While the Earth is estimated to be about
4,600 million years old, Scotland's oldest rocks are about 3,000 million
years old and the theory of plate tectonics helps to explain Scotland's
geology. Sections of current day Scotland were originally believed
to have been positioned 30 degrees south of the equator but have moved
up to their present position of 55-60 degrees north over the course
of about 600 million years. As a result, these sections also moved
through different climatic zones and today there is evidence of both
glacial and tropical conditions in Scottish rock formations.
The
theory is an interesting one. Around 550 million years ago Scotland
and England were both located in the southern hemisphere but separated
by a vast ocean. About 500 million years ago both the European and
American continents started to close in on each other. Underneath
the ocean, the cold dense oceanic crust was diving down under the
lighter continental crust, thereby shrinking the size of the ocean
and moving the continents ever closer. Around 430 million years ago,
the ocean had been squeezed out and the continents collided. Scotland
and England were fused together in a seamless join, which can be found
not far from Hadrian's Wall.
Few countries in the world offer a more diverse and extraordinary
landscape than Scotland. Rocky islands, rugged mountains, and breathtaking
glens are all part of the unique experience awaiting the visitor.
What we see today has been moulded and transformed by erosion, glacial
movement and more recently, by humans.
Today, the island of Great Britain comprises the separate countries
of England, Scotland and Wales and has a landmass of some 88,516 square
miles, almost three times the size of the neighbouring island of Ireland.
Scotland forms the northern part of Great Britain and accounts for
almost 35% of the island. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides
– by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and North and by the North
Sea to the East. Scotland’s only land border is with England
and this runs for approximately 60 miles along the line of the Cheviot
Hills.
Geographically,
Scotland can be divided into three areas – the Southern Uplands,
the Central Lowlands and the Northern Highlands & Islands. Bordering
England, the Southern Uplands boasts magnificent scenery, albeit of
a gentler nature than that in the Highlands. The Central Lowlands,
where most of Scotland’s population is centred, stretch from
the Firth of Forth in the east to the Firth of Clyde in the west.
This area contains the nation's main industrial belt and the country's
two largest cities, Glasgow in the west and Edinburgh in the east.
The Scottish Highlands comprise dramatic mountain ranges, which rise
to their greatest height at Ben Nevis, which at 4,406 feet (1,343
m) is Britain's highest mountain. And although this region accounts
for more than half the total area of Scotland, it has few major population
centres apart from the cities of Aberdeen, Inverness and Dundee. Of
Scotland's 790 islands, only about 130 are inhabited. The major groups
include the Inner and Outer Hebrides off the west coast, the Orkneys
and the Shetland Isles, which lie to the northeast.
Measuring over 7,500 miles, the coastline of the island of Great Britain
is so indented that no place is more than 120 kilometres (75 miles)
from the sea. The beautiful landscape of Scotland, particularly the
Highlands, is one characterised by mountains, rivers and lochs. The
principal Scottish mountain range is the Grampian Mountains, containing
the mighty Ben Nevis, which at 4,406 feet, is the highest peak in
Britain. The longest rivers include the River Tay (120 miles), the
River Spey (107 miles) and the River Clyde (106 miles), while the
largest freshwater lochs include Loch Lomond (27.5 square miles) and
the famous Loch Ness (21.8 square miles).
Scotland, of course, is not all about spectacular countryside. The
six main cities include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling
and Inverness. And though Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland,
Glasgow is by far the largest with a population of approximately 620,000.
Edinburgh, the second largest city, boasts a population of around
450,000 while Scotland’s third largest city is Aberdeen, with
a population of just less than 220,000 people. Each of Scotland’s
cities has a distinctive character but all guarantee a vibrant mix
of history, culture and entertainment. But if the cosmopolitan pace
gets too much, then an escape to the tranquillity of Scotland's breathtaking
landscape is never more than a short trip away.
The
theory is an interesting one. Around 550 million years ago Scotland
and England were both located in the southern hemisphere but separated
by a vast ocean. About 500 million years ago both the European and
American continents started to close in on each other. Underneath
the ocean, the cold dense oceanic crust was diving down under the
lighter continental crust, thereby shrinking the size of the ocean
and moving the continents ever closer. Around 430 million years ago,
the ocean had been squeezed out and the continents collided. Scotland
and England were fused together in a seamless join, which can be found
not far from Hadrian's Wall. 
Geographically,
Scotland can be divided into three areas – the Southern Uplands,
the Central Lowlands and the Northern Highlands & Islands. Bordering
England, the Southern Uplands boasts magnificent scenery, albeit of
a gentler nature than that in the Highlands. The Central Lowlands,
where most of Scotland’s population is centred, stretch from
the Firth of Forth in the east to the Firth of Clyde in the west.
This area contains the nation's main industrial belt and the country's
two largest cities, Glasgow in the west and Edinburgh in the east.
The Scottish Highlands comprise dramatic mountain ranges, which rise
to their greatest height at Ben Nevis, which at 4,406 feet (1,343
m) is Britain's highest mountain. And although this region accounts
for more than half the total area of Scotland, it has few major population
centres apart from the cities of Aberdeen, Inverness and Dundee. Of
Scotland's 790 islands, only about 130 are inhabited. The major groups
include the Inner and Outer Hebrides off the west coast, the Orkneys
and the Shetland Isles, which lie to the northeast. 
