5 facts about Scotland in English. The most interesting facts about Scotland: overview, history and sights

Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom, located on the British Isles and occupying approximately 30% of the island. The total area of ​​the state is about 78 thousand km 2 . It can be divided into eight parts: Central Scotland, South West, Edinburgh, Glasgow, West Coast, Orkney and Shetland Islands, Inverness and Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Grampian Highlands.

Nowadays, this country is one of the most visited tourist places in the whole world. Its popularity is usually connected with its best-known and unique liquors, doodlesacks, haggis and tartan as well as its spectacular and astonishing landscapes. Scotland has a great history studded with thrilling myths, tales and legends. Many people dream of visiting Loch Ness which is considered to be one of the Scotland’s largest lakes, because they hope to see the legendary Loch ness monster there and take some photos with it.

the majority of Scots are friendly, welcoming and helpful hosts. If you need some help, piece of advice or bed and breakfast, they're glad to offer you what you need. Although, there can be some troubles with understanding of what they say, in spite of the fact that they speak international English language. Their pronunciation is very different from "Received Pronunciation" we used to learn at school - Scots have their own accents and dialects. Besides, the country is a motherland of famous writers, artists, scientists and other celebrities. For example, Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, and TV-chef Gordon Ramsey were born there. However, the most famous celebrity of the country is probably Sean Connery.

Unfortunately, the system that provides the accommodation and benefits to new immigrants is a little bit disorganized, and if you want to live there you should be ready for a long term integration.

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, located in the British Isles and occupying approximately 30% of the island. total area the state is approximately 78 thousand km 2. It can be divided into 8 parts: Central Scotland, South West Scotland, Edinburgh, Glasgow, West Coast, Orkney and Shetland, Inverness and the Scottish Highlands, Aberdeenshire and the Grampian Mountains.

Today, this country is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. Its popularity is usually attributed to its well-known and unique liquor, bagpipes, haggis and tarts, as well as to its stunning and delightful scenery. Scotland has an amazing history, littered with awe-inspiring myths and legends. Many people dream of visiting Loch Ness, which is considered one of the largest lakes in Scotland, because they hope to see the legendary Loch Ness Monster there and take some photos with it.

What's more, most Scots are friendly, welcoming hosts, always ready to help. If you need any help, advice or accommodation and food, they are happy to offer everything you need. However, there may be problems understanding what they are saying, despite the fact that they use an international language. English language. Their pronunciation is very different from the "standard pronunciation" that we are used to learning in school - the Scots have their own accents and dialects. In addition, the country is home to famous writers, artists, scientists and other celebrities. For example, Alexander Bell, the inventor of the telephone, and television chief Gordon Ramsey were born here. However, most famous celebrity may be Sean Connery.

Unfortunately, the system that offers housing and benefits to newly arrived immigrants here is chaotic and poorly organized, and if you want to live here, you should prepare for a long process of integration.

When it comes to Scotland, kilts, bagpipes, indescribably beautiful landscapes and medieval castles. It is also famous for Loch Ness. We have collected some more interesting facts about Scotland that may surprise you.

10. The oldest tree in Europe grows here - twisted yew, which stood in Fortingall (Fortingall) for 3000 years. According to local legend, Pontius Pilate was born and played in his childhood in its shadow.

9. Most a large number of people with the "red gene" live in the south-east of Scotland - there they number about 40 percent of the entire earth's population.

8. Under the streets of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, is a series of underground chambers, which today is called the Edinburgh Vault. Oddly enough, these cellars were not a city before the construction of the current streets or secret tunnels for transporting prohibited goods.

7. Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, has a bad reputation - it is called almost the capital of crime and murder. According to studies, there are more violent incidents per capita in Glasgow than in Rio de Janeiro or New York. But, unlike New York, weapons are rarely used in the Scottish city, more often fists and knives are used. Crime rates have dropped significantly over the past 10 years, but life in Glasgow is still marred by religious violence, high levels of poverty and fierce sporting rivalry.

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6. Edinburgh was the first city in the world to have its own fire department.

5. The Vikings warned their allies not to mess with the Scots and stay away from those places. A Scandinavian travel guide from the 1200s depicts Scotland as a dangerous and dark place - the language is impossible to understand, and the people are cruel and terrifying. Due to unpredictable weather conditions and strong stormy winds, the Vikings were also wary of the seas surrounding Scotland. They did not plunder the local population to the same extent as the inhabitants of less protected villages, because the Scots were not going to give up their goods without a fight.

4. The official animal of Scotland is the unicorn. And this can be believed, knowing the special love of the Scots for legends and myths. Unicorns were held in high esteem by the Celts, their symbolism was interpreted in much the same way as today: grace, purity, healing and happiness.

3. Scotland is considered the birthplace of golf, which was invented in the 15th century. The game gained enormous popularity almost immediately, and the then King James II was forced to outlaw it, because, in his opinion, it interfered with the preparations for war.

2. Scotland is sovereign state in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Although it is part of the constitutional monarchy in the UK, the country enjoys a great deal of independence.

Today in Scotland there is a referendum in which the inhabitants of this country decide whether to remain part of the united kingdom or not.
So what is Scotland? For those who are interested, read this post.

1. Unicorn - an animal that is depicted on the coat of arms of Scotland.

2. The shortest scheduled flights in the world are in Scotland. The flight is a mile and a half from Westray to Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands. The journey lasts 1 minute 14 seconds.

3. Scotland has approximately 790 islands, 130 of which are uninhabited.

4. Skara Brae - Neolithic settlement located on Bray Island, Orkney, is the oldest building in the UK, which dates back to 3100 BC. e.

5. Hamilton's Mausoleum in South Lanarkshire has the longest echo in the world - it lasts 15 seconds.

6. Scotland has over 600 sq. miles of freshwater lakes, including the most famous Loch Ness.

7. The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, is the second largest city after Glasgow.

8. Edinburgh became the first city in the world to have its own fire brigade.

9. Like Rome, Edinburgh was built on seven hills. The city has the largest number of architectural monuments than anywhere else in the world.

10. Until 1603, Scotland had its own monarch. After Elizabeth I died, James VI of Scotland also took over both Scotland and England, as a result he also became James I of England.

Balmoral Castle, where the royal family loves to relax.

11. The city of St. Andrews is considered the "birthplace of golf". It has been played here since the 15th century.

12. It is believed that Queen Victoria smoked cigarettes during her visit to the Scottish Highlands to ward off midges.

13. Edinburgh was the birthplace of Skye Terrier Bobby Greyfires, who won the hearts of everyone who knows his story.

After the death of the owner, Bobby every day for 14 years went to the cafe where he used to be with the owner, received a bun and returned to the owner's grave in the cemetery. There he met his death and was buried. In Edinburgh there is a fountain with a skye terrier sculpture. The monument was erected in 1872 after the death of Bobby, who earned a reputation as the most faithful dog in the world.

14. Scotland is currently second largest country Great Britain after England.

16. The motto of Scotland is “Nemo me impune lacessit”, or “No one touches me with impunity”. It is used by the Order of the Thistle and also in later versions of the royal coat of arms.

17. Scotland is my favorite country royal family who likes to relax at Balmoral Castle on the banks of the River Dee.

18. In the northeast of the country, girls are called quines, and boys are called louns.

19. The first recorded appearance of the Loch Ness monster was in 565 AD, when the monster attacked one of the followers of St. Columba.

Saint Columba - Irish holy monk, preacher of Christianity in Scotland. Saint Columba is considered one of the twelve apostles of Ireland. In 563, St. Columba founded the first monastery in what is now Scotland and was the abbot there.

20. The Scottish city of Aberdeen is known as the oil capital of Europe, as well as the Granite City.

The Fortingall yew is the oldest tree in Europe.

21. The deepest lake in Scotland, Loch Morar, reaches a depth of 328 meters and is considered the seventh deepest lake in the world.

22. Scotland's smallest distillery, Edradur in Pitlochry, has 100,000 visitors a year but produces only 90,000 liters of malt whisky.

23. Scotland is the birthplace of the oldest tree in Europe, the Forthingale yew, which is approximately 3 thousand years old. According to local legend, Pontius Pilate was born in the shade of this yew tree and played there when he was little.

24. The raincoat was invented in 1824 in Scotland. It was invented by Charles Mackintosh, a chemist from Glasgow. In the UK, the raincoat is still called "Mac".

25. The state religion of Scotland is Christianity.

26. Scotland gained independence in 1314 when Robert the Bruce defeated an English army at the Battle of Bannockburn.

27. The Kingdom of Scotland remained independent until May 1, 1707, when Scotland joined England by Act of Union, forming single state- United Kingdom of Great Britain.

29. The territory of the country occupies 78,772 km².

30. The population of the country is about 5.2 million, which is approximately 8.5% of total population Great Britain.
31. Population density - 65.9 people / km².

32. In North America There are about the same number of Scots as there are in Scotland itself, while, according to the US and Canadian censuses, about 5 million people claim to have Scottish roots.

33. Scotland has its own judicial system, distinct from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Juries can return guilty, not guilty, and not proven guilty verdicts.

34. The Bank of Scotland, founded in 1695, is the oldest existing bank in the UK. It was also the first bank in Europe to start issuing its own banknotes.

35. Notable Scottish inventors include John Logie Baird, who invented television in 1925, Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone in 1876, and Alexander Fleming, who invented penicillin in 1928.

36. The first university hospital in America, the Baltimore Infirmary, was founded by Glasgow surgeon Granville Sharp Pattison in 1816.

37. Scotland has three official languages: English, Scottish and Gaelic, which is spoken by only 1% of the population.

38. There are 19 universities and institutes in Scotland, including the University of St. Andrews, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, met.

39. The area of ​​Scotland is approximately equal to the area of ​​the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates, Panama, the state of Maine in the USA or the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

40. The first two prime ministers of Canada, John Macdonald (1815-1891) and Alexander Mackenzie (1822-1892) were Scottish.
41. One of the most famous products produced in Scotland - whiskey - was invented in China. First it was distilled by monks in Ireland at the beginning of the 15th century, and only 100 years later whiskey came to Scotland.

42. The most infamous dish in Scotland is haggis. It is prepared from lamb giblets - liver, heart and lungs, cooked in a lamb stomach. It is not known where it originated, but a similar dish was mentioned in Greece 2,500 years ago.

43. Scotland is the birthplace of many great thinkers including Adam Smith, James Watt, David Hume and John Stuart Mill.

44. Famous Scottish inventions include logarithms (1614), asphalt (1820) and the pneumatic tire (1887).

45. Many famous Scottish inventions - kilts, tartan (checkered pattern) and bagpipes - were not invented in Scotland. Kilts originated in Ireland, checkered ornaments were discovered in Central Europe bronze age, and bagpipes came from Central Asia.

46. ​​Famous representatives of literature - Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

47. The flag of Scotland is an image of the St. Andrew's Cross.

48. Thistle is a symbol of Scotland.

49. Scotland has the most redheads in the world. About 13% of the Scottish population are redheads, and 40% of the population are carriers of the recessive gene.

50. First official international Soccer game was played in 1872 in the West of Scotland between England and Scotland.

(from Kurylenko)
Scotland is a country in the north of Great Britain. It is a part of the United Kingdom. Scotland is divided into three natural regions: the Southern Uplands, the Central Lowlands and the Highlands and islands. A lot of places in Scotland are a natural paradise, still untouched by man.
The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, well known for its castle. Glasgow is the industrial capital of Scotland. It is the third largest city in Great Britain. The typical products of Scotland are timber, whiskey, salmon. Golf is the Scottish natural sport and it seems to have originated in this country.
Scotland is also the land of myths and mysteries; every castle has its ghost. Glamis Castle is said to have nine of them. And of course everyone knows about the Loch Ness, Monster. "Nessie" is said to be about six meters long, with a long, thin neck. The first report of the monster in Loch Ness was in 565 A.D. Since 1934 thousands of people claimed to they had seen the monster. Scientists have investigated the Loch and taken pictures but no scientific explanation of the mystery has been given.

Questions:
1. Where is Scotland located?
2. How many regions are there in Scotland?
3. What is the capital of Scotland?
4. What is the industrial capital of Scotland?
5. What are typical products of Scotland?
6. What are Scottish castles famous for?
7. What is Loch Ness Monster?
Vocabulary:
paradise - paradise untouched - untouched castle - castle whiskey - whiskey myth - myth
ghost - ghost, ghost to claime - claim mystery - mystery

Translation
Scotland
Scotland is a country in the north of Great Britain. This is part of the United Kingdom. Scotland is divided into three regions: the Southern Highlands, the Central Lowlands and Highlands, and the Islands. Many places in Scotland are a true paradise, untouched by man.
The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, famous for its castles. Glasgow is the industrial capital of Scotland. It is the third largest city in the UK. Typical products made in Scotland are timber, whiskey, salmon fish. Golf is the Scottish national game and it originated in this country.
Scotland is also a country of myths and mysteries; every castle has its own ghost. They say there are nine at Glamis Castle. And, of course, everyone knows about the Loch Ness monster. They say "Nessie" is about six meters long and has a long thin neck. The first information about the monster dates back to the year 565. Since 1934, thousands of people began to claim that they saw a monster. Scientists have explored the lake and taken photographs, but no scientific explanation has been found for this mystery.

Today Scotland is considered to be one of the most beautiful mountainous countries in the world. It is one of the four parts of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders only with England. Its capital and cultural center is Edinburgh.

The head of Scotland

The head of Scotland is the English monarch – Queen Elizabeth II. It has been in political union with England since the beginning of the 18 th century.

The official flag of the country consists of a white cross on a blue background and is known as St. Andrew's Cross.

Scottish towns

They say that Scottish towns differ from the English ones. Their distinct features are cobblestone streets, medieval style houses, green parks and plenty of historic architecture. The financial and industrial center of the country is Glasgow.Other major cities include Perth, Aberdeen, Livingstone and Dundee.

cultural heritage

Scotland is well-known for its Loch Ness monster, delicious haggis and traditional festivals.

Perhaps, everyone in the world has heard of the famous writer and poet Robert Burns. He was the first person to write songs about the Scottish Highlands and their breathtaking views. It is significant that the highest mountain of the British Isles, Ben Nevis, is also situated in Scotland.

public holidays

Scottish people like all kinds of celebrations. Their most favorite public holidays are Christmas and New Year. On the last day of the year they celebrate Hogmanay. It used to be a pagan holiday to welcome the winter solstice.

There are many special customs and rituals for this holiday, among them fireball swinging, street carnivals, singing and dancing, storytelling and eating tasty goodies.

Popular with tourists

Every year thousands of tourists visit Scotland to see its sights and to participate in local festivals. It's a suitable country for students as well. Those who study English, often participate in international exchange programs to learn more about the local peculiarities.

One of the most beautiful countries

Today, Scotland is considered one of the most beautiful mountainous countries in the world. It is one of the four parts of the United Kingdom. Scotland shares land borders only with England. Its capital and cultural center is Edinburgh.

Head of Scotland

The head of Scotland is the English monarch, that is, Queen Elizabeth II. The political union with England was established at the beginning of the 18th century.

The official flag of the country is represented by a white cross on a blue background and is known as the St. Andrew's Cross.

Scottish cities

It is said that Scottish cities are different from English ones. To their distinctive features include cobbled streets, medieval-style houses, green parks and an abundance of historic architecture. The financial and industrial center of the country is Glasgow. Other major cities are Perth, Aberdeen, Livingston and Dundee.

Cultural heritage

Scotland is famous for its Loch Ness monster, delicious haggis (the national dish of lamb giblets) and traditional holidays.

Perhaps every person in the world has heard of the famous writer and poet Robert Burns. He was the first to write songs about the Scottish Highlands and their stunning views. It is important to note that the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis, is located in Scotland.

Holidays

The Scots love to celebrate. Their favorite holidays are Christmas and New Year. On the last day of the year, they celebrate Christmas Eve. It used to be a pagan holiday in honor of the winter solstice.

This holiday is characterized by many special customs and rituals, such as fire shows (entertainment with fire), street carnivals, songs and dances, stories and delicious treats.

Popular destination for tourists

Every year, thousands of tourists visit Scotland to see its sights and take part in local festivals. This country is great for students. Those who study English often take part in international exchange programs to get to know the local features better.