Jack Goldstein - 101 Amazing Facts about Scotland

Title Page

101 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT SCOTLAND

Jack Goldstein

Publisher Information

Published in 2013 by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

The right of Jack Goldstein to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998

Copyright 2013 Jack Goldstein

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Disclaimer: All facts presented in this title were gained from common and reputable sources in print and on the internet. If any detail within this title is found to be incorrect, the author will be happy to publish a corrected version.

Introduction

In this amazing eBook you can find more than one hundred facts about the country of Scotland. Separated into sections such as its history, information about its capital, famous Scottish figures from history and many more you will find some fascinating information inside!

Whether you are planning on visiting Scotland, working on a geography project or just want to know more about this beautiful country, this is an excellent addition to your bookshelf. Find the information you need, fast!

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Key Facts and Figures

1. Scotland is a country within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2. Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom are all different entities... Great Britain contains the three countries on its island: England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom also includes Northern Ireland, which is on a separate landmass.
3. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh.
4. Scotland has a population of just over five million.
5. The currency of Scotland is the Pound Sterling.
6. The United Kingdom as a whole is the sixth largest economy in the world, and is therefore a member of the elite G8 forum.
7. It wasnt until 1707 that Scotland and England were joined together to form the United Kingdom. However, it still retains its own unique identity.
8. Scotland itself covers around 30,000 square miles, and the United Kingdom in total covers just over 94,000 square miles.
9. Scotland is divided into 32 council areas and has a total of seven cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling and Perth.
10. The patron saint of Scotland is Saint Andrew and the flag of Scotland is a white x on a blue background. This is known as the Saltire cross and the symbol comes from legends of old where kings have seen the Saltire cross symbol in the sky as a portent of victory.

Inventions - Part 1

Here are some fascinating facts about Scottish inventions...

1. The worlds first colour photograph was taken in Scotland in 1861. Scientist James Maxwell invented the three colour method which involved mixing red, green and blue light. The photograph - of course - was of a piece of tartan!
2. A blacksmith by the name of Kirkpatrick Macmillan made the worlds first pedal cycle in Dumfriesshire in the mid-19 th century.
3. If youre a fan of detective novels, you might want to thank Dr Henry Faulds - in 1880 he came up with the idea of recording finger prints with ink ensuring criminals could be identified when caught!
4. In 1996, Scottish scientists cloned the worlds first mammal - Dolly the Sheep. When she died she was stuffed and is now exhibited at the National Museum of Scotland.
5. The fax machine was perhaps the most important business tool before the internet and e-mail came along - amazingly it was invented in 1846 by Alexander Bain who used two synchronous pendulums to scan a message!
6. Your home might be pretty smelly without Scottish inventors - Alexander Cummings invented the flushing toilet and patented the S-bend which uses a water trap to ensure the smell of the sewer doesnt float up the pipe into your smallest room!
7. The call and response style of Gospel singing actually originates from Presbyterians in the Scottish Hebrides who would sing Psalms in Gaelic in a similar way.
8. Halloween is Scottish in origin - both the word and the traditions. In the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, meaning summers end, Scots would leave out an empty chair and a plate of food for the ghosts.
9. James Braid, a surgeon from Kinross invented the modern concept of hypnotism. He used candles to relax his patients into a trance-like state.
10. Penicillin is not the only major Scottish medical advance. In 1853, Edinburgh doctor Alexander Wood created the hypodermic syringe, something without which we could not administer effective medicine today.

Edinburgh

1. In August, Edinburgh hosts the largest annual arts festival in the world, sensibly called The Edinburgh Festival. During this time you can see hundreds of performances of ever type of art from drama to comedy, experience literary masterpieces, learn about science, listen to poetry and countless other amazing things.
2. The population of the city is around half a million - but this doubles during The Edinburgh Festival!
3. More than 100,000 people descend on Princes Street Gardens every new years eve to celebrate in one of the biggest street parties you are likely to see - it is known as Hogmanay.
4. Youve probably heard of Harry Potter, but did you know that J K Rowling wrote the first book in a caf in Edinburgh?
5. Edinburgh University is one of the most respected educational institutions in the world, and was established in 1583.
6. Edinburgh Castle is the most visited tourist attraction in the whole of Scotland. Over a million people a year come to see its imposing beauty.
7. The author who invented Sherlock Holmes was called Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He was born in Edinburgh, and even based the detective on a famous professor at the citys University!
8. The very first statue of Abraham Lincoln to be erected outside of the USA can be found in Edinburghs Old Calton Burial Ground, where there is also a memorial to the Scottish soldiers who died in the American civil war.
9. If youre in Edinburgh, you might want to visit The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queens official residence in Scotland.
10. With its rich cultural history it should be no surprise to learn that in 2004, Edinburgh became the worlds first UNESCO City of Literature.

Landmarks to Visit

1. The Falkirk Wheel - an incredible piece of modern engineering.
2. Edinburgh castle - 12 th century fortress which dominates the capitals skyline.
3. Eilean Donan - small island with a picturesque castle featured in countless photographs and films.
4. Glamis castle - Another impressive building that comes complete with many ghost stories.
5. The Wallace Monument - tower on the summit of Abbey Craig which commemorates Scottish hero Sir William Wallace.
6. Loch Ness - supposedly home to an enormous monster known as Nessie.
7. Hadrians Wall - built by the romans to keep the Picts (ancient Scots) out of England - they were awesome fighters to be feared by all!
8. Loch Lomond - some of the most incredible scenery in the whole of the United Kingdom. So beautiful much poetry has been written about it!
9. John OGroats - the most northerly tip of mainland Scotland.
10. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum - one of Scotlands finest collections of art.

General Facts

1. Although Scotland does not officially have a national anthem separate from that of the United Kingdom, Flower of Scotland is generally recognised in this capacity. It was written in 1967 and tells of how Robert the Bruce bested Englands King Edward the Second at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.