For those of you who don't already know, Scotland is one of four constituent nations which form the United Kingdom (the other three are England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Scotland forms the northern part of the island of Great Britain, and is 31,510 sq. miles in area; it is 274 miles long from North to South and varies in breadth between 24 and 154 miles. The population of Scotland is around 5 million, and makes up abour 9% of the U.K.'s entire population.

The official language is English, although Gaelic is spoken, primarily in the North and West of Scotland. The Scots language (which has many similarities to English, but also draws on French and Gaelic) is also spoken. Whereas Gaelic is the language of the Highlands & Islands, Scots is the language of the Lowlands. Scotland gets it's name from the Scots, or Scotti who first arrived in Argyll in the late 3rd to mid 4th centuries AD, an just to confuse you, the Scots spoke Irish, not Scots! Check out these links to find out more about Scotlands history, or take a look at some famous Scots.

Scotland is a country which has some of the worlds most dramatic scenery, and has many mountains and lochs, the most famous one of which is Loch Ness (the one with the monster!!!) The climate of Scotland is cool temperate - so if you are planning a visit, make sure it's in summer, between May and September. Click here to find out about Scotlands favourite attractions.

Most important of all, find out the best pubs to visit in Scotland, and if you're gonna feel like singing, best start memorising the words to Flower of Scotland, so you can impress the other punters!

If you are interested in tracing your Scottish kin, check out the site scottish-genealogy.co.uk,you never know, you might find some rellies to impose upon!