Scotland

Photo © Kenneth Barker

Scotland covers the northern third of the United Kingdom. It is divided into three geographic regions: the Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands. The majority of the 5.3 million residents live in the so-called Central Belt, which is the area between the capital city Edinburgh and the largest Scottish city Glasgow. Scotland is divided into 32 modern administration units, the so-called council areas, which, however, have to be separated from the traditional counties, the so-called burghs.

More than 790 islands belong to Scotland, which however are only partially populated.  The most important Scottish river is the Tweed. Next to Glasgow and Edinburgh the biggest Scottish cities are Aberdeen and Dundee. The capital of the Highlands is Inverness.

Scotland has great oil deposits in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.The Scottish whisky industry is also important. Among the breathtaking Scottish landscapes with their fjords, lakes, coastlines and mountains the whisky industry is one of the reasons, why numerous Germans spend their holidays in Scotland by now.

Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland all do have different school systems, which, it’s true, are akin, but whose contents and structures are determined by the local authorities.

Please learn more about the British education system under education and schooling.