Scotland is a small country in Western Europe. It makes up around one of Great Britain, Europe’s largest island, and borders England to the south. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east and the Irish Sea to the .

About 12,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers hunted for fish and wild animals and gathered fruit, nuts, plants, roots and shells in Scotland.

There is evidence that farming first began over 5,000 years. The Romans, the Vikings and the English all tried to the Scots – called Caledonians and Picts – at different times. Heroes like William Wallace and Robert the Bruce led the in the fight to remain independent.

Finally, in 1707 the Act of Union created a single parliament at Westminster, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. 

In 1999 the Scottish Parliament met for the time in almost 300 years. On September 18, 2014 a referendum was held in Scotland. The choice given to the was, 'Should Scotland be an independent country'? 45% voted Yes and 55% voted No.

In the early 1800s huge factories opened in Scotland and people moved to towns and to find work. Mining, textiles (clothing) and shipbuilding became important industries. During World War 1, products from Glasgow’s Clyde shipyards, steel works and iron foundries were vital to the war effort.

In 1967, drilling for in the North Sea began, which has been a major boost to jobs in Scotland right up to the present day.

Around a quarter of Europe's offshore wind crosses Scotland. It’s no wonder then that the country is leading the way in using renewable energy. In 2017 Scotland opened the world's first floating farm.

The five huge (250m tall) are floating in the North Sea,  25km off the coast of the town of Peterhead.