Scotland has eight cities. Edinburgh is the capital city and Glasgow is the most populous. Scottish towns were granted burghs or royal burgh status by Scottish kings, including by David I of Scotland and William the Lion.
Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim, King of Scots
St Andrews Cathedral
Image: Edinburgh, High Kirk of St. Giles ('St. Giles Cathedral') geograph.org.uk 4168020
Image: St John's Kirk geograph.org.uk 2683004
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjacent islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. To the south-east, Scotland has its only land border, which is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared with England; the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the north-east and east, and the Irish Sea to the south. The population in 2022 was 5,436,600 and accounts for 8% of the population of the UK. Edinburgh is the capital and Glasgow is the largest of the cities of Scotland.
Skara Brae, Europe's most complete Neolithic village, occupied from roughly 3180 BC – 2500 BC
Callanish Stones, erected in the late Neolithic era
King of Scots Robert I addresses his troops before the Battle of Bannockburn. Drawing from c. 1900.
James VI, King of Scotland, succeeded to the English and Irish thrones in 1603.
