IN MY DEFENCE, GOD ME DEFEND-EXPRESSION, SAYING

CLIMATE

THE CLIMATE OF SCOTLAND IS TEMPERATE AND OCEANIC, AND TENDS TO BE VERY CHANGEABLE. IT HAS MUCH MILDER WINTERS AND COOLER WETTER SUMMERS THAN OTHER AREAS IN THE SAME LATITUDE (MOSCOW REGION IN RUSSIA, SOUTHERN SCANDINAVIA). HOWEVER, TEMPERATURES ARE GENERALLY LOWER THAN IN THE REST OF THE UK. IT HAD THE COLDEST EVER UK TEMPERATURE OF -27,2ºc IN THE GRAMPIAN MOUNTAINS ON 11TH FEBRUARY 1895. HEAVY SNOWFALL IS NOT COMMON IN THE LOWLANDS, BUT IT BECOMES MORE COMMON WITH THE ALTITUDE. BRAEMAR HAS AN AVERAGE OF 59 ANOW DAYS PER YEAR WHILE MANY COASTSAL AREAS AVERAGE FEWER THAN 10 DAYS OF LYING SNOW PER YEAR. THE WEST OF SCOTLAND IS USUALLY WARMER THAN THE EAST, OWING TO THE INFLUENCE OF ATLANTIC OCEAN CURRENTS. TIREE IS ONE OF THE SUNNIEST PLACES IN THE COUNTRY. RAINFALL VARIES WIDELY ACROSS SCOTLAND. THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND ARE THE WETTEST. RAINFALL IN A FEW PLACES EXCEEDS 3,000 MM ANNUALLY. THE LOWLANDS RECIEVE LESS THAN 800 MM ANNUALLY.

HISTORY:

IT STARTED WHEN THE ROMANS OCCUPIED WHAT IS NOW ENGLAND AND WALES, ADMINISTERING IT AS A PROVINCE CALLED BRITANNIA. ROMAN INVASIONS AND OCCUPATIONS OF SOUTHERN SCOTLAND WERE A SERIES OF BRIEF INTERLUDES. ACCORDING TO THE ROMAN HISTORIAN TACITUS, THE CALEDONIANS ATTACKED ROMAN FORTS AND FOUGHT WITH THER LEGIONS, IN A SURPRISE NIGHT-ATTACK. THEY VERY NEARLY WIPED OUT THE WHOLE 9YH LEGION UNTIL IT WAS SAVED BY AGRICOL’AS CAVALRY. THE ROMANS ERECTED HADRIAN’S WALL TO CONTROL TRIBES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WALL, AND THAT WAS THE NORTHERN BORDER OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. ALTHOUGH THE ARMY HELD THE ANTONINE WALL IN THE CENTRAL LOWLANDS FOR TWO SHORT PERIODS. THE ROMAN MILITARY OCCUPATION OF A SIGNIFICANT PART OF WHAT IS NOW NORTHERN SCOTLAND LASTED ONLY ABOUT 40 YEARS, ALTHOUGH THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE SOUTHERN SECTION ON THE COUNTRY, WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND FIFTH CENTURIES.

THE KINGDOM OF THE PICTS WAS THE STATE THAT EVENTUALLY BECAME KNOWN AS “SCOTLAND”. THE DEVELOPMENT OF “PICTLAND” (TRIBAL OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN EASTERN AND NORTHERN SCOTLAND) WAS A NATURAL RESPONSE TO ROMAN IMPERIALISM. BY THE 10TH CENTURY THE PICTISH KINGDOM WAS DOMINATED BY WHAT WE CAN RECOGNISE AS GAELIC CULTURE. AFTER THE ADD OF SOME AREAS, THE KINGDOM ACQUIRED CONTROL OF THE LANDS LYING TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH. BY THE END OF THE 13TH CENTURY, THE KINGDOM HAD ASSUMED APPROXIMATELY ITS MODERN BORDERS. HOWEVER, PROCESSES OF CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE IN THE 12TH CENTURY, MADE CERTAIN THAT SCOTLAND LOOKED VERY DIFFERENT IN THE LATER MIDDLE AGES. THE PUSH FOR THIS CHANGE WAS THE REIGN OF DAVID I AND THE DAVIDIAN REVOLUTION. FEUDALISM, GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION AND THE FIRST LEGALLY RECOGNISED TOWNS BEGAN IN THIS PERIOD. IN THE YEAR 1290, THE HEIRESS TO THE THRONE, MARGARET, DIED. SIR EDWARD I OF ENGLAND CLAIMED THE RIGHT TO BESTOW THE CROWN AND MADE JOHN BALLIOL THE KING. WHEN EDWARD SOUGHT HELP FROM JOHN AGAINST THE FRENCH, JOHN ENTERED INTO AN ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE (ENGLAND’S ENEMY) CALLED “AULD ALLIANCE”. EDWARD CROSSED THE SCOTTISH BORDER, TOOK JOHN PRISIONER AND PROCLAIMED HIMSELF THE KING OF SCOTLAND. THE SCOTS WEREN’T VERY HAPPY WITH THE CHANGE AND THEY ROSE AGAIN LED BY SIR WILLIAM WALLACE (BRAVEHEART). HE WAS BRUTALLY EXECUTD. ROBERT THE BRUCE FOLLOWED IN WALLACE’S FOOT STEPS AND FOUGHT AGAINST THE ENGLISH IN 1314. ONLY IN 1328, EDWARD III FORMALLY RECOGNIZED SCOTLAND’S INDEPENDECE. AFTER THAT. JAMES IV OF SCOTLAND MARRIED MARGARET, THE DAUGHTER OF HENRY VII OF ENGLAND. WHEN HE DIED THE THRONE WENT TO HIS BABY DAUGHTER MARY STUART. MARY WAS DRIVEN OUT BY JOHN KNOX WHO WAS A FOLLOWER OF JOHN CALVIN, ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE REFORMATION. MARY RETURNED TO SCOTLAND BUT SHE WAS CAPTURED AND IMPRISIONED. SHE ESCAPED AND FLED TO ENGLAND, WHERE QUEEN ELIZABETH, HER COUSIN, CAPTURED HER AND EXECUTED HER. MARY’S SON, JAMES VI, WAS BROUGHT UP AS A PRESBYTERIAN AND TOOK OVER THE THRONE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH WHEN SHE DIED. SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND WERE UNITED UNDER ONE SINGLE KING, HOWEVER, SCOTLAND REMAINED A SEPARATE STATE WITH ITS OWN PARLIAMENT AND GOVERNMENT. THE AGE-OL RIVALRY BETWEEN SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND ENDED FORMALLY IN 1707 WHEN THE PARLIAMENTS OF BOTH NATIONS AGREED TO THE ACT OF UNION. THIS ACT INCORPORATED THE PARLIAMENT OF THE TWO NATIONS AND ESTABLISHED THE KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN. EVENTUALLY A NEW SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTE WAS ESTABLISHED IN EDINBURGH TO OVERSEE THE TERRITORY OF SCOTLAND.

TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH FESTIVALS

-ST ANDREW’S DAY: IT’S CELEBRATED ON THE 30TH OF NOVEMBER. IT’S SCOTLAND OFFICIAL NATIONAL DAY. IT IS MARKED WITH A CELEBRATION OF SCOTTISH CULTURE WITH TRADITIONAL FOOD, MUSIC, AND DANCE. SCHOOLS ACROSS SCOTLAND HOLD SPECIAL ST ANDREW’S DAY EVENTS ANDACTIVITIES. THIS DAY IS ALSO SEEN AS THE START OF A SEASON OF SCOTTISH WINTER FESTIVALS BROADING…………IN EDINBURGH, THERE IS A WEEK OF CELEBRATIONS, CONCENTRATING ON MUSICAL ENTRETAINMENTE AND TRADITIONAL CEILIDH DANCING.

-HOGMANAY: IS THE SCOTS WORD FOR THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR AND IS THE SAME AS THE CELEBRATION OF THE NEW YEAR IN THE SCOTTISH WAY.

-THE BURNING OF THE CLAVIE: IT’S A FIRE FESTIVAL UNIQUE TO BURGHEAD, WHICH GREETS THE NEW YEAR. IT’S CELEBRATED ON 11TH JANUARY. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT DATE, DATES BACK TO THE 1750’S, WHEN THE JULIAN CALENDAR WAS REFORMED IN BRITAIN, AND THE NEW GREGORIAN CALENDAR WAS INTRODUCED. PEOPLE TOOK PART IN A VIOLENT PUBLIC DISTURBANCE, DEMANDING BACK THEIR 11 DAYS, BUT NOT IN BURGHEAD. THEY DECIDED TO HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLD, BY CELEBRATING THE NEW YEAR TWICE, ON 1ST JANUARY, AND THE 11TH JANUARY.

-BURNS SUPPER: IS A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE AND POETRY OF THE POET ROBERT BURNS, ON 25TH JANUARY. IT MAY BE FORMAL OR INFORMAL. BOTH TYPICALLY INCLUDE HAGGIS, SCOTCH WHISKEY AND THE RECITATION OF BURNS’ POETRY.

-BELTANE FESTIVAL: IT’S HELD ON 1ST MAY. IT’S THE GAELIC MAY DAY FESTIVAL. BELTANE IS METIONED IN SOME OF THE EARLIEST IRISH LITERATURE AND IT’S ASSOCIATED WITH IMPORTANT EVENTS IN IRISH MYTHOLOGY. IT MARKED THE BEGGINING OF SUMMER.

-UP HELLY AA: IT’S A FIRE FESTIVAL HELD IN SHETLAND, ANNUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER TO MARK THE END OF THE YULE SEASON. THE FESTIVAL INVOLVES A PROCESSION UP TO A THPUSAND GUIZERS FORMED INTO SQUADS WHO MARCH THROUGH THE TOWN IN A VARIETY OF THEMED COSTUMES.

FAMOUS PEOPLE: EWAN MCGREGOR, SEAN CONNERY, GERARD BUTTLER, CALVIN HARRIS, DAVID HUME, Alexander Graham bell.

Movies: Braveheart, trainspotting, Harry potter, the da vinci code, captain america, one day, prometheus, the dark knight rises, brave, skyfall, world war z, outlander.

Scottish music is a significant aspect of the nation's culture, with both traditional and modern influences. A famous traditional Scottish instrument is the Great Highland Bagpipe, a wind instrument consisting of three drones and a melody pipe (called the chanter), which are fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag. Bagpipe bands, featuring bagpipes and various types of drums, and showcasing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, have spread throughout the world. The clàrsach (harp), fiddle and accordion are also traditional Scottish instruments, the latter two heavily featured in Scottish country dance bands.

As one of the Celtic nations, Scotland and Scottish culture is represented at interceltic events at home and over the world. Scotland hosts several music festivals including Celtic Connections

La prenda tradicional escocesa es el kilt, la mal llamada "falda escocesa" — término que ofende a los escoceses—. El kilt suele estar hecho delana, con un diseño de tartán que -según suele decirse- se asocia a un determinado clan escocés.63 Cada escocés recibe un kilt a muy temprana edad, y lo utilizará en ocasiones especiales, como bodas, bautizos, comuniones... El kilt se enrolla alrededor de la cintura, y cubre la parte inferior hasta la altura de las rodillas; además, dado que no tiene bolsillos, puede complementarse con un bolso especial denominadosporran. En contra de la creencia popular de que bajo el kilt no debe vestirse ropa interior, lo cierto es que no hay ninguna norma establecida al respecto.