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SCOTLAND
Although Scotland forms a part of the United Kingdom, it has a distinct character of its own. In area it is
more than half as big as England. Its population is, however, only one-eighth as great — about 5 200 000.
Scotland is a land of romance and it has had a most eventful history. The Picts and Celts lived there
before the coming of the Romans to Britain. Those Northern tribes worried the Romans so much that the
Great Wall was built to protect the Roman camps in the Northern part of England.
It was in the 11th century that the Normans began to settle in Scotland. Almost all of Scotland's history
is accociated with and reflected in many castles and forts that are to be seen all over the country. They are
very picturesque, having retained their medieval features: stern, proud, impressive, perched high on a rock
or at a hillside. Mary, Queen of Scots, the beautiful Mary Stuart was married in one of them, her son James
(who was to become James I of England) was born in another.
And now some words about the Highlands. For centuries the Highlands were a strange land, where the
king's law common to all the rest of the country, wasn't even known, where wild people spoke a language no
one could understand. Long after the rest of Britain adopted modern ways they kept to the old life.
In 1603 King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England too, and from then onwards the
countries were under the same monarch, though the Act of Union was not passed until 1707. This Act
incorporated Scotland with England in the United Kingdom, but the Scots kept their own legal system,
religion and administration, centred in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh – the capital of Scotland has always been admired as one of the most beautiful cities.
Glasgow – its second city – always had a bad reputation. It was too often seen as a dirty, run-down urban
area. But no longer. The buildings have been cleaned up, the streets are tidy and the people now take an
obvious pride in their city. Glasgow was chosen to be the cultural capital of Europe 1890.
Not far from Glasgow there is one of the most famous of Scotland's many lakes (called «lochs»), Loch
Lomond. Scottish numerous valleys are known as «glens». Scotland is a country with an intense and living
national tradition of a kind only too rare in the modern world. It has its distinctive national dress, the kilt,
worn only by men. It also has its own typical musical instruments (the pipes, sometimes called «the
bagpipes»), its own national form of dancing, its own songs, language, traditions and education. Scotland
has even its own national drink, a fact so widely known that one need only ask for «Scotch».
Notes
The Picts and Celts – пикты и кельты (племена)
tribe — племя
camp — лагерь
to pass the Act — принять Акт/Закон (в парламенте)
Task 1. Comprehension Check. Complete the sentences.
1. Scotland forms...
a) a part of England;
b) a part of the United States;
c) a part of the United Kingdom.
2. The Northern tribes...
a) began to settle in Scotland in the 11th century;
b) lived in Scotland before the coming of the Romans;
c) came to Scotland together with the Normans.
3. Mary Stuart...
a) was a Queen of the United Kingdom;
b) was the Queen of Scots;
c) was not a queen.
4. The kilt...
a) is a musical instrument;
b) is a form of national dancing;
c) is a type of national dress.
Task 2. Mark the sentences with T (true), F (false), NS (not stated).
1. Scotland forms a part of the United States.
2. It was in the 18th century that the Normans began to settle in Scotland.
3. Almost all of Scotland's history is accociated with and reflected in many castles and forts that are to
be seen all over the country.
4. Scotland is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, by the North Sea to
the northeast and by the Irish Sea to the south.
5. Glasgow – the capital of Scotland has always been admired as one of the most beautiful cities.
6. Scottish numerous valleys are known as «glens».
Task 3. Answer to the questions.
1. What do they call Scottish valleys and lakes?
2. What is the population of Scotland?
3. Why was the Great Wall built?
4. What language was in the Highlands?
5. What is the capital of Scotland?
6. What's the country's second city?
7. What is the cultural capital of Europe 1890?
8. What national traditions are in Scotland?