Tidbits About Scotland…..
Want to visit the land of your heritage? Just love Scotland? Here are some
tidbits you might enjoy.
Scottish History
The Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae is the oldest in Britain. It’s the oldest building, located on Orkney Island dates to 3100 BC. Orkney is one of about 790 islands in Scotland located to the far north of the country.
Roman invasions marked the beginning of modern history. Unable to defeat the locals, they finally withdrew and settled for building the Antoine wall to keep them in out of England.
The Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata was founded in the 6th Century. In the next century, an Irish missionary founded a monastery and introduced Celtic Christianity to the pagan Scoti and Picts.
Places to visit in Scotland
Like tall places? Visit Ben Nevis, the highest point at 4406 feet. The ancient Scottish mountains have been glacially sculpted. You’ll feel like you are in an alien landscape, majestic and stark.
Prefer fishing? You’ll find more than 600 square miles of freshwater lakes. The deepest is Loch Morar at 1077 feet. Legends still exist of giant sea monsters lurking in the deep lochs.
Don’t miss the distilleries making Scottish whisky. Whisky is synonymous with Scotland. It’s who they are. Currently, there are 98 active distilleries. They employ over 10,000 people and account for 85% of the Scottish food and beverage exports.
Did you know? Scotland didn’t invent whisky. It was invented in China. The Irish monks started distilling it in the 1400s and it reached Scotland about 100 years later.
Scotland is home to the oldest tree in Europe. You can discover the twisted yew in Fortingall where it has grown for 3000 years.
Over 2000 castles were built in Scotland. Many now are only historical documents or ruins. Others remain in private ownership. Historic Scotland cares for over 300 properties including 65 castles. These are open to the public. Be sure to take a raincoat or umbrella as it rains frequently in Scotland.
Be sure to take a raincoat or umbrella when touring here as it rains frequently.
Where to live
Most of Scotland’s 5.2 million people live in the lower 30% of the country. They account for 8.5% of the total UK population.
What’s in the upper 70%? Glacially sculpted mountains and valleys, hardy farmers, lots of heather and sheep.
Did you know?
Keep meeting Americans with Scottish ancestry? Not surprising. There are as many Scottish people in America as in Scotland with about 5 million claiming Scottish ancestry.
You’ll hear not one but three official languages spoken. English, Scottish and Scottish Gaelic.
Kilts, tartans, and bagpipes are an integral part of Scottish culture. But history notes evidence of them in Central Europe dating to the Bronze Age. Bagpipes may have come from ancient central Asia.
