely unstable weather, humidity and a small number of sunny days per year. At the same time, the oceanic influence softens the climate, so extreme temperatures are not typical for it.

The warmest region of Scotland is the west coast of Scotland, which is influenced by the air masses of the Atlantic. The east and north coasts, which are greatly affected by cold air masses North Sea, have lower temperatures. During the winter months, the coast is warmer than inland, while the reverse is observed in summer. Due to the mountainous terrain in Scotland, there is an effect altitudinal zonality: For every 100 meters above sea level, the average annual temperature drops by 0.6 °C.

Due to the influence of the sea, which warms up slowly and cools slowly, the change of seasons in Scotland is shifted: winter here comes in January, and summer in July. In the winter months, the average temperature can range from +3..+4 °C to +6..+7 °C, and in mountainous areas the average temperature of the winter months is below zero. During the summer months, inland areas tend to experience warmer temperatures than the coast. The average temperature of the warmest months (July and August) is +19 °C. Temperature records in Scotland are also not amazing: the maximum recorded temperature is +32.9 °C, the minimum is -27.2 °C.

The amount of precipitation in Scotland increases from south to north: from 800 mm per year over the South Scottish Lowlands to 3000 mm per year in the Highlands. Maximum amount precipitation falls in the north of the highlands of the Highlands and can reach 4500 mm, and it rains or snows here 250 days a year. Snow cover in the valleys and lowlands is established for a short period, literally a couple of dozen days. In mountainous areas, snow can lie for several months.

Countries closest in spirit to Scotland

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About residents

The population of Scotland is more than 5 million people, of which almost 90% are directly Scots. The Scots are considered Celts in origin, and their closest relatives are the Irish and Welsh.

All Scots are usually divided into Highlanders (Gaels living in the mountains) and Lowlanders (inhabitants of the lowlands of Scotland). The Highlanders have retained a much greater identity, and their traditions are archaic due to much less English influence. It was among the highlanders that the remnants of clan system, while the lowlanders, after the accession of Scotland to England, completely lost it. It is believed that the Picts, the oldest population of Scotland, who lived here before the arrival of other peoples, had a great influence on the culture of the Highlanders. The Lowlanders are descended from the Celtic tribes that once migrated from Ireland, and they were also greatly influenced by the Germans and Scandinavians, who massively moved to the country in the Middle Ages. Therefore, now, despite the small number of highlanders (about 150 thousand people), it is the Highlander culture that is considered fundamental for Scotland.

Most of the Scots are Protestants, namely, they belong to the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. At the same time, the majority of the highlanders remained Catholics, who in the whole country number up to 20%.

Remnants of the clan system can be seen in the patronymic surnames of the Scots. The family prefix "Mac" was usually retained by the descendants of the Gaels and means "son", that is, McDonald's - "son of Donald", Mackenzie - "son of Kenzie", etc. All members of the clan had one surname, which was a unifying beginning for the whole clan .

There is no official language in the country, but English is the most widely used language, which is spoken by almost 100% of the country's inhabitants. The native languages of the Scots - Gaelic and Scots are much less common. Gaelic, which is of Celtic origin, is distributed only in the north of the country in the Highlands. The number of its speakers does not exceed 1% of all residents of the country. Anglo-Scots (Scots) was formerly used in the plains, so its second name is Plains Scots. However, it is now also more common in the north, as the flat parts of the kingdom have been most influenced by England. Total number speaking English-Scottish is up to 1.5 million people.

The national character of the Scots made it possible to form an opinion about them as stingy in actions and words, prickly and stubborn people, but at the same time they are distinguished by sacrifice, compassion and readiness to help. The dual nature of the Scots seems to be due to the nature of Scotland: prickly, like thistles, stingy and harsh, like the landscapes of the country, hospitable and kind, as only highlanders can be, the Scots do not open up immediately, but gradually, which is characteristic of all northern people.

About culture and art

The culture of Scotland was greatly influenced by English culture, but many Celtic traditions and features are still preserved, especially in the highlands of Scotland. The main thing that distinguishes the Scots from other peoples of Europe is, of course, their national costume. The famous kilt is made of tartan - a fabric with a special tartan ornament. Tartan is a special checkered pattern invented in Scotland and used by the Highlanders as identification mark for the clan. Each clan had its own special tartan ornament, which made it possible to identify a person without even talking to him. The popularity of tartan is so great that every year on April 6th, Tartan Day is celebrated in Scotland. A tartan pattern tartan is used not only in kilts, but also for making school uniform, blankets and other garments.

Kilt - a special men's skirt worn without underwear. At one time, the kilt was banned by the British authorities after the annexation of Scotland to England, since it was worn only by the highlanders who did not want to recognize English domination. A few decades later, the ban was lifted, and the highlanders were able to freely use their national costume. It is curious that the kilt was never worn in lowland Scotland, but with the growth of national identity, it not only gained recognition as the national costume of all Scots, but also became a kind of symbol of the entire Celtic culture. Of course, the kilt is very rarely used as everyday wear, more often it can be seen at wedding or military ceremonies, or other festive events.

The Scottish national dances are considered to be a cultural feature of the Scots: ballroom village dances performed together, and single dances. The male highland dance is performed alone, and the dancer must be fully dressed in the costume of a Scottish highlander. Highland is performed exclusively with bagpipes and is believed to have its origins in the sword dance. The dancer performs a half-fingered dance, which brings Highland closer to ballet. Most often, a tourist can see the performance of this dance at the Highland Games, an annual celebration of Scottish culture.

The national drink of the country is the famous whiskey, invented in Scotland. Even its name comes from a Gaelic word meaning "water of life". Scotch whiskey, or simply scotch - patented geographical name, therefore only a drink made in Scotland in accordance with established rules can be called that.

Like all Brits, the inhabitants of Scotland are a very sporty nation and cannot imagine their life without sports. The most popular sports are football and rugby. The Scottish rugby team is one of the strongest in the world and is considered the national pride of the country. The success of Scottish football is not so great, but the confrontation between the two clubs from Glasgow (Celtic and Rangers) is the oldest in the world and one of the hottest on the planet. Derby, nicknamed "Old Firm", has existed since the second half of the 19th century and is complicated by religious, national and political contradictions. Catholics and supporters of independent Scotland are rooting for Celtic, while Protestants and loyalists (supporters of maintaining the country as part of the UK) are fans of the Rangers. This confrontation has become one of the cultural codes of Scotland, but now everything is decided on the football fields, and not in street fights.

Books and films related to Scotland

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National cuisine

The national cuisine of Scotland combines the motives of British and Celtic culinary traditions. Present in Scottish cuisine and European notes, in particular, French. It is considered more interesting and varied than British cuisine, which has been hailed as the most unpretentious in the world. The main product of any dish is meat, most often lamb, but sometimes cooks cook veal and pork. An integral part of Scottish cuisine are fish and vegetables. Cooks prefer to process products by salting, baking and smoking.

The originality and characteristics of Scottish cuisine were determined by the climate, fertile soils and traditions of cultivating the land. In the diet of residents there is always excellent meat, fresh seafood, fish and their own vegetables and herbs. Natural products allow you to cook delicious dishes. The Scots menu is very diverse: here you can find meat, soups, cereals, pastries and vegetables.

First of all, a tourist who wants to get acquainted with the local cuisine should try the traditional soup. The consistency of the stew resembles goulash - it is so rich and thick. There are varieties of soups for every taste! A tired traveler can choose fish, potato, barley, crab or chicken soup. The most famous is the Cullen Skink soup. It consists of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions. The first time the soup was cooked in the city of Cullen, from where he moved to the tables of the inhabitants of other Scottish settlements. Fish for the Cullen Skink is boiled in milk, and cream is added to the fully prepared stew. In some cases, butter is put in the dish and the soup is eaten along with croutons or bread. Scottish soups are so hearty that a tourist who is not adapted to such portions may refuse the next dish.

However, we do not recommend refusing: after all, the world-famous "Haggis" follows the list. The dish, about which songs and poems are composed, consists of a sheep tripe filled with offal, oats, onions and sprinkled with spices. Thanks to oats, haggis takes on a crumbly texture. They eat the dish, washed down with local whiskey. The dish is the most popular, despite the fact that it spread thanks to the poor, who used poorly sold offal as a filling.

Seafood lovers will love the local salmon, which is proudly called the best salmon in the world. It is salted or baked with a vegetable side dish. Taste the lobster that goes to Michelin-starred establishments around the world with salmon. The locals are proud of their cheeses. Works in Scotland a large number of cheese dairies. Guests of the country should definitely taste Crowdy and Kabok cheese.

A variety of traditional recipes will allow travelers to choose the menu to their taste. Tourists should definitely try chicken in a pot, pies with ram kidneys, meatballs with eggs. Meat dishes are served with popular side dishes: potatoes, turnips, peas and cereals. The addition is fragrant homemade bread.

The favorite drink of the Scots is not traditional whiskey, but delicious tea. In the evening, the traveler must attend the tea ceremony. Tables are bursting with desserts, sweets and pastries. Be sure to present jam, muffins, marmalade, cookies and pies stuffed with berries. Each guest of the country tries the national dessert called "crannachan", which consists of freshly picked berries, cream, honey and oatmeal. From alcoholic beverages we recommend trying whiskey, beer and homemade wine. They are made in every settlement in Scotland.

Scottish cuisine prides itself on dishes prepared with the freshest, natural ingredients grown in its own gardens, caught in local waters and prepared in small family businesses.

Until 1707 it was an independent state. And it appeared a very long time ago - back in 843 AD.

Like many other countries, Scotland has its own national motto. It sounds in Latin and in translation means "No one will touch me with impunity." This motto already speaks of how much the country has experienced on the way to its prosperity, the population here has always been very independent and independent. Moreover, they even have their own national animal - the unicorn. The choice is unclear, apparently, it further emphasizes the original independence of the inhabitants of Scotland.

The territory of this country occupies 78.7 thousand square kilometers. Telephone code countries +44, after it dial the city code. As for religion, the majority of the population are adherents of the Church of Scotland of the Presbyterian type, 16 percent identify themselves as Roman Catholic, 28 percent are atheists.

AT Scotland home to more than five million people. Their characteristic features can be called the already mentioned independence and originality - in any conversation, the Scot will always try to distinguish himself, to make himself different from others. Take, for example, even superstitions: if in many countries a black cat that crosses the road leads to problems, then the Scots, on the contrary, to good luck. They are quite friendly and sociable, but often suffer from bouts of melancholy. The Scots are quite practical and very proud, they will not talk about themselves if they see that they are not being paid due attention.

By the way, Scotland is one of the few countries where three official languages– Scottish Gaelic, English and Anglo-Scottish. Some of the words in these languages are borrowed from each other and changed, so many tourists often have confusion in their heads.

It is worth noting one funny law that exists in Scotland: if someone knocks on the house of a Scot and asks for permission to use the bathroom if needed, the owner is obliged to let the person in. I wonder how often people come to their house with a similar request.

The climate here is relatively warm, in summer the temperature is around 20 degrees. In winter, the temperature only reaches 3 degrees. But nevertheless, there are quite often unexpected changes in the weather here - after the bright sun, heavy rain or even a hurricane. Of all parts of the UK, Scotland can be considered the coolest in terms of weather.

What is famous Scotland in the eyes of tourists? Of course, the famous kilt, bagpipes and Scotch whiskey. The tradition of wearing a kilt appeared among the Scots because of the local terrain - Scotland is completely covered with mountains, therefore it has long been convenient to move around in such attire, and at night they also hide. Now the kilt has become part of national treasure, and its historical function has disappeared.

It is rightfully considered one of the most delicious. It has been produced here for many centuries in a row, there are a fairly large number of varieties, it is recommended to try single malt and grain whiskey - they most fully convey the entire flavor range. By the way, the word whiskey in translation means “water of life”. Apparently, in numerous wars, it was in this way that the Scots maintained their viability.

Scotland can be safely called the country of music and arts; music competitions and performances are regularly held here. In particular, the local people are especially fond of national music played by bagpipers.

The famous sights of Scotland include Loch Ness. Legends about the Loch Ness Monster, which lives in the depths of the lake, are still circulating even among Russian tourists, many specially come there on an excursion in the hope that they will be lucky to see this famous monster.

Tourists are also highly recommended to visit Edinburgh Castle. It is located on the edge of Castle Rock, and its walls hide dense forests. Once upon a time, stormy wars took place here and the castle was a point of defense. Now it has turned into a museum, where you can see the treasures of the Scottish crown with your own eyes. The castle seems to evoke a sense of independence and numerous military victories.

If they evoke the impression of modern countries of progress, then Scotland evokes associations of something historical, saturated with traditions. Therefore, you should definitely visit all corners of the UK to get a complete picture of life in the United Kingdom.