Culture of Scotland

The culture of Scotland includes its distinct legal system, financial institutions, sports, literature, art, music, media, cuisine, philosophy, folklore, languages, and religious traditions. Since the introduction of Scottish devolution in 1999, modern Scottish culture is somewhat associated with the re–convened Scottish Parliament which has full control over creative and culture government policy across the country.

Scots law is separate from English law and remains an important part of Scotland’s identity, whilst the country has its own banking and currency systems including the Bank of Scotland which was the first bank in Europe to successfully print and distribute its own banknotes. Sports, like golf, rugby, football and shinty are widely played, with the country represented in international competitions by the national football team and national rugby team. Scotland also competes in the Commonwealth Games, one of only six countries to have competed in every games since its inception in 1930.

Scotland has a significant literary tradition and contributions to art and music, with renowned poet Robert Burns considered the national poet of Scotland ("The Bard"). The media landscape includes Scottish-focused outlets. Traditional and modern Scottish cuisine are notable, such as Haggis, Shortbread, Scotch whisky and Irn-Bru. The country has made contributions to philosophy and has a strong tradition of folklore. Multiple languages and religious practices are present in Scottish society, including Scots, Scottish Gaelic and Scottish English, whilst the Church of Scotland retains its status as the national church.