Sneak Preview

Scotland and England – the two are as different from each other as chalk and cheese and let no one convince you otherwise! Though Scotland forms a part of Great Britain, it retains its own distinct character which is evident in the traditions of the people as also in the rolling landscape. Close your eyes and be transported to another world -you can almost hear the sound of the kilt clad bagpipers playing in your ears, walk the moors and try to unravel the mystery of the Loch Ness monster rising out of the lake. Spend a quiet moment and savour the finest malts and scotch whiskies known to mankind. That is what Scotland is all about. From the heights of the Scottish highlands to the pure waters of Loch Lomond, from the royal ambience of the Edinburgh Castle to the cultural treasures awaiting you in Glasgow, this country has an identity and a flavor all its own. Down a glass or two of ale, and you’ll be ready to match the zeal and vigour of the feisty Scotsman.

Scotland is well known for its whisky - commonly known as Scotch whisky. In Britain, when one orders for whisky it means Scotch unless specified. Scotch whisky is further classified into two categories - single and blended! What most people dont know is that whisky was invented in China, distilled by Irish monks in the 15th century and reached scotland a hundred years later.

Interestingly, Scotland's flag is one of the oldest national flag of any country in the world!

Scotland has around 790 islands, out of which only 130 are inhabited.

Scotland does not invent the bagpipes, but it has certainly developed them into an art. Where most countries in the world have tried their hand at the bagpipes, only in Scotland have they survived long enough to become a great musical instrument.

Golf is said to have originated and evolved in Scotland.

Historically Speaking

The oldest archaeological records indicate that Neolithic hunter gatherers from around the British Isles were the first to inhabit the Scottish mainland. What is thought to be quite a thriving civilization persisted for the next couple of hundred years, and became home to the Picts and the Celts before finally being struck by those ever-so-belligerent Romans. The Scots, however, weren't about to take orders from anyone else and tired the poor Romans out - resulting in the building of the Hadrian's Wall. Soon Scotland was a country of (rather quarrelsome) Picts and Gaelic speaking folks in the north and the Anglo-Saxons in the south. Gradually, a feudal system developed and persisted till the 19th century. The English, soon, began to push their way into Scottish territory and after much resistance from the Scot leaders and armies; they finally developed a stronghold by the late 13th century. But this victory didn't last long, for in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 the English were defeated and Scotland remained somewhat free of English control for the next 400 years. By 1707 Scotland under pressure, became a part of the United Kingdom with guarantees of its own church policies and legal systems. The British government forced the clan system out of existence and a lot of local resentment built up. In the latter part of the 1700s the process of industrialization began and Scotland made great strides in the shipbuilding and steel sectors, all the while fighting to be recognized as a separate state. In the 1997 Referendum, the proposal for a separate Scottish parliament was upheld and the recently in 1999 a new parliament was constituted in Edinburgh.

Habitat

If you haven’t had enough of a tutorial on Scottish landscape from Hollywood movies like Braveheart or RobRoy, then read on for a sneak preview…. The world famous Scottish highlands which you are bound to fall instantly in love with are one of the most beautiful and unspoiled regions remaining in Europe today. Punctuated with legendary lakes such as the Loch Ness and precipitous peaks, swift streams and dense thickets, the highlands consist of a parallel system of mountains cut across by valleys and ravines. The highlands take up more than half of the Scottish landscape. However, the Scottish landscape is not limited to the rugged grandeur of the highlands. South of the highlands are the Grampian Mountains – the only continuous mountain range in Scotland, which also contain the highest summit in all of the British Isles. It is the Grampians that form the natural division between the Highlands and the Central Lowlands – which is a relatively small region in comparison but contains majority of the population. Further down one will find the moorland plateaus of the Southern Uplands which are traversed by valleys and form the barrier with England. The lakes (or "lochs") and streams of Scotland, as already mentioned, are world famous. These include the Loch Ness, the Loch Lomond, and Loch Tay – which are not only some of the clearest and most breathtaking water bodies in the region but also carry with them a good deal of Scottish folklore and myth. The longest river in Scotland is the Tay , followed in size by the Tweed and the Dee .