4 interesting facts about Scotland

Did you know all of these things about Scotland?

Islands

Skye is one of the most well-known Scottish islands and where many visitors hope to travel to during their time here. But did you know we’ve have almost 800 islands in total?

Not all of them are filled with people – about 130 inhabited islands are included in the 790 total. Our “busiest” islands are Lewis and Harris, Mainland Shetland and Mainland Orkney, while our quietest, hold just a handful of people.

You have to plan ahead to visit our islands – by ferry or by plane. But did you know Orkney is home to the world’s shortest commercial passenger flight? Catch a plane between Westray and Papa Westray and you’ll be in the air for just two minutes.

We’re also home to one of the world’s last beach runways in Barra too.

Gin

We all know Scotland is famous for its whisky – but did you know it’s also got a very healthy gin industry as well?

Between 70 and 80% of the UK’s gin is produced in Scotland.

Gin is quicker and easier to make than whisky and the Scots have always been innovative. There are over 100 gins to choose from, including the world-famous Hendrick’s and Islay’s only dry gin, The Botanist.

Languages

The Scots are definitely a chatty bunch, so it might not come as a surprise that we’ve got four official languages. English, Scots, British Sign Language and Scottish Gaelic are all recognised. Scottish Gaelic is an ancient Celtic language that evolved from Old Irish so if you’re familiar with Irish Gaelic, you may recognise a few words!

History

Now, you might have guessed that Scotland is pretty old – but did you know how much of that history still survives in some form today?

The world-famous Calanais Standing Stones in the Outer Hebrides form one of the most complete stone circles in the U.K. and Europe – they’re believed to have been erected around 2900 BC.

Scotland has so much to offer, we can’t wait to see what you choose to explore.