Scotland a wonderful country

In this essay I’m going to talk about a brief summary of characteristics of Scots such as his music, painting, literature, history, politics, economy, education, customs and traditions, myths and legends, foods and pastimes.

It must be said that the inhabitants of Scotland are descended from various racial groups, such as the Picts, Celts, Scandinavians, and to a lesser extent the Romans. Scotland is a both industrial and rural society. The Scots are divided themselves into highlanders (inhabitants of the Highlands), who believe that their ethnic affiliation is pure and maintain close links with the clans, and the lowlanders (inhabitants of the lowlands). There is a strong Scandinavian influence in the Orkney Islands and Shetland.

Music

It is a point clear and significant of the culture of this nation, which contains traditional and modern influences.

The instrument that most highlights of the land is the great Scottish bagpipes, wind instrument fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag and also the bagpipes are one of the most famous icons of Scotland, and the piping tradition is still going strong in the 21st century.

There are numerous gaiteras bands, consisting of bagpipes and various types of drums, showing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, has spread around the world.

Other instruments also traditional Scottish, although less characteristic are the harp, violin and accordion, and especially these last two are very prominent in Scottish country dance bands.

Currently, there are many successful bands of Scotland and its artists stand out in different styles such as Celtic folk, Traditional music and Folk music.

Art

Scottish painting is closely linked to the English artistic tradition, since many artists worked in London. Some were also great explorers, influenced the different European artistic movements. However, most remain unknown outside its borders. You can admire beautiful collections of Scottish painting in the national galleries in Edinburgh and the art museums in the country's major cities: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee.

Literature

On the other hand Scottish literature is composed by authors born in that country and with more or less related topics must distinguish three literatures according its language employed as the Scottish-Gaelic literature. Scottish literature: and the Anglo-Scottish literature.

I can say that Scotland takes centuries to produce very important authors such as  Robert Burns (1759–1759), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), Muriel Spark (1918-2006), Naomi Mitchison (1897-1999), Iain Banks (1954), Sorley Maclean (1911-1996) and Alasdair Gray (1934) among others after generation to generation and increasingly being marked a milestone in Scottish literature predominating in her creativity, innovation and experimentation by keeping literature alive.

Arthur Conan Doyle

Robert Burns 

A brief history

The troubled Scottish history covers a period of eight thousand years characterized by invasion and independence, war and religious excitement, intrigue and repression. But Scotland would also witness the blossoming of imagination and ingenuity in many areas of the field of human endeavour, which came to occupy a privileged position, not only within the United Kingdom, but in Europe and the rest of the world. The qualification of the 19th century Glasgow's second city of the British Empire is not a simple display. The country's history has left its mark on the soul of his people, as well as the landscape, and contributed largely to the impassioned pride with which the Scots today see themselves and their land.

Politics

In the field of political Scotland is one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom, as head of State to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, since his coronation in 1952 and also Scotland has representation in the House of the Commons of the United Kingdom, with 59 representatives elected on the basis of Scottish constituencies.

In Scotland also the choice of the various ministers are nominated by the Scottish Parliament and are then approved by the Queen.

Economy

Since 1987 the economic growth in Scotland has been exceeding the United Kingdom average, thanks to the new jobs generated by the industries that were created after the discovery of oil in the North Sea and to the success of Scotland in attracting high-tech industries.

The economy Nova Scotia is currently based in the services sector and the industrial sector , while still maintaining presence the primary sector .

Education

With regard to education Scottish children go to school until fourteen or sixteen, age in which can choose whether they decide or not to continue with their training. One of the main differences remaining between the Scottish education system and the followed by the rest of Great Britain is the first focuses on a wide range of subjects, while the second delves more into a few. Also Scotland has a significant range of universities as the University of Saint Andrews and is the oldest of that country or as St Andrews which is a relatively small city that has specialized in fields such as science and the arts offering pupils the possibility to live in a cosy and intellectual environment.

Customs and traditions

Scotland is a country that has many customs and traditions that are still shifting in generation after generation, and that I would say has been one of the key things in that country that despite the time which retains them respecting their origin.

How many times have heard names like: Mac Donald, Campbell, Mackintosh, Fergusson, Mac Lean, Montgomery, Mackenzie, Mac Gregor, Macbeth and such it  is well known that they are typical Scottish surnames but sometimes don't know what that the offspring of one of the founders of a certain Clan (family).
Traditional Scottish society was organized into clans. The word clan derives in fact from the Scottish Gaelic clann, "child", which underlines the sense of family unity. Each Clan has a Tartan, official, and recorded in several versions. The kilt, as we know it, has been invented in the 700 by Thomas Rawlinson. The current kilt is used in particular way in official ceremonies which is made for up twenty-six feet fabric

According to tradition their placement was considered an art ritual, where the direction of the folds should be exact and perfect position.

You know that the Tartan gained popularity around the world during the 19th century because Queen Victoria fell in love with all things related to Scotland.

The following important dates for the Scottish
* Burns night: 25th January
* Tartan Day, April 6th
* Bannockburn Day: 24th June
* St Andrews Day: 30th November - St Andrews day is a holiday in Scotland and only a bank holiday
following the passing of the St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007 which was passed bythe Scottish Parliament on 29th November 2006 and received Royal before on 15th January 2007.

Myths and legends

Scotland as a country has many legends and myths in which appoints the most relevant:

Banshee or Banshea is a genius or fairy from Scottish and Irish mythology. There are various types, but they are mostly beneficial geniuses, who help humans and accompany the heaven to the souls of the children killed at birth or shortly after birth. If occur during sleep in the form of an old woman, heralding the near death of an important person.

The monster of Loch Ness animal legendary that lives in the depths of Loch Ness, a lake in the Highlands of northern Scotland. The common belief is that it is a female and the sightings date back to the year 565 ad when the Irish missionary St Columba claimed to have seen the Niseag (the Celtic name of Nessie) when he officiated the funeral of a man that the monster had bitten to death

Sir William Wallace (around 1270 - August 23, 1305), was a Scottish nobleman who led his country against English occupation and King Edward I of England in the wars for the independence of Scotland. In addition he was a man of convictions and principles which are valued to this day today.

Food

With regard to food Scotland has a reputation for having some of the best natural products in the world. Throughout Scotland and in any time of year, you can enjoy Festival of food and local produce markets. The variety of food is superb and includes meat, such as the "Aberdeen Angus" beef or lamb; hunting, such as deer, pheasant, grouse or Partridge; fish, like salmon or trout; and, of course, seafood, with some of the best oysters and mussels in the world. 

One of the most traditional products of Scottish cuisine is Haggis, an economic and nutritious dish served with mashed potato and sweet potato. Never has what is done at this time that the person tastes the dish.

Scotland also has a range of very special soups, delicious desserts, exquisite cheeses, jams and breakfast and afternoon tea.

Pastimes

Scotland also has a variety of festivals and sports and pastimes such as: golf, football, rugby, tennis and many restaurants.

The inhabitants of Scotland have with more than 550 golf courses to play and there are a variety of fields for every level of golfer, each offers quality at a good price and a wide range of accommodation close to the field.

Taking as important tournaments such as Johnnie Walker Championship and The Open Championship, St Andrews.

Football is the most popular sport and there is a Scottish Premier League is divided into four divisions and in which teams of football in Scotland.

You can also enjoy Rugby due to is another popular sport and Scotland competes in the Six Nations Championship, which has won on numerous occasions in the past.

To play and practice tennis also has courts available at the Craiglockhart Tennis and Sports Centre.

Scotland also has many restaurants, cafes and pubs in large towns and cities which open throughout the day. Most of the pubs also serve coffee, snacks and meals; also the bars in hotels.

To finish this essay I can say that Scotland has been marked by several milestones throughout its history in various fields. Scotland is a country very rich in their culture that has been passed down from generation to generation likewise transferring their different traditions and customs, full of important myths and legends. 

Scotland is a country that has many gastronomic and musical festivals attract a significant amount of tourists from around the world who are interested in knowing the peculiarities of the country.

Scotland is also a country that has music in his blood reflecting his feelings as a nation through the mystical bagpipe charm to any human being who listens to transporting them to medieval times.


References


Bruce M. Gittings. (1994-2002). GEO. Retrieved November 14th, 2011, from 

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/sports.html

Escocia, (2002-2011). Blog-escocia, http://blog-escocia.com/actualidad-de-escocia/fiestas-y-tradiciones-de-escocia

Escocia. (2002-2011). Blog-escocia,  http://blog-escocia.com/cultura-de-escocia/musica-en-escocia

Escocia. (2002-2011). Blog-escocia,  http://blog-escocia.com/cultura-de-escocia/arte-en-escocia

Escocia. (2011). Blog-escocia. Retrieved November 14th, 2011, from, http://blog-escocia.com/actualidad-de-escocia/deportes-en-escocia

Scotland, (2002-2011). Visitscotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/scotland-factfile/arts-culture/music/

Scotland, (2002-2011). Visitscotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/scotland-factfile/scottish-icons/the-kilt

Scotland, (2002-2011). Visitscotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/scotland-factfile/scottish-icons/tartan

Scotland, (2002-2011). Visitscotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/scotland-factfile/scottish-icons/burns-supper

Scotland, (2002-2011). Visitscotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/inspirational/features/very-scottish/hogmanay

Scotland, (2003). Marariley, http://www.marariley.net/celtic/scotland.htm

Scotland, (2010). Highland games, http://www.highlandgames.org.uk/

Scotland, (2011). Kevin-peter.hubpages, http://kevin-peter.hubpages.com/hub/Scottish-Traditions-and-Customs

Scotland, (2011).Scottish wedding, http://scottishwedding.visitscotland.com/scottishweddingtraditions

Scotland. (2002-2011). Visitscotland. Retrieved November 14th, 2011, from

http://international.visitscotland.com/es/cosas-para-ver-y-hacer/golf-escocia/

Scotland. (2002-2011). Visitscotland. Retrieved November 14th, 2011, from http://international.visitscotland.com/es/scots/agenda/noviembre/consejos/

Scotland Music & Arts

In this essay I’m going to talking about music and art of Scotland it is a point clear and significant of the culture of this nation, which contains traditional and modern influences.

The instrument that most highlights of the land is the great Scottish bagpipes, wind instrument fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag and also the bagpipes are one of the most famous icons of Scotland, and the piping tradition is still going strong in the 21st century.

As for art with the beginning of the new century the Scottish art is booming. The four schools of fine arts in the country continue to promote experimentation and innovation among its students in a variety of means of expression.
That's why I show you how founded Scottish music and the evolution that has taken until now letting us see its rich culture with the birth of Scotland makes more 4000 years that followed the construction of monuments such as the extraordinary megalithic monument Calanais Stones on the islands of the West and the impressive Ring of Brodgar in Orkney Islands witnessed the passage of the Romans and the arrival of the same Scots from Ireland. In that period, same Scotland was forging is an identity, as evidence the fact that Kenneth MacAlpin seven as King of Scots, which would mark the beginning of the Scottish Kingdom covering the period between the middle of the 9th century until the end of the 13th.

If music is the food of love, then the Scots are true romantics with a wide and varied diet! Whatever the style - whether the orchestral swell of James McMillan's classical work, the lyrical fluency of Dougie McLean's ballads, Blazing Fiddles' irresistably foot-tapping reels and jigs, or the singalong rockabilly of The Fratellis  - music is a vital part of the nation's cultural life.

It's celebrated across the country and throughout the year in large-scale gatherings like the Gaelic Mod, T in the Park or the Edinburgh International Festival, busy concerts at the Usher Hall or the Royal Concert Hall or more intimately in pubs, clubs and howffs in every town and village.

The instrument that most highlights of this land is the Great Scottish bagpipe wind instrument fed continuously by a reservoir of air in a bag.

There are numerous gaiteras bands, consisting of bagpipes and various types of drums, showing Scottish music styles while creating new ones, has spread around the world.

Other instruments also traditional Scottish, although less characteristic are the harp, violin and accordion, and especially

these last two are very prominent in Scottish country dance bands.

Currently, there are many successful bands of Scotland and its artists stand out in different styles.

The first appearance of the bagpipe is in Scotland in the late 1400s while it could have been introduced in Scotland from the 6th century.

The name of the "great Bagpipe" was associated with families and pipes hereditary in the professional Pipers to various heads of clans; pipes were later adopted for use in other locations, including military marching.

Traditional music

Traditional Scottish music isn't only about bagpipes and fiddles. Rather, it encompasses a range of styles and forms that emerged from different strands of the country's historical, geographical and social heritage.

Celtic folk

As in much of northern Europe, the story of Scotland’s roots scene begins amid the 'folk revival' of the 1960s, a time when folk song and traditional music engaged people who did not have strong family links with an ongoing tradition.

For many in Scotland, traditional music had skipped a generation and they had to make a conscious effort to learn about it. At first, the main influences were largely American - skiffle music and artists like Pete Seeger - but soon people started to look to their own traditions, taking inspiration from the Gaelic songs of Cathy-Ann McPhee, then still current in rural outposts, or the old travelling singers like the Stewarts of Blairgowrie, Isla Cameron, Lizzie Higgins, and the greatest of them all, Lizzie’s mother, Jeannie Robertson.

Folk music

Folk music takes many forms in a broad musical tradition, although the dividing lines are not rigid, and many artists work across the boundaries. Culturally, there is a split between the Gaelic tradition and the Scots tradition.

The oldest forms of music in Scotland are theorized to be Gaelic singing and harp playing. Although much of the harp tradition was lost through extinction, the harp is being revived by contemporary players. Later, the Great Highland Bagpipe appeared on the scene. The original music of the bagpipe is called Piobaireachd, this is the classical music of the bagpipe. 'piobaireachd' means 'big music' in Gaelic. Piobaireachd consists of a theme melody called the 'ground' followed by variations. Later, the style of 'light music,' including marches, strathspeys, reels, jigs, and hornpipes, became more popular. The British army adopted piping and spread the idea of pipe bands throughout the British Empire. Presently, piping is closely tied to band and individual competitions, although pipers are also experimenting with new possibilities for the instrument. Other forms of bagpipes also exist in the Scottish tradition; they are detailed in the piping section below.

Vocal music is also popular in the Scottish musical tradition. There are ballads and laments, generally sung by a lone singer with backing, or played on traditional instruments such as harp, fiddle, accordion or bagpipes. There are many traditional folk songs, which are generally melodic, haunting or rousing. These are often very specific to certain regions, and are performed today by a burgeoning variety of folk groups.

Art

 It's often said that Scotland's contribution to the worlds of engineering, medicine and science far outweighs its size as a nation. The same could also be said of it artistic endeavors. True, we haven't produced the individual genius of a Rembrandt or the collective talents on a par with the Impressionists but since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Scotland has nurtured successive generations of artists who have been ranked alongside the best of their contemporaries worldwide.



As we begin a new century, Scottish art is thriving. The country's four art schools continue to initiate experimentation and fresh thinking amongst their graduates across a wide range of media while the major galleries are promoting Scottish art to an unprecedented degree. Major exhibitions provide a welcome platform for almost every aspect of the nation's art history which in turn has ensured that the volatile art market has kept pace with it. Scottish art is thus the focus of greater debate, analysis and public interest than at any time in recent memory

 

Painting

Scottish painting is closely linked to the English artistic tradition, since many artists worked in London. Some were also great explorers, influenced the different European artistic movements. However, most remain unknown outside its borders. You can admire beautiful collections of Scottish painting in the national galleries in Edinburgh and the art museums in the country's major cities: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Perth, Dundee.

  
 

                   

Alexander Nasmyth



Landscapes and historical scenes

Alexander Nasmyth (1785-1859), an Assistant to Ramsay, gained renown as a landscaper (Robert Burns, The Windings of the Forth, Distant Views of Stirling).The Falls of the Clyde, of neoclassical Jacob More, is a good example of idealized reproduction of nature. Gavin Hamilton (1723-1798) painted large historical compositions (illustrations of the Iliad of Homer: The Abdication of Mary, Queen of the Scots) and gained fame in Rome. In century 19th there was a revival in interest in the Scottish landscape through the novels of Sir Walter Scott, and Horatio McCullough (1805-1867) was held by their landscapes in the Scottish Highlands. The artistic talent of David Wilkie (1785-1841) is evident in his popular scenes costumbrismo (Pitlessie Fair, Distraining for Rent the) or in his portraits (george IV), which shows the influence of Raeburn. The gentle Shepherd illustrates the pastoral poem of Ramsay.



David Wilkie

A new genus
  

The foundation of the Scottish Academy in 1836 allowed the talent of the country to flourish. William McTaggart (1835-1910) developed a very personal style as opposed to Victorian conventions: bold handling of the brush, light, richness of color effects; This is reflected in its spectacular marine (The Store, Dawn at is, the Fishers'Landing) and landscapes (Corn in the Ear, Spring, Rosslyn Castle: Autumn).

During the second half of the 19th century wealthy collectors and art dealers promoted the artistic activity of Glasgow. The works of the Glasgow School leave to see the influence of Impressionism and other European artistic movements, such as the school of the Hague.

There are many exceptional artists coming out of the school of fine arts of Glasgow: r. Colquhoun (1914-1962), in whose works titled The Dublin and Figures in a Farmyard reflected the influence of cubism, and r. MacBryde (1913-1966), author of The Backgammon pleasure and Fish on a Pedestal Table (original combination of unusual objects). Both Anne Redpath (1895-1973) - who painted beautiful landscapes (Village Temple) and budgones - belonged to the school of fine arts in Edinburgh.

William McTaggart

 

Anne Redpath

Latest trends

he New Image Group, from Glasgow, had printed his brilliant mark on the contemporary scene. The influence exerted by Fernand Léger and Mexican muralists is evident in the emphasis on the human being and the brutal force of the great compositions of Ken Currie (1960), as evidenced by his mural work The Glasgow Triptych. Get Howson (1958) also deals with social realism, but in a more poetic way. The works of Adrian Wiszniewsky (1958) give sample of an active imagination, while Stephan Campbell (1953) raises the enigmas of natural philosophy emphasizing the gesture and the metamorphosis.



To finish this essayis one of the features that are more internationally known Scotland is its traditional music, which has been kept alive throughout the 20^th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity because of pop music.

Despite all the changes of the population in Scotland, they have to developed sense of music imported from the rest of Europe and the United States, and his has led to the music of Scotland has kept many of its traditional aspects and that in fact this has influenced many forms of music. It tends to associate Scottish folk music with bagpipes.

Today Scotland currently hosts every year hundreds of national and international artists, in addition to housing some of most important festivals of the musical such as Dunbar Traditional Music Festival, panorama The Lammermuir Festival, Denholm Folk Festival and Dundee Jazz Festival.

I can say that art especially in the period of the Scotisah Illustration was I would say great cultural development for Scotland. Its artist and architecs were consciously cosmopolitan had an important role on the international scene.

In addition, painters such as Allan Ramsay, Gavin Hamilton, Henry  Raeburn and David Allan were artists of great European Importance.

References

Escocia. (2002-2011). Blog-escocia,  http://blog-escocia.com/cultura-de-escocia/musica-en-escocia

Escocia. (2002-2011). Blog-escocia,  http://blog-escocia.com/cultura-de-escocia/arte-en-escocia

Scotland, (2002-2011). Visitscotland, http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/scotland-factfile/arts-culture/music/