| Geography |
Berwick on Tweed, an English town, changed
ownership between Scotland and England more than a dozen times
since the 12th Century. |
| Geography |
The border between Scotland and England has been defended
furiously for many Centuries, yet it is only 110 miles (180
kilometers) long. |
| Geography |
Scotland is approx 275 miles (440km) long. 25 miles (40km)
wide at it's narrowest between the River Clyde and River
Forth. 155 miles (250km) wide between it's furthest points. |
| Geography |
Scotland land mass is 30,028 sq miles which equates to 31%
of United Kingdom but population is less than 9% of UK total. |
| Geography |
Scottish territorial coastline adds up to 6189 miles in
length. |
| Geography |
Highest mountain in Scotland, also UK record. Ben Nevis at
4406 feet. |
| Geography |
Scottish coastal waters contain over 800 islands, only 132
of them known to be inhabited. |
| Geography |
Longest river, Tay at 120.6 miles. |
| Geography |
Biggest Loch. Loch Lomond at 27.4 square miles (71 sq km) |
| Geography |
Deepest Loch. Loch Morar at 1077 feet (328 metres). |
| Geography |
Most famous Loch. Loch Ness home of the legendary Loch
Ness Monster. |
| Geography |
Shetland and Orkney Islands were once owned by Norway. |
| Population |
Aberdeen 184,788 |
| Population |
Ayr 46,431 |
| Population |
Cumbernauld 49,664 |
| Population |
Dundee 154,674 |
| Population |
East Kilbride 73,796 |
| Population |
Edinburgh 430,082 |
| Population |
Glasgow 629,501 |
| Population |
Hamilton 48,546 |
| Population |
Kirkcaldy 46,912 |
| Population |
Livingston 50,826 |
| Population |
Paisley 74,170 |
| Trivia |
English football team Berwick Rangers actually plays in
the Scottish League. The only English team to do so. |
| Trivia |
The word Clan (Gaelic clann) means offspring, children,
decendants. |
| Trivia |
The Forth Rail Bridge took 8 years to build. Contains
55,000 tons of steel, 650,000 cubic feet of granite, 8 million
rivets, 150 acres of paint. Stands 361 feet, or about the
height of a Saturn V rocket that took man to the Moon. During
warm weather it expands about 18 inches at both ends, a total
of 3 feet. At peak of construction over 4500 folk were
employed. |
| Trivia |
Guy Fawkes tried unsuccessfully to blow up the Houses of
Parliament with gunpowder. Every year on 5th November the
Scots along with the rest of the UK celebrate the "gunpowder
plot" with fireworks. |
| Trivia |
Heather grows in abundance in central and eastern
Highlands, due to it's particularly acidic qualities which
Heather thrives upon. |
| Trivia |
Scottish banknotes. Average daily circulation ? 2.2
billion. Although all major Scottish banks print their own
money, they have no legal authority to produce coins. English
Royal Mint retains exclusive rights. |
| Trivia |
Scottish banknotes amazingly enough, are not legal tender.
Shopkeepers in Wales and England are not legally bound to
accept them. Thankfully this is merely a legislative
technicality. |
| Trivia |
The word Whisky comes from a Gaelic translation of "water
of life". |
| Trivia |
Whisky sales in Scotland peaked in 1978 at 70 million
gallons (300 million litres). |
| Trivia |
First legally licenced distillery, Glenlivet 1823. |
| Trivia |
Taxes average 72% per bottle of whisky sold in Scotland. |
| Trivia |
The Sunday Mail and Sunday Post newspapers individually,
are read by an equivalent of 25% of the population of
Scotland. |
| Trivia |
Scotland hosts over 300 Castles, or one per every 100
square miles. |
| Weather |
Sunniest month. 329 hours at Tiree, Argyll in May 1946 and
May 1975. |
| Weather |
Dullest month. 36 minutes at Cape Wrath, Highlands,
January 1983. |
| Weather |
Wettest day. 9.52 inches of rain (238 mm) at Sloy Main
Adit, Loch Lomond, 17 January 1974. |
| Weather |
Highest low level wind gust. 142mph
(123 knots) at Fraserburgh Aberdeenshire, 13 February 1989. |
| Weather |
Warmest day. 32.9 °C ( 91.2°F) at Greycrook Lothian &
Borders, 9 August 2003. |
| Weather |
Coldest day. -27.2 °C (-17°F) Braemar Aberdeenshire, 11
February 1895 and 10 January 1982. -27°C (-17°F) Altnaharra,
Highlands 30 December 1995. |
| Weather |
Scotland gets enough rain in one year to completely fill
Loch Lomond. |
| Weather |
Highest high level wind gust. 173 mph (150 knots) at
Cairngorm Automatic Weather Station, altitude of 4085 feet
(1245m), 20 March 1986. |
| Weather |
Edinburgh receives half to one third less rain than
Glasgow per annum. |
