Scotland

SCOTLAND

Area: 78133 km2

Population: 5,2 million

Capital: Edinburgh

MAJOR CITIES

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Aberdeen

Highest point: Ben Nevis (1343 m)

Longest river: the Tay (188 km )

Largest lake: Loch Lomond (56 km2).

National day: 30 November, St. Andrews day.

National flower: the thistle

Scotland are divided into three areas:

The Highlands in the north

Central lowlands

The Southern Uplands

Nearly 90 percent of the Scottish population live in the Lowlands.

All Scots can speak, read and write English.

Many people can also understand Scots and Gaelic.

Most people use a mix of Scots and English in daily speech.

The Scottish national costume for men is the kilt.

A PIPER

Hi, my name is Neil and I,m a piper.

I play everyday in Edinburgh

I love the bagpipe.

Piping is very important in Scottish culture.

The bagpipe is very popular with children.

The bagpipe is not only a Scottish instrument. They also play it in Ireland, Spain and France.

A PIPERS REVENGE

Once upon a time in Hamelin in Germany there were many rats.

A man in strange clothes came to the town and said he could get rid of the rats.

He wanted some money for the job.

The people of Hamelin said they would pay him.

The man began to play on a pipe.

Suddenly the rats came out of the houses. They began to follow the man.

He led them to the river Weser. There, the rats jumped into the river and drowned.

The Hameliners were glad the rats were gone.

But the piper did not get any money.

The piper got angry.

He cast a spell on the town’s children.

They followed him until they came to a hill.

Then a door opened in the side of the hill. When the piper and the children had gone in, the door closed.

Nobody ever saw the piper or the children again.

NESSIE

Many people believe there is a sea monster in the Scottish lake Loch Ness.

She is called Nessie.

She is the most famous sea monster in the world.

But nobody has proved that she exists.

Many people have tried to take a photo of her.

There are some photos which show something that looks like a monster.But they are all out of focus.

Every year thousands of tourists travel to Loch Ness.

They all hope to see the famous sea monster.