Scotland

Scotland has a rich and varied history. The Picts were the first race known to inhabit Scotland, and despite their fierce reputation they were a highly civilised people for their times.

Scots, as we know them, came from Ireland, through Iona, bringing with them their Celtic culture and religion. The Scots fought with the Picts and battled with the Norsemen who were constantly invading Scotland's coasts, gaining success around the 9th century.

As the Normans ruled in England there was bickering amongst the Clansmen to find a King for Scotland. Edward the First of England intervened, choosing John Balliol for the Scots throne, but William Wallace rebelled and led the Scots to a victory at Stirling Bridge, earning Scotland it's freedom. Edward retreated and regrouped, defeating Wallace at the battle of Falkirk, which earned Edward the title of 'Hammer of the Scots.' Wallace's grisly execution eventually served to unite Scotland behind Robert the Bruce.

Bruce suffered several defeats against Edward, but eventually was inspired to return to battle, defeating Edward's son, Edward II, at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Bruce gathered the nobleman of Scotland to Arbroath in 1320, drafting a constitution - The Declaration of Arbroath. It proudly defined the Scots independent spirit: 'For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom. For that alone, which no honest man gives up but for life itself.'

The Act of Union in 1707 united the Kingdoms of Scotland and England, allowing the two countries to build closer ties. This, and the Stuart kings, fall from grace led to the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, and that of 1745 led by Charles Edward Stuart. Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat at Culloden in 1746 broke the Scots desire to continue fighting.

The Scottish Enlightenment was a time of cultural and educational development - David Hume's philosophy, Adam Smith's economics - and Robert Burns poetry. The education and legal systems developed, technology like James Watt's steam engine emerged and James Clerk Maxwell's work gave us the knowledge to harness electrical power.

Scotland became a major industrial power thanks to its resources of coal, water, wood and iron ore. Scotland's engineers and skilled workers gained a reputation as the best in the world - ships, trains, armaments, textiles, steel, engineering projects like the Forth Bridge, the canals and railways, and our water and sewer systems, and architectural innovations, like the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Scottish talent delivered colossal projects to the British Empire and beyond. Anesthetics, antiseptics and penicillin, tyres and tarmac, steamships and steel hulls, telephones, television and radar.

As the heavy engineering industries declined or relocated, Scotland has grown its future industries, in technology, service industries and education. Tourism is also recognised as a vital part of our economy, people from all over the world now travel to take in our history, our culture, our scenery and our famous golf courses.

Today, Scotland's battle for freedom has moved from the battlefield to the ballot box and a new Parliament now sits in Edinburgh.