Scotland

Gabriel Lourenço nº211ªB

EnglishTeacher: Arminda

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.

It shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest.

Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centers.

Scotland

The climate of Scotland is temperate and oceanic, and tends to be very changeable. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic, and as such has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes, for example Labrador, Canada, Moscow.

However, temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the UK, with the coldest ever UK temperature.

In general, the west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, owing to the influence of Atlantic ocean currents and the colder surface temperatures of the North Sea.

Climate of Scotland

Scotland's wildlife is typical of the north west of Europe, although several of the larger mammals such as the Lynx, Brown Bear, Wolf, Elk and Walrus were hunted to extinction in historic times. There are important populations of seals and internationally significant nesting grounds for a variety of seabirds such as Gannets. The Golden Eagle is something of a national icon.

On the high mountain tops species including Ptarmigan, Mountain Hare and Stoat can be seen in their white colour phase during winter months. Remnants of the native Scots Pine forest exist.

The flora of the country is varied incorporating both deciduous and coniferous woodland and moorland and tundra species. However, large scale commercial tree planting and the management of upland moorland habitat for the grazing of sheep and commercial field sport activities impacts upon the distribution of indigenous plants and animals.

Flora and Fauna

Golden Eagle

Wolf Brown Bear

Elk

Walrus

Lynx

Scotland has three officially recognised languages: English, Scots, and Scottish Gaelic. Almost all Scots speak Scottish Standard English.

Gaelic is mostly spoken in the Western Isles.

Language

The Scottish education system has always remained distinct from education in the rest of United Kingdom, with a characteristic emphasis on a broad education.Scotland was the first country since Sparta in classical Greece to implement a system of general public education.

The "Curriculum for Excellence" provides the curricular framework for children and young people from age 3 to 18.

Education

All 3- and 4-year-old children in Scotland are entitled to a free nursery place. Formal primary education begins at approximately 5 years old and lasts for 7 years. Today, children in Scotland study Standard Grades, or more recently Intermediate qualifications between the ages of 14 and 16. The school leaving age is 16, after which students may choose to remain at school and study for Access, Intermediate or Higher Grade and Advanced Higher qualifications.

There are 15 Scottish universities, some of which are amongst the oldest in the world. These include the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Edinburgh, the Heriot-Watt University, and the University of Dundee – many of which are ranked amongst the best in the UK.

Heriot-Watt University

University of St Andrews

University of Dundee

University of Aberdeen

University of Edinburgh

University of Glasgow

Scottish music is a significant aspect of the nation's culture, with both traditional and modern influences. A famous traditional Scottish instrument is the Great Highland Bagpipe, a wind instrument consisting of three drones and a melody pipe (called the chanter), which are fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag. Bagpipe bands, featuring bagpipes and various types of drums, and showcasing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, have spread throughout the world. The clàrsach (harp), fiddle and accordion are also traditional Scottish instruments, the latter two heavily featured in Scottish country dance bands. Today, there are many successful Scottish bands and individual artists in varying styles.

Culture

Scottish literature includes text written in English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, French, and Latin. The poet and songwriter Robert Burns wrote in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and in a "light" Scots dialect which is more accessible to a wider audience. Similarly, the writings of Sir Walter Scott and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were internationally successful during the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

More recently, author J.K. Rowling has become one of the most popular authors in the world (and one of the wealthiest) through her Harry Potter series, which she began writing from a coffee-shop in Edinburgh.

Scottish theatre has for many years played an important role in Scottish society, from the music hall variety of Sir Harry Lauder and his contemporaries to the more serious plays put on at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow and many other theatres throughout Scotland.

Sport is an important element in Scottish culture, with the country hosting many of its own national sporting competitions. It enjoys independent representation at many international sporting events including the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby Union World Cup, the Rugby League World Cup, the Cricket World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, but not at the Olympic Games where Scottish athletes are part of the Great Britain team. Scotland has its own national governing bodies, such as the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Rugby Union.

Sir Walter Scott

J.K. Rowling

Robert Burns

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Harry Lauder

Citizens Theatre

Bagpipe

Bagpipe band

Scottish cuisine is the specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with Scotland. It has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, but shares much with wider European cuisine as a result of foreign and local influences both ancient and modern. Traditional Scottish dishes exist alongside international foodstuffs brought about by migration.

During the Late Middle Ages and early modern era, French cuisine played a role in Scottish cookery due to cultural exchanges brought about by the "Auld Alliance", especially during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary, on her return to Scotland, brought an entourage of French staff who are considered responsible for revolutionising Scots cooking and for some of Scotland's unique food terminology.

Scottish cuisine

The National symbols of Scotland include a diversity of official and unofficial images and other symbols.The Flag of Scotland, the Saltire or St. Andrew's Cross, dates (at least in legend) from the 9th century, and is thus the oldest national flag still in use. The Saltire now also forms part of the design of the Union Flag.Stone of Scone, Block of red sandstone used for the coronation of Scottish kings. Usually seen as a symbol of unity and Scottish independence.Declaration of Arbroath (1320) Scotland Declaration of Independence.

National Symbols

The Royal Standard of Scotland, a banner showing the Royal Arms of Scotland, is also frequently to be seen, particularly at sporting events involving a Scottish team. Often called the Lion Rampant (after its chief heraldic device), it is technically the property of the monarch and its use by anybody else is illegal, although this is almost universally ignored, and never enforced.The unicorn is also used as a heraldic symbol of Scotland. The Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland, used prior to 1603 by the Kings of Scotland, incorporated a lion rampant shield supported by two unicorns. On the Union of the Crowns, the Arms were quartered with those of England and Ireland, and one unicorn was replaced by a lion (the supporters of England).The Honours of Scotland, the Scottish Crown Jewels, are displayed in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle, from where they are removed only for State Occasions.

Stylised versions of the Crown of Scotland appear upon the badges of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, those of the Scottish Police Forces, the Scottish Ambulance Service and upon Royal Mail premises, vehicles and pillar/wall boxes in Scotland.William Wallace, a national hero and a leader in the Scottish Wars of Independence.The thistle, the floral emblem of Scotland, features in many Scottish symbols and logos, and on UK currency. Heather is also considered to be a symbol of Scotland.St Andrew's Day, the 30 November, is the national day, although Burns' Night tends to be more widely observed. Tartan Day is a recent innovation from Canada. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament passed the St. Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007, designating the day to be an official bank holiday

Scotland has no official national anthem. There are several candidates, however: Flower of Scotland is popularly held to be the National Anthem of Scotland, and is played at events such as football and rugby matches involving the Scotland national teams, and as of 2010 is used for the Scottish team at the Commonwealth Games. Other candidates include Scotland the Brave, Highland Cathedral, Scots Wha Hae and A Man's A Man for A' That. [1]Tartan is a specific woven textile pattern that often signifies a particular Scottish clan, as featured in a kilt.The kilt is a kilt men, pleated at the back, pierced the front, the length of the waist to the knees. In Scotland, was originally made and traditionally woven of wool and tartan patterns, being used by warriors and scouts clans, each clan having its own tartan. It was the typical dress of men and boys of the Scottish Highlands of the sixteenth century.

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1-Kilt2-Scottish Royal Lion Flag3- Scottish Flag4-Tartan5-The Honours of Scotland6-Stone in Edinburgh Castel7-William Wallace8-The unicorn 9-The thistle, Scotland's Floral emblem.