An Overview of Scotland
Scotland occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
As well as mainland Scotland, there are many Islands and groups of Islands, including Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides.
It can be broadly divided into the mountainous Highlands to the north, the low-lying Central Belt and the hilly Southern Uplands. The Central Belt, which included Scotland's three largest cities, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Stirling, is the most heavily populated area.
General Information about Scotland
Capital: Edinburgh
Official language: English
Population: 5 million
Currency: Pound Sterling
Calling code: +44
Climate
Generally, Scotland is more cloudy, rainier and less sunny than England with cold winters, especially in the Highlands, and variable though often quite warm weather in Summer.
On the upside, because of its northerly latitude, summer days are very long, in fact on the longest day of the year there is no complete darkness in the north of Scotland. Conversely, winter days are particularly short - leaving plenty of time to snuggle up in front of log fires with a warming glass of Scotch!
Religion
The Presbyterian Church of Scotland is the main religion but there are communities of many religions in Scotland, including Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews and Hindus.