The most popular sports in Scotland are football (soccer in U.S.), rugby and golf. Cricket, curling and shinty are games that are popular in Scotland and not well known in the U.S. Scotland has a Men's National Football Team and a Women's National Football Team with fans known as the Tartan Army. Internationally famous athlete, Andy Murray, known for his gold medal win in the 2012 Olympic tennis final, was born in Glasgow, Scotland. My parents and I enjoy watching tennis, specifically Wimbledon, and always cheer on Andy Murray.
The Highland games are and important part of Scottish history and culture. They include some sporting events, as well as music and dancing events. I found the wikipedia page to be interesting and helpful:
Highland Games
Music
When thinking of music in Scotland, most immediately jump to the bagpipe. The bagpipe is an important historical instrument for the Scottish and is played in Scottish folk music, which has remained a part of Scottish culture to this day. Piping in Scotland is connected to Gaelic singing, stepdance and fiddle.
Today more mainstream styles of music are popular in Scotland, such as rock, pop, and jazz. The Proclaimers are a famous Scottish band, known for their song I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), a personal favorite of mine and featured below.
Food
Much of Scottish food originated in Scotland, though it has some British, French and other European influences. Game, dairy products, fish, fruit, vegetables are fairly common in Scotland and are featured in most traditional foods. Scottish cuisine focuses on simplicity, using few spices, which were expensive. Some notable traditional Scottish foods include haggis, old Scots brown soup, Solan goose, and calves foot jelly.
I found this site helpful in understanding better understanding Scottish foods:
Scottish Food
Major Religions
Christianity is the most practiced religion in Scotland, with the majority of these Christians belonging to the Church of Scotland. The Church of Scotland, also known as the Kirk, officially formed in 1560. Catholicism is the second largest religion in Scotland, though many Scots are non-religious. Below is a breakdown of the major religions in Scotland:
National Holidays and Traditional Customs
Hogmanay: This is the Scottish celebration of New Years Eve. During this celebration a 'First Footing' custom is observed. The first foot to enter a house in the new year must belong to a male with dark hair. I was considered bad luck if blonds or redheads, and especially women were the first-footers in a house.
St. Andrew's Day: Celebrated on November 30th, this day celebrates St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. This day is an official bank holiday in Scotland.
Beltane: an ancient Gaelic festival celebrated in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of man. It takes place at the beginning of summer and is still celebrated today by some Scots.
Popular TV Shows and Movies
Scotland's most watched television show today is The Hour, which is a Scottish magazine show. A popular TV show of the past is Francie and Josie, a series revolving around two comedians which aired from 1958 to the 1990s. Some famous Scottish actors include Sean Connery, Robert Carlyle, Tilda Swinton, Ewan McGregor, Gerard Butler, James McAvoy, and Robbie Coltrane. Here is a link to some "Great Scottish Movies."
Online News Sources
BBC News Scotland
Aberdeen's Evening Express
Scotsman
Scots Magazine
Online Forums for Expatriates
http://www.scotland.org/us
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/living/living_abroad/living_in_the_united_kingdom.shtml
http://www.expatexchange.com/scotland/liveinscotland.html
Government
When understanding the Scottish government, confusion often arises when understanding the purpose and duty of the Scottish Parliament versus the U.K. Parliament which governs over the entire U.K. The government of the U.K. legislates over many 'reserved matters,' such as defense. The Scottish Parliament legislates over health, education, law, transport and many other things known as 'devolved matters.' The current first minister of Scotland is Alex Salmond, pictured below. The current Scottish Parliament contains six political parties listed here in order of popularity: Scottish National Party, Labour Party, Conservative and Unionist Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish Green Party.
Here is a helpful link about the Government of Scotland:
Government of Scotland
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