Scotland is one of the four constituent nations, along with England, Northern Ireland, and Wales, forming the United Kingdom. It shares its southern border with England.
On the map, Scotland is located between 55.95° N and 3.18° W in Europe. Local Time is UTC + 0h, Daylight Saving Time (DST) UTC + 1 from March to October.
The climate is temperate though not as severe as other countries and regions falling on the same latitude. The weather is strongly influenced by the seas and oceans around it and experiences strong cold arctic winds along with warm air flowing from the gulf stream.
The total land area of Scotland is 30,087 sq miles and comprises around 800 islands found mostly on its west side. The long coastline faces the Irish Sea and North Channel to the west and south-west, the Atlantic Ocean on its west and north, and the North Sea to its east.
Distance by air between Scotland and countries of the region
- Edinburgh – Oslo, Norway: 579 miles
- Edinburgh – Copenhagen, Denmark: 611 miles
- Edinburgh – Stockholm, Sweden: 816 miles
- Edinburgh – Reykjavik, Iceland: 853 miles
- Edinburgh – Dublin, Ireland: 219 miles
- Edinburgh – London: 332 miles
- Edinburgh – Amsterdam: 410 miles
- Edinburgh – Berlin: 709 miles
- Edinburgh – Faroe Islands: 431 miles
Northern Scotland is mostly made up of the Isles of Shetland, Orkney, Hebrides, Skype, and Arran. The beautiful Scottish landscape is home to expansive meadows, lochs, and thick forests. The terrain is mountainous in the Highlands, hilly Southern Uplands, and mostly flat in the central parts.
Scotland is a country with some of the most beautiful lochs – loch is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for lake and sea inlet.
The Top 5 largest lochs by size:
- Loch Lomond: 27.41 sq mile
- Loch Ness: 21.62 sq mile
- Loch Awe: 15.07 sq mile
- Loch Maree: 11.04 sq mile
- Loch Tay: 10.19 sq mile
The Top 5 highest mountains in Scotland:
- Ben Nevis: 1344 m
- Ben Macdui: 1309 m
- Braeriach: 1296 m
- Cairn Toul: 1291 m
- Sgòr an Lochain Uaine: 1258 m