Scotland produces 13% of Europe's semi-conductors, 30% of Europe's personal computers, 45% of Europe's workstations, and 50% of Europe's automated banking machines. (1996)

Scotland's financial sector employs over 280,000 people. (1997)

Scotland's life assurance companies have some £110 billion funds under their management. (1996)

Scotland contains 8.8% of the UK population and accounts for 1/3 of the land mass. (1995)

£2.2 billion is generated by the Scottish tourist industry.(1996)

The Scottish tourist industry employs over 180,000 people.(1998)

Scotland's land area is 30405 square miles.

The nearest railway station to the Shetlands is Bergen in Norway.

Shetland is closer to the Artic circle than to London.

Scotland has almost 800 Islands with 130 of them inhabited.

The Scottish "central belt" holds 80% of the population.

The value of Scottish livestock and related products is worth £1000 million. (1996)

Scotland has nearly 50% of total productive woodland and provides about 1/3 of all industrial wood in Great Britain. (1996) In 1997 this amounted to 4,260,00 cubic metres of wood produced. (1997)

The value of the fish landed in Scotland in 1991 was £264 million. (1991)

Scotland is the second highest producer of atlantic salmon. £70 million worth is exported. (1996)

Ninian oilfield produces 65,000 barrels of oil daily (1994)

July 1st 1999 - State opening of Scotland's first ever parliament since 1707 - and the first scottish parliament ever elected with a fair voting system.

Scottish agriculture industry includes: 2,079,000 cattle, 9,530,000 sheep and 14,725,000 poultry. (1997)

Scotland has 329 KM of motorways. (1997)

Scotland has 10,200 Km of coastline.

Scotland's population: 5.1 million (1997)

Education: 2,313 primary schools & 403 secondary schools. (1996/97)

In 1996/97 Scotland welcomed 2,100,000 overseas visitors.

1,238,000 million people visited Edinburgh Castle. (1997)