The interesting facts about Scotland

Scotland – one of the most autonomous parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There is the church, the parliament and legal system. You will find more facts about Scotland in our article.

The interesting facts about Scotland

1. As it is not strange, an official symbol of Scotland is the mythical animal under the name Unicorn. It symbolizes spiritual purity and great wisdom.
2. The special regular flight between islands of Westray and Papa Westray acts on the territory of the country. Its length makes only 2.4 kilometers. Average flight lasts 74 seconds! According to official data, it is the shortest in the world.
3. In Scotland there is the well-known fresh-water lake Loch Ness. It found world popularity thanks to a legend of a monster by the name of Nessie which lives in lake waters. Today here conduct special paid tours by means of which people can learn this legend in more detail and, perhaps, to see Nessie.

Locks

4. For the first time started talking about Nessie in 565 when something in waters of the lake Loch Ness tried to drown Saint Columbus’s companion.
5. The greatest concentration of red-haired people is in the world in the territory of Scotland. It is interesting to know that 14% of the population have red hair, and about 40% have this gene.
6. The first football match at the international level was played between Scotland and England in 1872.
7. The Scottish city of Aberdeen is called “the oil capital of Europe”.
8. One of the most popular sights of Scotland is the plant on production of Edradour in Pitlochry whisky. Annually it attracts more than 100 thousand tourists from around the world.
9. The first-ever service of fire safety was created in the city of Edinburgh (the capital of Scotland).
10. Gore Bin Nevis is the highest point of Scotland (more than 1343 meters).
11. The country occupies the space in 78 772 sq.km.
12. Such literary geniuses of the past as Walter Scott, Arthur Conan Doyle and Byron were Scots.
13. A national flower of Scotland is the thistle.

Decline over Scotland

14. The population makes nearly 5.3 million people. It is interesting to know that in the territory of the USA and Canada almost same number of Scots lives.
15. The oldest bank of Great Britain is the Bank of Scotland. It functions since 1695 and was the Europe’s first establishment which prints the banknotes.

16. The most famous inventions of Scots: television (inventor John Logi Byrd, 1925), phone (Alexander Bell, 1876) and penicillin (Alexander Fleming, 1928).
17. Official languages: Scottish and English which are masterfully used by all population and the Scottish Gaelic – on which tell only 1% of the population.
18. In all territory of Scotland there are 19 institutes and universities.
19. The majority of things with which we associate Scotland actually appeared not here. For example, the kilt is thought up in Ireland, delay originates in Central Asia, and tartare sauce was known to Europe from the Bronze age.
20. Scotland occupies the space, commensurable the areas of the United Arab Emirates, to the Japanese island of Hokkaido, Czech Republic or Panama.
21. The first prime ministers of Canada McDonald and Mackenzie were Scots.
22. It appears, the Scottish drink of whisky was invented in China! In the 15th century it appeared in Ireland and only in XVI learned about it in Scotland.
23. The motto “Nemo me impune lacessit” of Scotland is translated from Latin as “Nobody will touch me with impunity”. Presently it is used on the official coat of arms of Great Britain in Scotland.

Nature of Scotland

24. The most ancient tree of Europe is the yew. Its history lasts for 3000 years. Here even legends go that in shadows of a yew the Roman governor Pontius Pilate was born and grew up.
25. The raincoat a raincoat was thought up in Scotland in 1824 the famous inventor Charles Macintosh. Presently Scots call a raincoat just “IAC”.
26. Under Robert Bruce’s leadership in 1314 the Scottish army crushed English and for the first time gained independence. It lasted till 1707 when the uniform United Kingdom under the name Great Britain was formed.
27. In the territory of the country there are about 750 islands (more than 130 are uninhabited).