The population of Scotland, its history and language

Each culture has its own rules and norms of conduct, customs and traditions, often not similar to each other, but they identify a person as part of a nation.

The population of Scotland is markedly different from all other subjects of the English crown. Despite its small number, according to statistics for 2016, in Scotland there are just over five million people (this is half as many as in Moscow), the Scots manage to maintain their identity and even turned it into a kind of brand. This is especially evident in the fashion world, where Scottish tartan (the national cage that defines the Scot as an adherent of a particular clan) has been a favorite for several years already.

Mentality

Despite its seeming cordiality, the population of Scotland is somewhat closed, stern, stubborn, miserly and does not like strangers. The latter can be justified by the fact that the Scots, like their Welsh neighbors, the English and the Irish, are islanders, which means that they have a slightly different character store than those who live on the mainland.

If for the population of a large land the visit to a neighbor's neighbor was common, then the island had to be reached, and most often the strangers did not come in peace. Constant assertion of their land both from the sea, and from the nearest neighbors, the English (namely they were the main headache of the Scots), and formed the national character of the descendants of the ancient Picts.

A bit of history

The settlement of the territory of modern Scotland began with the ancient Picts. They served as the progenitors of modern Scottish society. Initially they were called Iberians, and only with the advent of the Celts on the island did the name "Picts" appear. Their habitat was the north of the island, the part that today is called Scotland. In the west lived Scots (the ancestors of the Irish), the territory of England was occupied by the Britons, later replaced by the Anglo-Saxons.

In the 9th century, the Picts and Scots united against the Vikings formed a kingdom called Scotia. But the modern name "Scotland" appeared only a couple of centuries later, in the 11th century.

Gaelic

Or how correctly to call it, Gaelic . The national language that the population of Scotland uses is the main language along with English. Although to date, pure Gaelic can be found only in the deep Scottish villages. The bulk of the population uses something between English and Gaelic (Scottish English). Therefore, understanding the language of Scotland is sometimes difficult even for the nearest neighbors, the British.
The Gaelic language appeared thanks to the Irish, displacing the Pictish and the Old English. But it did not last long. Already in the 15th century the population of Scotland began to speak Scottish English. The development of homogeneity of language was partly served by the cities that began to appear in the 11th century.

Cities of Scotland

The cities of Scotland, like most European cities, have a "web" network of streets and roads. Most often they arose around the castle of some feudal lord. At first, these were temporary settlements, consisting of workers who built the castle, and their families. Then the population increased, and small villages already appeared. And when the construction was completed and the owner moved to the castle (or fortress), cities were formed.

The nature of the owner's activities often determined the fate of the city. So, if the feudal lord chose the seashore for his home, the city became a port city, and its main income was already dependent on the catch.

The cities of Scotland, located in the mountains, villages, farms still feed off land and livestock. The legendary kilt from the wool of Scottish sheep was and remains the main pride of the population. He is akin to our Orenburg shawl. Maybe not as thin and elegant, but certainly warm and durable.

And without a Scotch whiskey, there is not a single youth party. There is also a second variant of writing this drink whiskey - this is an Irish version, differing not only in writing but also in taste. Irish whiskey is pure, without impurities. It was invented by Irish immigrants who arrived in the US and very missed their homes. Scottish slightly gives turf. It was on it from ancient times and cooked this drink. Therefore, for any Scotsman, whiskey is more than just a drink, it is a link to its history.

Who rules Caledonia

It is a well-known fact that the Scots have defended their lands for many centuries and waged war both with each other and with the English. The War of Independence of Scotland, or rather two wars, was conducted from the end of the 13th to the middle of the 14th century. The results were successful, because until the 17th century Scotland remained independent. And only in 1603 there was a unification of the Scottish and English crowns. So to date, the Queen of Scotland - this is Elizabeth II - the oldest monarch in the history of Britain. Of course, even before this, Scotland had on its throne female rulers, but none of them ruled the country for as long as Elizabeth.