Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.

Covering the northern third of the island of

Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a 96 mile (154 km) border with England to the southeast and is
otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast and
the Irish Sea to the south. In addition, Scotland includes more than 790 islands, principally within the
Northern Isles and the Hebrides archipelagos.

Edinburgh (capital of Scotland)

The national symbols of Scotland are flags, icons or

cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative
or otherwise characteristic of Scotland or Scottish
culture. As a rule, these national symbols are cultural
icons that have emerged from Scottish folklore and
tradition, meaning few have any official status. However,
most if not all maintain recognition at a national or
international level, and some, such as the Royal Arms of Scotland, have been codified in heraldry, and
are established, official and recognised symbols of Scotland.

Scotland is a beautiful country with a lot of variety, which gives the average plenty of activities to
choose from. For one thing it is known as a bicycler’s paradise with many quiet country roads and
cycling paths that are perfect for this activity. Those traveling light can choose to cycle from town to
town and city to city as they discover many beautiful parts of Scotland that would otherwise not be
noticed. Hiking is another activity that is certainly very popular – especially in the more rugged parts of
the country where cycling is somewhat more difficult. Hiking enables a person to get closer to the
natural surrounds without startling creatures nearby and requires only a bit of fitness and a good pair of
shoes.

Did you know?

Hundreds of millions of years ago Scotland’s landmass was once completely separate from England and
Wales – it was actually joined to America and Greenland!

In the Harry Potter series, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is thought to be located in the
Highlands of Scotland.