Scotland

Lore & Background

The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as a sovereign state in the 9th century. Independence from England was maintained partly through an alliance with France. In 1603, James VI succeeded to the thrones of England and Ireland, forming a personal union of the three kingdoms. On 1 May 1707, Scotland and England combined to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain, with the Parliament of Scotland subsumed into the Parliament of Great Britain. In 1999, a Scottish Parliament was re-established, and has devolved authority over many areas of domestic policy.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed over Turin in July 1990. The air was thick with tension as the Scottish goalkeeper stood on his line, eyes fixed on the ball placed at the penalty spot. Around him, the roar of sixty thousand fans had faded into a collective gasp. This was not just a match; it was the culmination of decades of qualification battles and hopes carried from Glasgow to Rome. As the referee blew for the shootout, every player knew this moment would echo in history books long after the final whistle.

Reader's Guide

The mainland of Scotland is broadly divided into three regions: the Highlands, a mountainous region in the north and north-west; the Lowlands, a flatter plain across the centre of the country; and the Southern Uplands, a hilly region along the southern border. The Highlands are the most mountainous region of the British Isles and contain its highest peak, Ben Nevis, at 4,413 feet (1,345 m). The region also contains many lakes, called lochs; the term is also applied to the many saltwater inlets along the country's deeply indented western coastline.

Did You Know?

• Scotland's population was about 5.4 million in 2022.
• Scottish Gaelic speakers constitute less than 2% of the total population.
• The earliest known evidence of human presence in Scotland dates to around 14,500 to 14,000 years ago.
• The first written reference to Scotland was in 320 BC by Greek sailor Pytheas.