SCOTLAND'S STORY

OUR ASPIRATION

It’s quite simple.

WHAT MAKES SCOTLAND, SCOTLAND?

Scotland is recognised across the globe as a land of fascinating history, breath-taking scenery, and warm welcomes.

Our commitment to kindness, fairness and inclusion runs deep as does our determination to turn ideas into action and play our part in tackling global issues.

Innovation and creativity are in our DNA. From the discovery of penicillin to world renowned advancements in space, we’re always pioneering better ways of doing things.

Our warm generosity is legendary, whether we’re welcoming just one person or the whole world. Our belief in fairness, kindness and inclusion runs deep.

Our Scottish spirit is how we respond to challenges and opportunities. It gives us the determination to turn ideas into actions and the determination to find a way when the path is not easy.

OUR ATTRIBUTES

Here are just a few more of the things that make Scotland what it is.

Scotland has led the world in its commitment to education for centuries. We were the first country in the world to provide universal education open to both boys and girls, as early as the 17th century, with the Scottish education system having been adopted by many countries all over the world.

Three of Scotland’s universities are ranked in the most recent Times Higher Education Top 200 (2022) and according to the Office of National Statistics, we are the most highly educated country in Europe, whilst 88% of international students are satisfied with all aspects of their experience at Scottish Universities (ISB 2022).

Scotland was the first country in the world to embed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive education across school curriculum in 2021. In recent years Scotland has been rated as the best country in Europe for LGBTI equality and human rights.

Scotland is a diverse and inclusive nation attracting international talent from across the globe. In 2022 there were over 500,000 non-British nationals living in Scotland, accounting for 10% of the population.

It’s a great place for families! Every new-born in Scotland can receive a baby box containing essential items intended to make sure that every child has the best possible start in life. If your child is 3 or 4 years old, you can access up to 1,140 hours of free childcare a year.

Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh is the world’s leading festival city, with a range of major annual festivals bringing talent from more than a third of the world’s countries to our streets and stages. This includes 3000+ events 25,000+ performers, +4.5 million attendances from 70 countries worldwide. (Source World’s Leading Festival City - Edinburgh Festival City).

We’re also home to three UNESCO Creative Cities, City of Literature (Edinburgh), City of Music (Glasgow) and City of Design (Dundee), They form part of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail, which you can also see online for the first time.

From the telephone to the ATM, penicillin to the colour photograph, Scotland has claim to an impressive number of great inventions and historic discoveries. And we continue to forge new paths, creating ground-breaking innovative products and services – like thermal imaging that helps robots detect humans, flat-packed building blocks made from recycled plastic, molecular imaging technology, revolutionary malaria treatment and biofuel made from whisky by-products.

If enjoying active adventure is your thing, Scotland’s outdoor playground has so much to offer year-round. From skiing and snowboarding in the Highlands, to teeing off at one of Scotland’s over 550+ golf courses (Scotland is The Home of Golf after all) there is so much choice. And our world-leading cycling and mountain-biking trails were home to the first ever UCI World Cycling Championships, a mega event in 2023 that became one of the ten biggest sporting events in the world. You can enjoy our stunning natural landscapes with an invigorating hike up one of our 282 Munros or take a sailing and fishing trip in our many beautiful fresh and sea water lochs - all easily accessible from any of our cities.

Doing what is right by people and the planet means that Scotland has a legislative commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2045, earlier than many other nations and over 90% of Scotland's electricity consumption is from renewable sources. (Source: Renewable Energy Facts and Statistics | Scottish Renewables)