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Scotland -
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The country is washed on the north and west
by the Atlantic Ocean and on the east by the North Sea. Its
breadth varies from 154 miles to as little as 26 miles. The
country has 2,300 miles of coastline, an incredible length
for the size of the mainland. Scotland is indeed a land of
contrasts, from the austere majesty of the mountains to the
subtle undulations of the Lowland valleys, and from the dramatic
cliffs to the dense forests. The country also boasts 787 major
islands; almost all lying off the northern or western coasts.
Picturesque lochs and rivers are scattered throughout the
whole country.
The country is a Geologists playground,
with rocks displaying 3 billion years of geological time.
Starting with hard granite in the Western Isles, which was
formed before life itself developed on earth, the rocks tell
a long story of lava flows, eras of mountain-building, numerous
ice ages and even a time when the land was briefly separated
from England.
 Four
major fault and thrust lines, running across Scotland from
northeast to southwest, define the main geological zones.
The U-shaped valleys in the Highlands are a legacy of the
last Ice Age. The weight and movements of glaciers broke off
spurs, deepening and rounding out the existing river valleys.
The Basalt Columns of the Isle Of Staffa were formed 60 million
years ago as a flow of lava cooled slowly, contracting and
fracturing in a distinctive hexagonal pattern similar to the
Giant's Causeway in Ireland. The Devonian Sandstone in the
Orkney Islands has eroded the horizontally layered rock into
spectacular cliffs and stacks, as with the Old Man Of Hoy.
The People Of Scotland
Modern-day Scots are
the product of an age-old ethnic blend. The original Picts
mixed with successive invaders - Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons,
Scandinavians, Normans - and each group has left its mark
on the national culture. In later times, many Irish migrated
to the industrial areas in the Central Lowlands. Some immigration
from eastern and southern Europe also took place. The Scots
cherish the differences that set them apart from the English,
and cling tenaciously to the distinctions that also differentiate
them region by region - their customs, dialects and the Gaelic
language. I, for example, consider myself to be a " Fifer,
" having been born and bred in that Kingdom. But even
more than that, I consider myself to be a " Dyker, "
having been raised in the fishing village of Cellardyke.
It is perhaps more by their differences
than similarities that the Scots can be defined, but for all
that, they are immensely proud of their nation and its institutions.
Scots can be dour but equally they can flash
with inspiration. Most all Scots delight in self-deprecating
humour and continue to honour their tradition of hospitality.
Generally speaking most foreign tourists to Scotland make
the mistake of moving their location every day, and thus denying
themselves the opportunity to really get to know some of the
locals.
 Scots
have long been noted for their frugality, which they have
exaggerated and turned into jokes about themselves. But perhaps
the best-known feature of Scottish society through the ages
is that of the clans--groups of families sharing a common
ancestor and the same name. Many Scots still feel strong kinship
with their clan, and many Scottish traditions have their origins
in that system. Scots are a gregarious people and enjoy company,
whether this be in a small group in the local pub, or at a
Ceilidh ( which means literally, a " visit ".) And
Scots love to visit with people from other countries - if
you'll give the time.
Language
Gaelic, the old Celtic
tongue of the Scots, is now spoken by little more than 75,000
people, most of them in the Highlands and the Hebrides. By
their acceptance and use of the English translation of the
Bible, the Scottish reformers of the 16th century in effect
adopted English as the national language. But as any singer
of "Auld Lang Syne" knows, the Scots have made the
English they speak peculiarly their own. They have retained
a high percentage of vocabulary derived from Old Norse and
Anglo-Saxon, and they speak with a lilt.
Religion
Scottish Presbyterians
have been meeting in 'kirk sessions" ever since John
Knox thundered his fiery sermons from the pulpit of St. Giles
in the 1560's. Today, their denomination is the official,
as well as the largest, church in the country. The Church
of Scotland, as it is called, claims the adherence of nearly
half the population. Roman Catholics, particularly strong
in the western Highlands, make up the second-largest group
of worshippers.
Education
To the Scots, education is extremely
important, and they start sending their children to school
at 5 years of age. At 12, Scottish youngsters generally graduate
from elementary to secondary schools, where they must continue
until they are 16. Higher education may be pursued at eight
universities and dozens of other specialized institutions.
Four of the Scottish universities, those of St. Andrews, Glasgow,
Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, are more than 400 years old.
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