Scotland is a very small country. It is 274 miles (441 kilometers) long. The coastline is so jagged that it adds up to 2000 miles (3218 kilometers). At its widest point it is 154 miles (248 kilometers). At its narrowest it is only 25 miles (40 kilometers). Because of Scotlands narrowness and its deep inlets, it is never possible to get far away from the sea.

Scotland, one of the four na tional units that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Scotland occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is bounded by England in the south and on the other three sides by water: by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and north and by the North Sea on the east.

Scotland is divided into three physical regions the Highlands; the Central Lowlands, containing two-thirds of the population; and the Southern Uplands.

Largest Loch Loch Lomond 56 sq km

Thorny flower is a national emblem.

Glencoe is one of Scotland's most historic and scenic places. The ruggedness of the mountains, with spectacular spires, cliffs and gullies is inspiring.

Loch Ness Lake

Loch Ness is located in the North of Scotland. The lake is over 750 feet deep and 23 miles long. Many years it has been supposed that there is a large dinosaur-like "monster" resident in Loch Ness.

The Loch Ness Monster For many years it has been supposed that there is a large dinosaur-like "monster" resident in Loch Ness. The evidence for its existence are a series of sightings of a plesiosaur-like dinosaur throughout the last 100 years. The case has occasionally been supported by indistinct photographic evidence. However, several scientific studies have been conducted, including thorough sonar surveys of the loch, and these have not revealed any presence of such a "monster". Many people believe that the size (21 square miles) and great depth of the loch (almost 800 feet), together with potential underwater caves, gives the monster many places to hide.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, and Glasgow is its largest city.

is the seat of the Scottish parliament and government, the largest city by area and the second largest by population in the country.

Edinburgh Castle has fascinating history spanning 3000 years and was the residence of many Scottish Kings and Queens. The ancient Honours of Scotland - the Crown, the Sceptre and the Sword of State – are on view in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is also the home of the One O'Clock Gun.

The languages of Scotland are the languages spoken or once spoken in Scotland. The numerous languages spoken in Scotland during its recorded linguistic history fall into either the Germanic or Celtic language families. Today, the primary languages spoken in Scotland are English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic. The dialect of English spoken in Scotland is referred to as Scottish English.

As the UK is de jure a unitary state, the Parliament of the United Kingdom, located at Westminster, London is sovereign over the whole state. However since the late 1990s, a system of devolution has emerged in the UK, whereby Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have each been granted some measure of self-government whilst remaining within the UK.

Some elements of Scottish culture, such as its separate national church, are protected in law, as agreed in the Treaty of Union and other instruments. Scottish culture, like that of many Northern European nations (for example Ireland and England), has been described as a pub culture or drinking culture: the consumption of alcohol is a deep-rooted tradition - along with pride of working class heritage, which is common in all of Britain.

Banking in Scotland also features unique characteristics. Although the Bank of England remains the central bank for the UK Government, three Scottish corporate banks still issue their own banknotes: the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank.

Scotland competes in sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup. Scotland cannot compete in the Olympic Games independently however, and in athletics, Scotland has competed for the Celtic Cup, against teams from Wales and Ireland, since the inaugural event in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales, first proposed by Lawrie Sanchez (the then Northern Ireland coach) in 2006, is to begin in 2011.

Scotland retains its own national church, separate from that of England. See Church of Scotland and Religion in the United Kingdom. There is also a large minority of Roman Catholics, around 20–25% of the population. The patron saint of Scotland is Saint Andrew, and Saint Andrew's Day is celebrated in Scotland on 30 November. Saint (Queen) Margaret, Saint Columba and Saint Ninian have also historically enjoyed great popularity.

As one of the Celtic nations, Scotland is represented at interceltic events at home and around the world. Scotland is host to two interceltic music festivals – the Scottish Arts Council funded Celtic Connections, Glasgow, and the Hebridean Celtic Festival, Stornoway – that were founded in the mid 1990s. Scottish culture is also represented at interceltic festivals of music and culture worldwide. Among the most well known are Festival Interceltique de Lorient – held annually in Brittany since 1971 – the Pan Celtic Festival, Ireland, and the National Celtic Festival, Portarlington, Australia.

Although the deep-fried Mars bar is jokingly said to exemplify the modern Scottish diet, Scottish cuisine offers traditional dishes such as fish and chips, haggis, the Arbroath Smokie, salmon, venison, cranachan, the bannock, Scotch broth, and shortbread.

Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music. In spite of emigration and a well-developed connection to music imported from the rest of Europe and the United States, the music of Scotland has kept many of its traditional aspects; indeed, it has itself influenced many forms of music.