Scotland is part of the United Kingdon. The patron saint is St Andrew.

The flag of Scotland is called The Saltire or St Andrew’s Cross.

  Scotland has the highest mountain in the British Isles.   The mountain is called Ben Nevis.  It rises to 1,344 m (4,409 ft) above sea level.

  The thistle is the national flower of Scotland.  It is thought that it became the national flower because an attacking Viking stood on a thistle and cried out in pain, alerting the Scottish castle to their presence.

  In Edinburgh Zoo there is a penguin named Nils Olav who has been made an honorary Colonel-in-Chief of the King’s Guard in Norway.  In August 2008 he was knighted by King Harald V of Norway.

  Haggis is a famous Scottish dish.  It is traditionally made of a sheep stomach containing minced sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt.  It is then simmered in water for about three hours to cook.

  The first properly organised Fire Brigade was formed in Edinburgh in 1824.

  A cherry with all its flesh was dug up in Loch Tay in Scotland and is believed to be 2,600 years old.  It was preserved in mud which protected it from rotting.