So what’s so special about Scotland?

We asked people working in ELT in Scotland to tell us what makes the country so special. Here are the thoughts of Amanda Henderson and David R. Hill (Institute for Applied Language Studies, University of Edinburgh). Thanks also to Jane McKinlay (ECS Scotland) and Lorraine Morrison (Glasgow School of English) for their comments.

The people

In fact there are very few people in Scotland only 5 million compared to the 60 million in England. For every Scot in their native land, there are thought to be at least five more overseas who can claim Scottish ancestry. This is now a key motivator for people visiting Scotland: to trace their roots and experience a true feeling of belonging. Famous people with Scottish ancestry include Elvis Presley, Mel Gibson, Eminem and Johnny Cash!

Scots are famous for their friendliness and the warmth of their welcome. Of course, people vary a great deal. Glasgow and Edinburgh might be only 40 miles apart, but people from Edinburgh find it hard to understand Glaswegian jokes. The Highlanders have a completely different outlook on life from the Lowlanders. And if you move away from the central belt, you find yourself in a new situation altogether.

One difference that will strike you about the people is that the proportion of African, South Asian and Chinese is very small compared that in London and other parts of England. You will see many Asian and Chinese restaurants and shops, but the largest community from overseas is now likely to be from Poland; there are 20,000 Polish immigrants in Edinburgh alone and 5,000 in the much smaller Inverness.

Famous Scots include the film stars Sean Connery and Ewan McGregor, and pop performers Annie Lennox and Franz Ferdinand. Scotland is famous for its writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame, Ian Rankin, Iain Banks, Alexander McCall Smith, J. K. Rowling, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott. The number of writers that Scotland has produced is one of the reasons why Edinburgh became UNESCO’s fist World City of Literature.

Scotland has also produced its fair share of inventors such as James Watt (light bulb), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), John Logie Baird (television) John Dunlop (pneumatic tyre) and Alexander Fleming (penicillin) to name but a few.

The Place

Scotland has been described as “the best small country in the world”, which is certainly true for Scottish people. With such a low population there’s lots of space, much of it wild hills and mountains; it’s not much use economically, but it’s incredibly beautiful, especially in the sunshine after the rain. If you are in the right place at the right time, you may see a view of hills, islands and sea that will make you want just to look and look and look, or just take another photograph.

Because Scotland is small it is easy to get a feel for its geography, history and culture in a short time. The great castles and churches give you a sense of medieval times, the huge country houses and stone-built houses and tenements give you a feeling for the 18th and 19th centuries, while the new Parliament building will give anyone from Spain a particularly warm welcome, as it was designed by the great Catalan architect Enric Miralles.

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, has a unique character of its own. With approximately 400,000 inhabitants, it’s very compact and therefore ideal for discovering on foot. Wander into different districts and experience the unique atmospheres of the New Town, the Waterfront at Leith, Arthur’s Seat (an extinct volcano), Stockbridge, Bruntsfield and Morningside.

Glasgow, in contrast, is the largest city in Scotland and is very much a working city. There are some great buildings here that bear testament to the city’s industrial heritage. Some of the world’s largest ships were built here. Glasgow now boasts the best retail experience in Scotland and is renowned for its happening nightlife!

Beyond Edinburgh and Glasgow a visit to Scotland wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Highlands and islands the backdrop to so much of Scottish history. The Isle of Skye is probably the favourite island tourist destination. Its wild landscape and beautiful sunsets are unmissable. You can also visit innumerable castles (Eilean Donan, for example), battlefields (Bannockburn and Culloden), breathtaking mountains and lochs (Scottish lakes). A visit to Scotland wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Loch Ness to see if you can spot Nessie, the Loch Ness monster!

The culture

Scotland is steeped in history and rich culture of which Scots are famously proud. The stereotypical Scot wearing a kilt, playing bagpipes and eating haggis is not as widespread as visitors might hope, but if you know where to look you won’t be disappointed.

Several years ago kilts came back into fashion and young men started wearing them again. They’re very popular at rugby matches, especially the international matches at Murrayfield. If you’re in the centre of town then you’ll probably hear the sound of bagpipes. There’s usually a bagpipe player outside Waverley Station in Edinburgh. As for the haggis, despite what locals might tell you, haggis do not run around the hills. If you are determined to try the famous dish of Scotland, keep your eyes peeled in restaurants and pubs that often serve it with “neeps and tatties” (turnips and potatoes). Alternatively, most supermarkets sell it in the fridge section.

A ceilidh is a popular social event that involves traditional music and Scottish country dancing. Scots really do love country dancing. In fact, at most weddings it’s preferable to a disco! Language schools organise ceilidhs. Otherwise, check out the assembly rooms in Edinburgh (which sometimes hold ceilidhs for charity) or the bandstand in Princes Street Gardens beneath the castle, where there are sometimes ceilidhs in the summer.

Most language and teacher-training centres provide tours and Scottish entertainment as part of their courses, so you will return home not only with better English but also able to dance Scottish reels. You may acquire a taste for haggis, whisky, shortbread, or Irn Bru, an orange-coloured drink that outsells Pepsi and Coca-Cola and is a very good cure for hangovers. You may even buy a kilt, though a good one will cost as much as a two-week language course. You can use the Internet to find out about Scotlands many festivals. Of course, the Edinburgh International Festival in August is the most famous, but every town and city has its own, and Glasgow says that it smiles better (= Glasgow’s miles better).

The weather

Yes, there is quite a lot of rain, an added attraction for people coming from hot countries, but the weather is always changing. It can be wet in the morning but sunny in the afternoon, stormy in Edinburgh but calm in Glasgow, snowing in Shetland and warm in the Borders. No-one can tell what it will be like tomorrow!

The English

The most important thing about Scotland is that it is not England and not even very like England. This is perhaps not surprising since many millions of years ago England and Scotland were on different tectonic plates. At the new Museum of Scotland you can find out when and how the two countries joined.

However, the Scots do speak English! Gaelic exists and is still spoken by some people on the islands and in the far north, but the vast majority of people speak English, making Scotland the ideal place to study English or to take a teacher-training or development course.

Accent isn’t really an issue. Yes, the Scots do have an accent, but it is no harder or different from the myriad of accents in England in places such as Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle, or even in Ireland! In any case, the accent you pick up very much depends on the teacher, who might not even be Scottish.

Scotland really can’t be beaten for a study break. If you are looking for a rich language experience that will immerse you in a culture that’s distinctly different from elsewhere in the United Kingdom, Scotland is the place for you. So the next time you want to improve your English or attend a course for teachers, give England a miss and come straight to Scotland. You’ll have a wonderful time.

P.S.: Don’t mention its football team!