Scot·land
a country in the United Kingdom, north of England. Population: 5,062,011 (2001). Capital: Edinburgh. Scotland was an independent country until the Scottish and English parliaments were united by the 'Act of Union' in 1707, and it still has a different legal system and a different education system from the rest of the UK. Since 1999, Scotland has had its own parliament, although it is part of the UK. Scottish Gaelic is still spoken by some people in the northwest of the country and in the islands off the west coast. Scotland is famous for its beautiful countryside and its many
lochs (=lakes) , islands, and mountains. The national
symbol of Scotland is the
thistle, and its
patron saint is Saint Andrew. People from Scotland are called
Scots.