1res européennes

 

January 15, 2026

A proud Scotsman going down the steep trail of Conic Hill with a view on Loch Lomond in the background. Located to the north-west of Glasgow, it is the largest freshwater lake in Scotland.

 

Scotland


© National Geographic.

1 | Geography : A country of Northern Europe


Scotland within Northern Europe. © National Geographic.

 

With a population of 5.45 million inhabitants in 2019 (66.984 in the UK), Scotland is more populated than Norway (5.4 million inhabitants) and slightly less than Danemark (5.86). The land area is 30,000 square miles (77,900 square kilometers) which represents one third of the UK.

Like many European countries, Scotland has an aging, increasingly multicultural population. In 1980, more than 99% of the Scots were white British. In 2011, they were down to 91%. There is a sharp contrast between the Lowlands, a densely populated area with big cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the Highlands, the bigger part of Scotland, with a scattered population.

2 | Political autonomy : The Scottish devolution

❑ Devolution is the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration. In 1998, the Scotland Act was passed and the Scottish Parliament was established one year later. Large powers (except for reserved matters like defence and foreign policy) were granted by the UK Parliament to the devolved Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish government led by First Minister John Swinney (Scottish National Party or SNP), who was elected First minister by the Scottish Parliament on 7 May 2024, thanks to the abstention of the Greens. It is a minority government, supported by 60 out of 129 members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

 

3 | Identity : What does it mean to be Scottish ?

➣ WATCH : Scotland and the battle for Britain, a documentary by Andrew Marr (2014). Andrew Marr, now retired, was a foremost BBC showman and publicist in the first two decades of the 21st century. Marr is a Scot. This documentary was made in the context of the independence referendum. Marr is aware of how much Scotland has changed between the time of his childhood in the aftermath of WW2 and what it is now : from loyalist, conservative, traditional and patriarcal, it has become nationalist, leftish, often led by women. The second episode can be viewed here.

January 22, 2026

➪ Subjects on Scotland, all available for orals except № 2 :

  1. Poverty in Scotland and inequalities of income in the UK.
  2. Devolution or independence ? The political situation in Scotland. [This subject is not intended for orals. It will be used in class].
  3. The May 2026 general election. What is the current political situation in Scotland ?
  4. The Scottish oil : a blessing or a curse ?

January 29, 2026

4 | Devolution or independence ?

❑ Devolution means self-government at the regional level. The UK only retains authority on defence and foreign policy.

❑ Independence would mean that Scotland would be a state of its own, a sovereign state. And Scotland is large enough to be one. In that case (with Scottish independence), strong>the UK would cease to exist.

❑ Back in the mid-20th century, Scotland was industrial and unionist. it was unionist in both senses : in the sense of the workers’ trade unions, and in the sense of loyalty to the UK. The Labour party brought a lot of things to Scotland : railways, housing, and education with scholarships for the poor. It was the welfare state.

❑ Then, deindustrialisation destroyed that society. Unemployment grew. The Scots started to vote for the Scottish national party (SNP), a new party on the left. The SNP is post-industrial. It has become Scotland’s leading party (though not, as of today, with an overall majority). And it supports independence.

❑ What are the assets of Scotland ? Scotland has huge oil and gas deposits, but it is an expensive oil, located offshore. It is deep. And oil does not benefit to the many. The SNP supports sustainable development. It is against the use of fossile fuels. They’re for renewables (wind and solar energy).

A British nuclear-powered, ballistic missile submarine entering Faslane. The UK, like France, is a nuclear power with a minimum deterrence consisting in four submarines, each carrying 16 missiles. Those submarines are also known as “Trident”, after the name of the American-made missile which they carry.

❑ Another big issue : Faslane, the home of the British deterrent. For the UK, Scotland’s independence, which is still part of the SNP’s agenda, would mean losing its deterrent, and ceasing to be a great power. Besides, the SNP rejects nuclear weapons.