Scotland History And Background
Scotland was first inhabited around 14,000 years ago. There is plenty of evidence of civilisation from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age, so if you are out and about you might want to take your metal detector with you, and see if you can add to Scotland's collection of historical artifacts.
The first actual records of Scottish civilisation start with the Roman Invasion. The Romans only conquered the lowlands, they didn't quite make it to the highlands, which they referred to as Caledonia, a land populated by the Picts.
The inability of the Romans to conquer the picts was perhaps in part due to the harsh terrain, and the problem it caused with the transport of supplies. But, the terrain is what makes Scotland such a stunning place to take a holiday, as fortunately, most areas are now accessible by road.
The early Scots established trade routes with more northerly European countries such as the those on the Scandinavian Archipelago, unlike more southerly parts of Britain who had more contact with the peoples of what is now referred to as the Iberian Peninsula - Spain and Portugal, as well as many other regions of the Mediterranean.
Scotland's joining with the rest of Britain following the Acts Of Union led to its establishment as an Industrial force to be reckoned with, this continuing until the decline of major industries such as the shipyards in the 1970s.
Whilst once famed for it's ruggedness, Scotland has recently been firmly establishing itself as one Europe's most prominent cultural centres, this being confirmed by it's recent growth in visitor numbers. Once feted warriors are now being sidelined by poets such as Robbie Burns. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has become a major international cultural event, and is just one of the many reasons that visitors are arriving in their droves from all over the world as well as the rest of Britain.
