Scotland is situated in the Northern part of Great Britain. The country is surrounded by many islands, and the mainland is a part of the island of Great Britain. Scotland's first inhabitants were known as Picts, a Celtic tribe. There are over 300 castles in Scotland. Every place in Scotland has some history behind it, and is well-known for its scenic beauty. There are many historic sites like burial chambers, standing stones, sepulchers, and castles of Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The beautiful castles in Bothwell (Glasgow), Crathes village in Aberdeenshire and Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh (the British monarch's official residence in Scotland), are some examples of the rich heritage of Scotland. Scotland has about 600 square miles of freshwater lakes. Loch Ness is the largest (by volume) freshwater lake and the most visited place in Scotland, where visitors love to explore the natural beauty, wildlife, and catch a glimpse of Nessie, the famous Loch Ness monster. Scotland's climate is seldom hot, varying between the rainy and cold seasons. Scotland occupies about 790 offshore islands and includes island groups such as Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebrides. Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is one of the largest financial centers of Europe. Glasgow is the country's second largest and also one of the largest industrial cities in the world. The Scottish economy is dominated by heavy industries, such as steelmaking, shipbuilding and coal mining. When we talk about Scottish people, we cannot separate them from their culture which is visible in its art and craft, clothing, music, and sports. Glimpses of their unique past and rich culture are visible even today in their lifestyle. Scottish people or Scots are an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. Even today, the vibrant Scottish people proudly uphold their strong traditions. Farmers or crofters, as they are called, live in Highlands and islands of Scotland, which include the Northwestern hilly regions of Scotland. The Scots are very warmhearted and known to have a great sense of humor. The basis of Scottish clothing is tartan and kilt. A kilt is a traditional dress made of tartan patterns (interlocked horizontal and vertical stripes in multiple colors). The Scottish kilt is worn by both men and women, as a formal dress on special occasions or at Highland games or events. Historically, Scottish people are associated with many different languages such as Pictish, Norse, Norman-French, and Brythonic, but today none of these are in use. Today, Scottish English, a dialect of the English language, is widely spoken. Judaism was followed in Scotland during the Middle Ages. Most Scottish people follow Christianity; but in recent times, other religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism are also practiced, mainly through immigration. Oats, barley, and dairy products are considered as pillars of the rural and urban diet of Scotland. Scottish people are fond of good food. Usually, Scottish people grow their own vegetables and prepare a wide variety of soups and stews; porridge is their staple breakfast. The Scots love to drink tea. The women are known for their cooking and baking skills. A list of a few traditional Scottish recipes would include, the Black Bun (traditional Scottish cake served at New Year), Scotch Pie (double-crust meat pie), shortbread oatcakes, and smoked salmon. Haggis made from sheep's pluck, is another traditional delicacy of Scotland. Scotland is renowned all over the world for its famous cheese, shellfish (lobsters and oysters), dairy products, Aberdeen-Angus, a breed of beef cattle known for its rich and tasty meat, and Scotch Whisky. The latter is famous all over the world and brings huge income to Scotland. Scotland is known for Celtic art, in the form of jewelry, artworks, and silverwork. On the Isle of Iona (Scotland's west coast) fantastic, carved stone monuments and crosses were made in the golden age of Celtic art in the early 20th century. The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, known for its fabulous art collections, houses 4000-year-old carved stone balls belonging to the Bronze Age, carvings, and artifacts, ornamental gold objects and religious carvings and illuminated manuscripts from medieval times. Scotland is famous for its contemporary arts, crafts, sculptures, paintings, and landscapes. The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh is home to an outstanding collection of paintings, sculptures, prints, and recent works of artists. The Red Rag, a leading art gallery in UK, promotes the finest art collections of Scottish artists. Bagpipers and dancers are a delight to watch at gatherings in Scotland. Highland dances are more difficult to perform and require great stamina and skill. The Highland dances have their base in the ancient folk customs and were earlier performed by only Scottish men; but now they are performed by women as well. The Highland Fling and the Sword dance are the oldest traditional Highland dances of Scotland. Male warriors performed the dances to celebrate their victory after returning from war. Now, they are performed at national events and dance competitions. One can take a glimpse of Scottish culture at the annual festival called Scottish Highland games. Scotland is known for its traditional folk music and has influenced music across the globe. Their music ranging from bagpipers to contemporary folk music is truly amazing, and it continues to entertain people. Scotland has made many contributions to the world of music. MacUmba is a unique group of musicians based in Scotland, who fuse the traditional sounds of Scottish bagpipes with musical rhythms of Brazil. They have played at many events and festivals across the globe, and continue to entertain the audience all over the world. Scottish rock bands like Runrig and Wolfstone, famous for fusion of Celtic folk with rock rhythms, have made a mark on the global map. Scotland hosts the International Festival of Music and Drama at Edinburgh every year. The music and drama festival has come a long way since it was started in 1947; and today, it is one of the world's largest cultural events. Every year, Scotland celebrates the Burns an' a' that festival on the 25th January, the birth anniversary of the national poet of Scotland, Sir Robert Burns. During this festival, fantastic food, dancing, traditional music, literary, and poetry events are organized. The Scottish opera and Scottish ballet are two companies which perform the art traditions in Scotland as well as across the world. Scottish people are very fond of sports, and it forms a very essential part of their culture. Scots are passionate about variety of sports, so great sports facilities are provided across the country. Though, Scotland is renowned as the home of golf, but Scottish people also follow soccer with great passion. England is their favorite soccer opponent. Scots also enjoy traditional sports like hammer throwing, tossing the pole, light and heavy athletics, and Scottish wrestling which is performed at clan gatherings. Recently, Tennis has become a popular sport in Scotland. The famous Scottish tennis player Andy Murray has made the country proud by winning major tennis championships.