Scotland

Scotland occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain, surrounded by the North Sea to the East and the Atlantic Ocean to the North and West. Besides mainland Scotland, there are over 790 islands (99 of which are inhabited) divided into four main groups - Shetland, Orkney, The Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides.

Ruled by The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, whose powers are set out in the Scotland Act (1998), the government has limited powers of control, in a number of areas. The Scotland Act defines a number of "reserved areas" which are still the responsibility of the English (or British) Government, in London. Any matters that are not reserved are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament. This could soon change, as Scotland pushes for full independence from the UK government.

Socially, Scotland has a vibrant pub-scene and is often described as a "drinking culture" - we just love to socialise! We have over 5,000 pubs and about 5% of the workforce are employed in the beer industry - breweries, pubs, distillers, etc. 

If drinking isn't your thing, you'll definitely be interested in some of the best food in the world - it's not all deep-fried mars bars. In fact, Scotland has 14 Michelin Starred restaurants - and of course, many other fantastic eateries.

If food doesn't interest you, you're going to have to have a look at my Scotland Map (Registered users only - contact me for registration details) which details some of the best hidden sights and experiences of Scotland.