MINISTERUL EDUCAŢIEI ȘI CERCETĂRII

INSPECTORATULUI ȘCOLAR AL JUDEȚULUI

PRAHOVA
Colegiul Economic „Virgil Madgearu” Ploiești

Calificarea:Tehnician în turism
Profil: Servicii
Domeniul: Turism

PROIECT
EXAMENUL DE CERTIFICARE A
CALIFICĂRII PROFESIONALE
NIVELUL 4

Îndrumător,
Profesor: Popescu Corina

Absolvent,
Ilie Maria Emilia
Clasa a XII-a T

MAI-IUNIE
2020

pg. 1
 Ministerul Educației Naționale
Inspectoratul școlar al ministerului Prahova
Colegiul Economic „Virgil Madgearu”, Municipiul Ploiești

History and Attractions of Scotland

Coordonator: Popescu Corina Elev: Ilie Maria Emilia

Clasa a XII-a T

Mai-Iunie 2020

Contents

pg. 2
ARGUMENT………..…………………………………………….…p. 4
Chapter 1: THE FORMATION OF SCOTLAND..........................p.5
Chapter 2: THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND...................................p.6
2.1. Early History.................................................................................................p.7
2.2. Middle Ages....................................................................................................p. 7
2.3. The Beginning of the Modern Era..................................................................p. 7
2.4. The 18th Century............................................................................................p.8
2.5. The 19th Century.............................................................................................p. 8
2.6. The Beginning of the 20h Century..................................................................p. 9
2.7. Post-War Situation......................................................................................p.9
Chapter 3: NATURAL ATTRACTIONS................................................p.10
3.1.Isle of Skye....................................................................................................p.10
3.2. Loch Ness.....................................................................................................10
Chapter 4: ANTHROPIC ATTRACTIONS..................................p.11
4.1. Eilean Donan Castel...................................................................................p.11
4.2. The Jacobite Steam Train............................................................................p. 12
4.3.Highlands......................................................................................................p.13
4.4.Edinburgh...................................................................................................p.14
CONCLUSIONS..................................................................................p.15
BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................p.16

ARGUMENT

pg. 3
 The beauty and the grandeur of this country inspired me to choose this topic.
I have found "Historical and Touristic Attractions of Scotland" an interesting topic of debate,
given that Scotland is full of history and mystery.
I am very passionate about the history of Scotland, which is closely linked to the attractions of
the country.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Scotland is definitely the mystery of
urban legends like the Loch Ness monster or the Hadrian wall. From the point of view of the
filmmaker, Scotland is the country of Sir Sean Connery, of Harry Potter and host of the series "Game
of Thrones ".
Writing this paper, I wanted to make some research work in the history of Scotland, starting
from its roots to what is nowadays. One of the reasons that inspired me to write about this country is
that I loved it thanks to the writers who put so much from their inner passion and from their soul into
their works, like Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson.
Temporary Scotch is a varied mix of cultures from all corners of the earth. However, there are a
few symbols that remain unmistakably Scottish. With tartan, kilt, Higland, national and Galician drink,
you can discover the history and legends behaind the most important Scottish symbols.
Geographically, Scotland is a British country and covers the northern third of the island of
Great Britain. Scotland has around 790 islands and 130 of them are inhabited.
Scotch people like to have people visiting their country.
This is why the tourism industry in Scotland is booming. In addition to the popular attractions
that most touris visit, there are also tons of souvenir shops and small businesses that cater to guests
from other countries.
I wanted to go deeper into this topic. I find it very interesting and appealing, representing a
challenge for me.
Scotland is a truly fascinating country that awaits its visitors warmly and hospitable.

CHAPTER 1
THE FORMATION OF SCOTLAND

pg. 4
 The recorded history of Scotland begins with the arrival of the Romans in the 1st century, when
the province of Britannia reached as far north as the Antonine Wall. North of this was Caledonia,
inhabited by the Picti, whose uprisings forced Rome's legions back to Hadrian's Wall. As Rome finally
withdrew from Britain, Gaelic raiders called the Scoti began colonising Western Scotland and Wales.
Prior to Roman times, prehistoric Scotland entered the Neolithic Era about 4000 BC, the Bronze Age
about 2000 BC and the Iron Age around 700 BC.
he Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata was founded on the west coast of Scotland in the 6th century.
In the following century, Irish missionaries introduced the previously pagan Picts to Celtic
Christianity. Following England's Gregorian mission, the Pictish king Nechtan chose to abolish most
Celtic practices in favour of the Roman rite, restricting Gaelic influence on his kingdom and avoiding
war with Anglian Northumbria.Towards the end of the 8th century, the Viking invasions began,
forcing the Picts and Gaels to cease their historic hostility to each other and to unite in the 9th century,
forming the Kingdom of Scotland.
The Kingdom of Scotland was united under the House of Alpin, whose members fought among
each other during frequent disputed successions. The last Alpin king, Malcolm II, died without issue in
the early 11th century and the kingdom passed through his daughter's son to the House of Dunkeld or
Canmore. The last Dunkeld king, Alexander III, died in 1286. He left only his infant granddaughter
Margaret, Maid of Norway as heir, who died herself four years later. England, under Edward I, would
take advantage of this questioned succession to launch a series of conquests, resulting in the Wars of
Scottish Independence, as Scotland passed back and forth between the House of Balliol and the House
of Bruce. Scotland's ultimate victory confirmed Scotland as a fully independent and sovereign
kingdom.
When King David II died without issue, his nephew Robert II established the House of Stuart,
which would rule Scotland uncontested for the next three centuries. James VI, Stuart king of Scotland,
also inherited the throne of England in 1603 and the Stuart kings and queens ruled both independent
kingdoms until the Acts of Union in 1707 merged the two kingdoms into a new state, the Kingdom of
Great Britain. Ruling until 1714, Queen Anne was the last Stuart monarch. Since 1714, the succession
of the British monarchs of the houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Windsor) has been due
to their descent from James VI and I of the House of Stuart.

CHAPTER 2
The History of Scotland

pg. 5
 The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages
and continued to exist until 1707. By inheritance, in 1603, James VI, King of Scotland, became King
of England and Ireland, thus forming a personal union of the three kingdoms. Later, Scotland entered
into a political union with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new United Kingdom
of Great Britain. (The Treaty of Union was agreed in 1706 and adopted by the Union Laws of 1707,
adopted by the Parliaments of the two kingdoms, despite opposition and anti-union riots in Edinburgh,
Glasgow, and elsewhere.) The Union also created the new UK Parliament, which replaced both the
Scottish Parliament and the Parliament of England. (In 1801, Britain itself entered into a political
union with the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;
Ireland's Parliament merged with that of the United Kingdom to form the United Kingdom Parliament.
Since the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, the United Kingdom has encompassed the United
Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
In Scotland, the monarchy of the United Kingdom continued to use a variety of styles, titles and
other royal symbols of the kingdom of statehood specific to the Kingdom of Scotland before the union.
The legal system in Scotland has also remained separate from that in England and Wales and from that
in Northern Ireland; Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in public and private law. The
continued existence of legal, educational, religious and other institutions, distinct from those of the rest
of the United Kingdom, all contributed to the continuation of Scottish national culture and identity
after the union with England in 1707.
Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, was the centre of the 18th-century
Scottish Enlightenment, which made Scotland one of Europe's commercial, intellectual and industrial
powers. Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, was once one of the most important industrial cities in
the world and is now at the heart of the Greater Glasgow conurbation. Other large urban areas are
Aberdeen and Dundee. The Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the
North Sea, which contains the largest oil reserves in the European Union. Because of this, Aberdeen,
Scotland's third largest city, is nicknamed the "oil capital of Europe".

Following a referendum in 1997, a Scottish Parliament was re-established - in the form of a

decentralised unicameral parliament - with 129 members, with authority over many areas of domestic
policy. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which supports Scottish independence, won an absolute
majority in the 2011 legislative elections and decided to hold an independence referendum on 18
September 2014.

2.1 Early History

pg. 6
 The word "Scotia" comes from late Latin and was originally used with reference to Ireland. In
the late eleventh century, the name of Scotland was used with reference to the Scottish territory north
of the Forth River, along with the names Albania or Albany, both derived from the term "white".
The glaciation that covered the entire land of Scotland destroyed any traces of human
habitation that could have existed before the time of Mezoliticus. It is believed the first post-glacal
groups of hunters-gatherers arrived in Scotland about 12,800 years ago, when the ice layer withdrew
after the last ice.
Groups of colonists built the first villages about 6000 years ago. Skara Brae Village has been
well preserved ever since.

2.2. Middle Ages

The Kingdom of the painters was the state that eventually became known as "Alba" or
"Scotland".
The kingdom in the paintings as presented at the beginning of the eighth century was largely
the same as the Kingdom of Scotland during the reign of Alexander I. However, until the tenth
century, the Pict kingdom was dominated by what can be identified as Gaelic culture.
From a territorial base in eastern Scotland, north of the Forth River and south of the Oykel
River, the kingdom conquered the northern and southern lands. By the 12th century, the kings of Alba
added to the territories and armed areas in the south-east and gained suzeranity over the territories of
Galloway. At the end of the 13th century, the kingdom had reached roughly its modern borders. The
result of this change was the reign of David I and then the Davidian Revolution. Feudalism, the
reorganization of the Government and the first legally recognized cities have their beginnings during
this period.
This period was the pinnacle of the Franco-Scottish Alliance.

2.3. The Beginning of the Modern Era

In 1502, Jacob IV of Scotland signed the Perpetual Peace treaty. A decade later, Jacob took the
fateful decision to invade England to support France. He was the last British monarch to die in battle at
the Battle of Flodden.
In the same year, 1560, John Knox fulfilled his goal of making Scotland a Protestant country
and the Scottish Parliament revoked papal authority in Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scotland, Catholic
and former Queen of France, was forced to abdicate in 1567.
Together with countries such as France, Norway, Sweden and Finland, Scotland went through a
famine in 1690. High mortality, low birth rate and emigration have reduced the population in some
parts of the country by 10 to 15%. On 22nd July 1706, the Treaty of the Union was agreed between
pg. 7
representatives of the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England and, in the following year,
the laws of the Union were adopted by both parliaments to create the United Kingdom of Great
Britain, starting from 1st May 1707.

2.4. The 18th Century

The Scottish Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution made Scotland an

intellectual, industrial and commercial centre -- so much so that Voltaire said, "In
Scotland we are looking for all our ideas of civilisation." After the disappearance
of Jacobitism and the acceptance of the Union, thousands of Scots, mainly
Lowlanders, held numerous positions of power in politics, public administration,
the military and navy, trade, economy, colonies, enterprises and other fields throughout the emerging
British Empire. Historian Neil Davidson observed that "after 1746, there was a whole new level of
Participation of Scots in political life, especially outside Scotland." Davidson also states that "far from
being "peripheral" in the British economy, Scotland - or, more specifically, the Netherlands - was at its
heart."

2.5. The 19th Century

The Scottish Reform Act of 1832 increased the number of Scottish MPs and extended
political rights over much of the middle class. From the middle of the century, voices calling for
Scottish autonomy began to grow and, as a result, the position of Secretary of State for Scotland was
re-established. Towards the end of the century, British prime ministers of Scottish origin included
William E. Gladstone and the Earl of Rosebery. Towards the end of the 19th century, the growing
importance of the working class was marked by Keir
Hardie's success in the Mid Laarkshire mid-
elections, 1888, which led to the founding of the
Scottish Labour Party, which was absorbed into the
Independent Labour Party in 1895, hardie being its first
leader.

2.6. The Beginning of the 20th Century

Scotland played a major role in the British effort in World War I. He contributed mainly to labour,
ships, machinery, fish and money. In a population of 4.8 million in 1911, Scotland sent more than half
a million people to war, more than a quarter of whom died in battle or disease and 150,000 were
seriously wounded.
The war brought about the emergence of a radical movement called "Red Clydeside ", led by trade
union militants. The shipbuilding industry expanded by a third and had created expectations for

pg. 8
 renewed prosperity, but instead, by 1922, the economy
was hit by a serious crisis, from which it did not fully
recover until 1939. The interwar period was marked by
economic stagnation in rural and urban areas and high
unemployment rates.
Military service abroad on behalf of the Empire has
lost its attractiveness to the ambitious young people
who were leaving Scotland for good. Heavy
dependence on outdated, mining and heavy industries
was a central problem and no one offered viable
solutions. Despair was reflected in what Finlay (1994) describes as a generalized despair that prepared
local business and political leaders to accept a new dogma of centralized economic planning that
emerged during World War II.
The Second World War brought prosperity again, despite the Luftwaffe bombing. He brought the
invention of radar by Robert Watson-Watt, an extremely valuable tool in the Battle of Britain, along
with Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding's presence at the helm of RAF Fighter Command.

2.7. Post-War Situation

After 1945, Scotland's economic situation gradually worsened due to external competition, industry
inefficiency and industrial disputes. Only in recent decades has the country enjoyed a cultural and
economic renaissance. Economic factors contributing to this recovery include a restored financial
services market, electronics and North Sea oil production and the natural gas industry. Margaret
Thatcher's government's introduction of the community charge system a year before the rest of the UK
in 1989 helped to increase the movement to regain Scottish control over domestic issues. Following a
referendum on decentralisation proposals in 1997, the Scotland Act of 1998 was adopted by the United
Kingdom Parliament to establish a devolved Scottish Parliament and a Scottish Government with
responsibility for most Laws specific to Scotland.

CHAPTER 3
NATURAL ATTRACTIONS

3.1. Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye, commonly known as Skye Gaelic, is the largest and northernmost of the major
islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous centre
dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic mountain
scenery in the country.

The island has been occupied since the Mesolithic period and its history includes a time of Norse
rule and a long period of domination by Clan MacLeod and Clan Donald. The 18th century Jacobite
risings led to the breaking up of the clan system and subsequent Clearances that replaced entire
communities with sheep farms, some of which also involved forced emigrations to distant lands.
Resident numbers declined from over 20,000 in the early 19th century to just under 9,000 by the
closing decade of the 20th century. Skye's population increased by 4 per cent between 1991 and 2001.
pg. 9
About a third of the residents were Gaelic speakers in 2001 and although their numbers are in decline,
this aspect of island culture remains important.

3.2. Loch Ness

Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately
37 kilometres (23 miles) southwest of Inverness. Its surface is 16 metres (52 feet) above sea level.
Loch Ness is best known for alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known
affectionately as "Nessie". It is connected at the southern end by the River Oich and a section of the
Caledonian Canal to Loch Oich. At the northern end there is the Bona Narrows which opens out into
Loch Dochfour, which feeds the River Ness and a further section of channel to Inverness, ultimately
leading to the North Sea via the Moray Firth. It is one of a series of interconnected,
murky bodies of water in Scotland; its water visibility is exceptionally low due to a
high peat content in the surrounding soil.

The Loch Ness Monster is an animal that, taxonomically speaking, is not

part of any family or species, but is said to live in Loch Ness Lake in
Scotland. The Loch Ness Monster is one of the most well-known
animals studied by cryptozoology. Evidence of the existence of this
animal is made up of few, but much disputed, photographs and sonar
recordings: no skeletons, traces, live specimens or tissues were discovered. Locals have named him
Nessie, a name used all over the world since the 1950s.

CHAPTER 4
ANTHROPIC ATTRACTIONS
4.1. Eilean Donan Castel

The name Eilean Donan or island of Donan is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint,
Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. There are several churches dedicated to Donan
in the area and it is likely that he formed a small cell or community on the island during the late 7th
century.

pg. 10
 The first fortified structure was not built on the island until the early 13th century as a defensive
measure, protecting the lands of Kintail against the Vikings who raided, settled and controlled much of
the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. From the mid 13th century, this
area was the quite seperate “Sea Kingdom” of the Lord of the Isles where the sea was the main
highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys or
“birlinns” at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position.
Over the centuries, the castle itself has expanded and contracted in size. The medieval castle was
probably the largest, with towers and a curtain wall that encompassed nearly the entire island. The
main keep stood on the island’s highest point. Around the end of the 14th century the area of the castle
was reduced to about a fifth of its original size and, although the reason is unclear, it probably relates
to the number of men required to defend the structure. By the 16th century a hornwork was added to
the east wall to offer a firing platform for the newly introduced cannons.
Eilean Donan also played a role in the Jacobite risings of the 17th and 18th centuries, which
ultimately culminated in the castle’s destruction…
In 1719 the castle was garrisoned by 46 Spanish soldiers who were supporting the Jacobites. They had
established a magazine of gunpowder and were awaiting the delivery of weapons and cannon from
Spain. The English Government caught wind of the intended uprising and sent three heavily armed
frigates The Flamborough, The Worcester and The Enterprise to quell matters. The bombardment of
the castle lasted three days, though met with limited success
due to the enormity of the castle walls, which in some places
are up to 14 feet thick. Finally, Captain Herdman of The
Enterprise sent his men ashore and over-whelmed the Spanish
defenders. Following the surrender, the government troops
discovered the magazine of 343 barrels of gunpowder which
was then used to blow up what had remained from the
bombardment…
For the best part of 200 years, the stark ruins of Eilean
Donan lay neglected, abandoned and open to the
elements, until Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the
island in 1911. Along with his Clerk of Works, Farquar
Macrae, he dedicated the next 20 years of his life to the
reconstruction of Eilean Donan, restoring her to her
former glory. The castle was rebuilt according to the
surviving ground plan of earlier phases and was formally completed in the July of 1932.

4.2. The Jacobite Steam Train

Described as the greatest railway journey in the world, this 84 mile round trip takes you past a list of
impressive extremes. Starting near the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, it visits Britain's most
westerly mainland railway station, Arisaig; passes close by the deepest freshwater loch in Britain,
Loch Morar and the shortest river in Britain, River Morar, finally arriving next to the deepest seawater
loch in Europe, Loch Nevis!

pg. 11
 The train stops en route to Mallaig at the village of Glenfinnan (see below). Beyond Glenfinnan are
the beautiful villages of Lochailort, Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig. You may stop at Arisaig by request to
the guard. From here, on a clear summer's day, you can see the "Small Isles" of Rum, Eigg, Muck,
Canna and the southern tip of Skye. The train continues on from here passing Morar and the silvery
beaches seen in the films "Highlander" and "Local Hero".

4.3. Highlands

The Highlands is a historic region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged
from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic
throughout most of the Lowlands. The term is also used for the area north and west of the Highland
Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east. The
Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the
southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The Scottish
Gaelic name of A' Ghàidhealtachd literally means "the
place of the Gaels" and traditionally, from a Gaelic-
speaking point of view, includes both the Western Isles
and the Highlands.
The area is very sparsely populated, with many
mountain ranges dominating the region and includes the
highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis. During
pg. 12
the 18th and early 19th centuries the population of the Highlands rose to around 300,000, but from c.
1841 and for the next 160 years, the natural increase in population was exceeded by emigration
(mostly to Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and migration to the industrial cities
of Scotland and England.) 414 and passim The area is now one of the most sparsely populated in
Europe. At 9.1/km2 (24/sq mi) in 2012,the population density in the Highlands and Islands is less than
one seventh of Scotland's as a whole, comparable with that of Bolivia, Chad and Russia.
The Highland Council is the administrative body for much of the Highlands, with its administrative
centre at Inverness.
However, the Highlands also
includes parts of the council areas of
Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll
and Bute, Moray, North
Ayrshire, Perth and Kinross, Stirling
and West Dunbartonshire.
The Scottish highlands is the only
area in the British Isles to have the
taiga biome as it features
concentrated populations of Scots
pine forest: see Caledonian Forest.

Between the 15th century and the

mid-20th century, the area differed from most of the Lowlands in terms of language. In Scottish
Gaelic, the region is known as the Gàidhealtachd, because it was traditionally the Gaelic-speaking part
of Scotland, although the language is now largely confined to The Hebrides. The terms are sometimes
used interchangeably but have different meanings in their respective languages. Scottish English (in its
Highland form) is the predominant language of the area today, though Highland English has been
influenced by Gaelic speech to a significant extent. Historically, the "Highland line" distinguished the
two Scottish cultures. While the Highland line broadly followed the geography of the Grampians in the
south, it continued in the north, cutting off the north-eastern areas, that is Eastern Caithness, Orkney
and Shetland, from the more Gaelic Highlands and Hebrides.

4.4. Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a city on the east coast of Scotland, and its capital since 1437. It is one of the 32
subdivisions of Scotland. The seat of the Scottish Parliament is home to the city, which was restored in
1999. It has 447,500 inhabitants. The city is also famous for the Edinburgh Festival, which groups
several sections.
The city of Edinburgh was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995.

pg. 13
 The oldest building structures in the city are the four massive pilasters of St. Egidium Cathedral,
dated in the first half of the 12th century.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, Scotland is a beautiful country, combining contemporary modern cities with an idyllic
countryside, historic cityscapes and a rich natural habitat. It is a country that prides itself on adventure,
history, culture and entertainment in one fascinating place.
The landscapes, food, drink, people and mystical energy of this country will create a festival for all
your senses.
Whether you live and study in a small town or bustling capital, you will appreciate both Scotland's
distinctive personalities: modern and vibrant social and cultural life, and the truly amazing historical
and traditional character.
Scotland is an amazing country worth visiting and fully exploring. Everything here fascinates you,
from the smallest to the most imposing thing. If I had to choose a country to visit in the future, this
would be the one.

pg. 14
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

● www.bing.com

● www.visitscotland.com

● Ioan-Florin Florescu, ’’Jurnal Scotian”

● www.wikipedia.org

● www.lochness.com

● www.referate.ro

● www.descoperaistoria.ro

● www.seniorvoyage.eu

● www.dfds.com

● www.tion.ro

pg. 15