Theculture of Scotland includesits distinct legal system, financial institutions,sports,literature,art,music,media,cuisine,philosophy,folklore,languages, andreligious traditions. Since the introduction ofScottish devolution in 1999, modern Scottish culture is somewhat associated with the re–convenedScottish Parliament which has full control over creative and culture government policy across the country.^[1]

Scots law is separate fromEnglish law and remains an important part of Scotland’s identity, whilst the country has its own banking and currency systems including theBank of Scotland which was the first bank in Europe to successfully print and distribute its own banknotes.^[2] Sports, likegolf,rugby,football andshinty are widely played, with the country represented in international competitions by thenational football team andnational rugby team. Scotland also competes in theCommonwealth Games, one of only six countries to have competed in every games since its inception in 1930.^[3]

Scotland has a significant literary tradition and contributions to art and music, with renowned poetRobert Burns considered the national poet of Scotland ("The Bard"). The media landscape includes Scottish-focused outlets. Traditional and modern Scottish cuisine are notable, such asHaggis,Shortbread,Scotch whisky andIrn-Bru. The country has made contributions to philosophy and has a strong tradition of folklore. Multiple languages and religious practices are present in Scottish society, includingScots,Scottish Gaelic andScottish English, whilst theChurch of Scotland retains its status as thenational church.

The earliest recorded history ofScotland begins with thearrival of theRoman Empire in the 1st century, when theprovince ofBritannia reached as far north as theAntonine Wall. North of this wasCaledonia, inhabited by thePicti, whose uprisings forced Rome's legions back toHadrian's Wall. As Rome finallywithdrew from Britain, aGaelic tribe fromIreland called theScoti began colonising Western Scotland and Wales. Before Roman times,prehistoric Scotland entered theNeolithic Era about 4000 BC, theBronze Age about 2000 BC, and theIron Age around 700 BC. The Gaelic kingdom ofDál Riata was founded on the west coast of Scotland in the6th century. In the following century,Irish missionaries introduced the previouslypagan Picts toCeltic Christianity. FollowingEngland'sGregorian mission, the Pictish kingNechtan chose to abolish most Celtic practices in favour of theRoman rite, restricting Gaelic influence on his kingdom and avoiding war withAnglianNorthumbria.^[4] Towards the end of the 8th century, theViking invasions began, forcing the Picts and Gaels to cease their historic hostility to each other and to unite in the9th century, forming theKingdom of Scotland.

The Kingdom of Scotland was united under theHouse of Alpin, whose members fought among each other during frequent disputed successions. The last Alpin king,Malcolm II, died without a male issue in the early 11th century and the kingdom passed through his daughter's son to theHouse of Dunkeld or Canmore. The last Dunkeld king,Alexander III, died in 1286. He left only his infant granddaughter,Margaret, as heir, who died herself four years later. England, underEdward I, would take advantage of this questioned succession to launch a series of conquests, resulting in theWars of Scottish Independence, as Scotland passed back and forth between theHouse of Balliol and theHouse of Bruce through thelate Middle Ages. Scotland's ultimate victory confirmed Scotland as a fully independent and sovereign kingdom. In 1707, the Kingdom of Scotland united with theKingdom of England to create the new state of theKingdom of Great Britain under the terms of theTreaty of Union. TheParliament of Scotland was subsumed into the newly createdParliament of Great Britain which was located inLondon, with 45 Members of Parliament (MPs) representing Scottish affairs in the newly created parliament.^[5]

In 1999, aScottish Parliament was reconvened and aScottish Government re–established under the terms of theScotland Act 1998, withDonald Dewar leading the first Scottish Government since 1707, until his death in 2000.^[6] In 2007, theScottish National Party (SNP) were elected to government following the2007 election, withfirst ministerAlex Salmond holding areferendum on Scotland regaining its independence from the United Kingdom. Held on 18 September 2014, 55% of the electorate voted to remain a country of the United Kingdom, with 45% voting for independence.^[7]

During theScottish Enlightenment andIndustrial Revolution, Scotlandbecame one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Later, itsindustrial decline following the Second World War was particularly acute. Today, 5,490,100 people live in Scotland,^[8] the majority of which are located in the central belt of the country in towns and cities such asAyr,Edinburgh,Glasgow,Paisley andKilmarnock, and cities such asAberdeen,Dundee andInverness to the north of the country. Theeconomy has shifted from a heavy industry driven economy to be become one which is services and skills based, with ScottishGross Domestic Product (GDP) estimated to be worth £218 billion in 2023, including offshore activity such asNorth Sea oil extraction.^[9]

Scotland retainsScots Law, its own unique legal system, based onRoman law, which combines features of bothcivil law andcommon law. The terms of union with England specified the retention of separate systems. The barristers are called advocates, and the judges of the high court for civil cases are also the judges for the high court for criminal cases. Scots Law differs from England's common law system. Formerly, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, one of which wasUdal Law (also calledallodail orodal law) in Shetland and Orkney. This was a direct descendant of Old Norse Law, but was abolished in 1611. Despite this, Scottish courts have acknowledged the supremacy of udal law in some property cases as recently as the 1990s. Various systems based on common Celtic Law also survived in the Highlands until the 1800s.

Banking in Scotland also features unique characteristics. Although theBank of England remains thecentral bank forHis Majesty's Government, three Scottish corporate banks still issue their ownbanknotes: theBank of Scotland, theRoyal Bank of Scotland and theClydesdale Bank.^[10]

The Bank of Scotland was established by theParliament of Scotland in 1695 to develop Scotland's trade with other countries, and aimed to create a stable banking system in the country.^[11] It was the first bank to be established in Scotland, and is theoldest operational bank in the country,^[12] theninth oldest bank in continuous operation globally,^[13] as well as the longest continuous issuer ofbanknotes in the world.^[14] It is the only commercial institution created by the Parliament of Scotland, when Scotland was an independent,sovereign state, to remain in existence, and was the first bank in Europe to successfully print its ownbanknotes,^[2] and it continues to print its ownsterling banknotes under legal arrangements that allow Scottish banks to issue currency.

TheScotland national football team competes in sporting events such as theFIFA World Cup,UEFA European Championship andUEFA Nations League. Scotland does not compete in theOlympic Games independently however, and inathletics, Scotland has competed for the Celtic Cup, against teams from Wales and Ireland, since the inaugural event in 2006.^[15] The country does, however, compete separately in theCommonwealth Games, one of only six countries who have competed in every games since its inception in 1930.^[16] Scotland has hosted the Commonwealth Games on three occasions, twice inEdinburgh and once in Glasgow, with the upcoming2026 Commonwealth Games set to be hosted once again in Glasgow.^[17]

The country also has its own nationalrugby team which competes in theRugby World Cup and theSix Nations Championship annually. Scotland is the "Home ofGolf", and is well known for its courses. As well as its world-famousHighland Games (athletic competitions), it is also the home ofcurling, andshinty, a stick game similar to Ireland'shurling.

Other national teams representing Scotland in sport including thenational badminton team, thenational netball team and thenational volleyball team. Scotland has 4 professional ice hockey teams that compete in theElite Ice Hockey League.Scottish cricket is a minority game, with the country represented by thenational cricket team who have competed in theCricket World Cup three times.^[18]

Robert Burns is considered thenational poet of Scotland

Pàdraig MacAoidh, the incumbentMakar (national poet for Scotland)

The earliest extant literature written in what is now Scotland, was composed inBrythonic speech in the sixth century and has survived as part ofWelsh literature.^[19] In the following centuries there was literature in Latin, under the influence of theCatholic Church, and inOld English, brought byAnglian settlers. As the state ofAlba developed into the Kingdom of Scotland from the eighth century, there was a flourishing literary elite who regularly produced texts in both Gaelic and Latin, sharing a common literary culture with Ireland and elsewhere.^[20] After theDavidian Revolution of the thirteenth century a flourishing French language culture predominated, while Norse literature was produced from areas of Scandinavian settlement.^[21] The first surviving major text inEarly Scots literature is the fourteenth-century poetJohn Barbour's epicBrus, which was followed by a series of vernacular versions of medieval romances. These were joined in the fifteenth century by Scots prose works.^[22][23]

In the early modern era royal patronage supported poetry, prose and drama.James V's court saw works such asSir David Lindsay of the Mount'sThe Thrie Estaitis.^[24] In the late-sixteenth centuryJames VI became the patron and a member of a circle of Scottish court poets and musicians known as theCastalian Band.^[25] When he acceded to the English throne in 1603 many followed him to the new court, but without a centre of royal patronage the tradition of Scots poetry subsided.^[26] It was revived after union with England in 1707 by figures includingAllan Ramsay,Robert Fergusson andJames Macpherson.^[27] The latter'sOssian Cycle made him the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation.^[28] He helped to inspireRobert Burns, considered by many to be thenational poet, andWalter Scott, whoseWaverley Novels did much to define Scottish identity in the 19th century.^[29] Towards the end of theVictorian era a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations, includingRobert Louis Stevenson,Arthur Conan Doyle,J. M. Barrie andGeorge MacDonald.^[30]

In the 20th century there was a surge of activity in Scottish literature, known as theScottish Renaissance. The leading figure,Hugh MacDiarmid, attempted to revive the Scots language as a medium for serious literature.^[31] Members of the movement were followed by a new generation of post-war poets includingEdwin Morgan, who would be appointed the firstMakar by the inauguralScottish Government in 2004.^[32] From the 1980s Scottish literature enjoyed another major revival, particularly associated with writers includingJames Kelman andIrvine Welsh. Scottish poets who emerged in the same period includedCarol Ann Duffy, who in May 2009 was named the first Scot to be the BritishPoet Laureate.^[33]

The earliest examples of art from what is now Scotland are highly decorated carved stone balls from theNeolithic period.^[34] From theBronze Age there are examples of carvings, including the first representations of objects, andcup and ring marks.^[35] From theIron Age there are more extensive examples of patterned objects and gold work.^[36] From the early Middle Ages there are elaborately carvedPictish stones^[37] and impressive metalwork.^[38] The development of a common style ofInsular art acrossGreat Britain andIreland influenced elaborate jewellery andilluminated manuscripts like theBook of Kells.^[39] Only isolated examples survive of native artwork from the late Middle Ages and of works created or strongly influenced by artists of Flemish origin.^[40] The influence of theRenaissance can be seen in stone carving and painting from the fifteenth century. In the sixteenth century the crown began to employFlemish court painters who have left a portrait record of royalty.^[41]The Reformation removed a major source of patronage for art, limited the level of public display, but may have helped in the growth of secular domestic forms, particularly elaborate painting of roofs and walls.^[42] In the seventeenth century there were the first significant native artists for whom names are extant, with figures likeGeorge Jamesone andJohn Michael Wright, but the loss of the court as a result of theUnion of Crowns in 1603 removed another major source of patronage.^[43]

In the eighteenth century Scotland began to produce artists that were significant internationally, all influenced byneoclassicism, such asAllan Ramsay,Gavin Hamilton, the brothersJohn andAlexander Runciman,Jacob More andDavid Allan.^[44] Towards the end of the centuryRomanticism began to affect artistic production, and can be seen in the portraits of artists such asHenry Raeburn.^[45] It also contributed to a tradition of Scottish landscape painting that focused on theHighlands, formulated by figures includingAlexander Nasmyth.^[46] TheRoyal Scottish Academy of Art was created in 1826,^[47] and major portrait painters of this period includedAndrew Geddes andDavid Wilkie.William Dyce emerged as one of the most significant figures in art education in the United Kingdom.^[48]

The beginnings of aCeltic Revival can be seen in the late nineteenth century^[49] and the art scene was dominated by the work of theGlasgow Boys^[50] and the Four, led byCharles Rennie Mackintosh, who gained an international reputation for their combination of Celtic revival,Art and Crafts andArt Nouveau.^[51] The early twentieth century was dominated by theScottish Colourists andthe Edinburgh School.^[52] They have been described as the first Scottish modern artists and were the major mechanism by which post-impressionism reached Scotland.^[53][54] There was a growing interest in forms ofModernism, withWilliam Johnstone helping to develop the concept of aScottish Renaissance.^[48] In the post-war period, major artists, includingJohn Bellany and Alexander Moffat, pursued a strand of "Scottish realism".^[55] Moffat's influence can be seen in the work of the "new Glasgow Boys" from the late twentieth century.^[56] In the twenty-first century Scotland has continued to produce successful and influential such asDouglas Gordon,David Mach,^[57]Susan Philipsz andRichard Wright.^[58]

Scotland possess significant collections of art, such as theNational Gallery of Scotland andNational Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh^[59] and theBurrell Collection andKelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.^[60] Significant schools of art include theEdinburgh College of Art^[61] and theGlasgow School of Art.^[62] The major funding body with responsibility for the arts in Scotland isCreative Scotland.^[63][64] Support is also given by local councils and independent foundations.^[65]

Scotland has developed an international reputation largely for its traditional music, which remained vibrant throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music. Traditional forms of Scottish music incorporate instruments including thebagpipes, which are considered to be an integral element of Scottish culture.^[66] Bagpipes are considered to have been introduced in the country in the 14th century, and by the 15th century, their popularity as an instrument in Scotland had increased.^[67] In spite of emigration and a well-developed connection to music imported from the rest of Europe and the United States, the music of Scotland has kept many of its traditional aspects; indeed, it has itself influenced many forms of music.^[68]

Scottish music and wider culture is annually celebrated at theRoyal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the widerEdinburgh Fringe Festival. Modern and contemporary Scottish music is celebrated at annual ceremonies such as theScottish Music Awards,Scottish Album of the Year Award andScottish Alternative Music Awards. TheScots Trad Music Awards were established in 2003, and celebrates Scotland's traditional music. Scotland produced notable musicians in the mid–20th century, includingJack Bruce who found fame as the bassist and lead vocalist for the bandCream. In the 1970s, Scottish music expanded internationally, notably with theBay City Rollers who became one of many 1970s acts heralded as the "biggest group sincethe Beatles",^[69] they were called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and sold between an estimated 120–300 million records worldwide, making them one of thebest selling musical acts of all time globally.^{[70][71][72][73][74]} During the 1980s, Scottish acts such asSimple Minds,The Blue Nile andPrimal Scream experienced international success.

Contemporary and modern music from Scotland continued throughout the 1990s with acts such asTravis,Texas,Shirley Manson andAztec Camera. Artists such asAmy Macdonald,Sandi Thom,Franz Ferdinand,Paolo Nutini andKT Tunstall found considerable success in the 2000s, with Tunstall often incorporating elements of folk and pop music together.^[75] In 2009,Susan Boyle's debut album,I Dreamed a Dream, became the best selling album internationally,^[76] whilst throughout the 2010s, DJ and producerCalvin Harris achieved global chart prominence with a string of successive releases.^[77]

Scotland has several national newspapers, such as theDaily Record (Scotland's leadingtabloid), thebroadsheetThe Herald, based inGlasgow, andThe Scotsman inEdinburgh. Sunday newspapers include the tabloidSunday Mail (published byDaily Record parent company Trinity Mirror) and theSunday Post, while theSunday Herald andScotland on Sunday have associations withThe Herald andThe Scotsman respectively.^[78] Regional dailies includeThe Courier and Advertiser inDundee and the east, andThe Press and Journal servingAberdeen and the north.^[79]

Scotland has its ownBBC services which include the national radio stations,BBC Radio Scotland and the Scottish Gaelic language serviceBBC Radio nan Gaidheal. There are also a number of BBC and independent local radio stations throughout the country. In addition to radio, BBC Scotland also runs three nationaltelevision stations:the Scottish variant ofBBC One, theBBC Scotland channel and Gaelic-language TV channelBBC Alba. Much of the output of BBC Scotland Television, such as news and current affairs programmes, and the Glasgow-based soap opera,River City, are intended for broadcast within Scotland, while others, such as drama and comedy programmes, aim at audiences throughout theUK and further afield.

TwoITV stations,STV andITV, also broadcast in Scotland. Most of the independent television output is the same as that transmitted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the exception of news and current affairs, sport, comedy, cultural and Scottish Gaelic-language programming. As one of the Celtic nations, Scotland is represented at theCeltic Media Festival (formerly known as the Celtic International Film Festival). Scottish entrants have won many awards since the festival began in 1980. Scottish sponsors and partners of the event includeHighlands and Islands Enterprise,BBC Scotland,MG Alba,Scottish Screen,STV andBòrd na Gàidhlig.^[80][81]

Scottish cuisine offers traditional dishes such asfish and chips,haggis, theArbroath smokie,salmon,venison,cranachan, thebannock,stovies,Scotch broth,tattie scone andshortbread. Scotland is also known for itsScotch whiskydistilleries, as well as forScottish beer. The soft drinkIrn-Bru is cited by its manufacturer,A.G. Barr, as Scotland's 'other' national drink owing to its large market share in Scotland, outselling major international brands such asCoca-Cola.

Scotland has a strong philosophical tradition.Duns Scotus was one of the premier medievalscholastics. In theScottish Enlightenment Edinburgh was home to much intellectual talent, includingFrancis Hutcheson,David Hume andAdam Smith. Other cities also produced major thinkers at that time, such asAberdeen throughThomas Reid.^{[citation needed]}

Halloween, on the night of 31 October, is a traditional and much celebrated holiday in Scotland.^[82] The nameHalloween was first attested in the 16th century as aScottish shortening ofAll-Hallows-Eve,^[83] and according to some historians it has its roots in theGaelic festival ofSamhain, when the Gaels believed the border between this world and theotherworld became thin, and the dead would revisit the mortal world.^[84] In 1780 the poetJohn Mayne noted Halloween pranks:"What fearfu' pranks ensue!", as well as the supernatural associations of that night,"Bogies" (ghosts).^[85] The bard of ScotlandRobert Burns' 1785 poemHalloween is recited by Scots at Halloween, and Burns was influenced by Mayne's composition.^[85][86] In Scotland, traditional Halloween customs include:Guising — children incostume going from door to door demanding food or coins — which became established practice by the late-19th century,^[87][88]turnips hollowed out and carved with faces to make lanterns,^[87] and parties with games such asapple bobbing.^[89] Further contemporary imagery of Halloween is derived fromGothic andhorror literature (notablyMary Shelley'sFrankenstein andBram Stoker'sDracula), and classic horror films (such asHammer Horrors). Mass transatlantic Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century popularized Halloween in North America.^[90]

Scotland also has its own unique family of languages and dialects, helping to foster a strong sense of "Scottish-ness". SeeScots language andScottish Gaelic language. An organisation calledIomairt Cholm Cille (Columba Project) has been set up to support Gaelic-speaking communities in both Scotland and Ireland and to promote links between them.^[91]

Forms ofChristianity have dominated religious life in what is now the Scotland for more than 1,400 years.^[92][93] Scotland retains its ownnational church, separate from theChurch of England. SeeChurch of Scotland andReligion in the United Kingdom. There is also a large minority ofRoman Catholics, around 16 per cent of the population.

Thepatron saint of Scotland isSaint Andrew, andSaint Andrew's Day is celebrated in Scotland on 30 November.Saint (Queen) Margaret,Saint Columba andSaint Ninian have also historically enjoyed great popularity.

As one of theCeltic nations, Scotland is represented at interceltic events at home and around the world. Scotland is host to two interceltic music festivals – theScottish Arts Council fundedCeltic Connections, Glasgow, and theHebridean Celtic Festival, Stornoway – that were founded in the mid-1990s.^{[94][95][96][97]}

Scottish culture is also represented at interceltic festivals of music and culture worldwide. Among the most well known areFestival Interceltique de Lorient – held annually inBrittany since 1971 – thePan Celtic Festival, Ireland, and the National Celtic Festival inPortarlington, Australia.^{[98][99][100]}

Scotland has a wide variety ofnational symbols that have come to be emblematic, representative, or otherwise characteristic of the country of and Scottish culture. The most notable and historic national symbols of the country include theRoyal Banner of Scotland, theGreat Seal of Scotland and theThistle, the country's officialfloral emblem.^[101] TheHonours of Scotland, containing theCrown of Scotland,Sceptre andScottish Sword of State are displayed in the Crown Room atEdinburgh Castle, with the Crown of Scotland being present at the state opening of each new session of the Scottish Parliament.^[102] Other traditional national symbols include theDeclaration of Arbroath, Scotland's deceleration of independence, theStone of Scone, which is used in the coronation of the monarch, andTartan, often considered an internationally recognisable symbol of Scotland and Scottish culture.^[103]

As one of the oldest countries inEurope, Scotland and its associated symbols are considered to be amongst the oldest symbols still in use across the European continent.^[104] Thenational flag, theSaltire, is first recorded with the illustration of a heraldic flag inSir David Lyndsay of the Mount'sRegister of Scottish Arms,c. 1542.[105] It is considered to be the oldest flag inEurope.^[106] Additionally, Scotland is the fifth oldest country in the world,^[107] and itsmonarchy is amongst the oldest internationally, and the oldest recorded monarchy in Europe.^[108]

• Architecture of Scotland
• A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle
• Bard's blessing
• Homecoming Scotland 2009
• Scots language
• Scottish cringe
• Scottish Gaelic language
• Scottish mythology
• Scottish national identity
• Scottish people
• Tartanry andList of tartans

Wikimedia Commons has media related toCulture of Scotland.

• Scotland Cultural Profile – Scottish national cultural portal created with funding from theScottish Executive
• Scottish legal tender
• Iomairt Cholm Cille
• Distance learning postgraduate course in Scottish Culture and Heritage

• Culture of Scotland

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