People and culture

The Scottish people are mainly from two groups. The Scots of the Highlands have Celtic origins. The people of the rest of Scotland are mostly Anglo-Saxon, similar to the people of northern England. For many centuries, there were great conflicts between the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon groups. However, over time the people of Scotland have become more unified. Scotland is also home to people of Irish, Lithuanian, Italian, Polish, and South Asian descent.

Most of the Scottish people are Christian. The national church is the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian. The vast majority of the population speaks English. Small groups of people speak Scottish Gaelic and Scots, which were the chief languages spoken in Scotland before English was introduced.

The Lowlands are home to most of the Scottish people. Scotland's two largest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, are both in this region. Edinburgh is the political, legal, and financial heart of Scotland. Glasgow is Scotland's largest city and a major center of industry.

Scotland has been greatly influenced by English culture. However, Scottish traditions and customs have been vigorously preserved. Scotland has a wealth of surviving traditional music, played on instruments such as the bagpipe, fiddle, and clarsach (a small Celtic harp). The traditional clothing of men from the Highlands is the kilt (a knee-length pleated skirt) and plaid (a length of cloth worn over the shoulder). These garments are now worn on special occasions.

The national poet of Scotland is Robert Burns, who wrote poetry and songs in the 18th century. In the 19th century, the Scottish author Walter Scott wrote many adventure tales in novels and poems. Scott is considered the inventor of the historical novel.