ABSTRACT
Scotland is a small country with a population of 5.3 million people occupying the northern third of Great Britain and one of four countries that constitute the United Kingdom alongside England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The Acts of Union in 1707 joined Scotland to England to create Great Britain, but since the union the continued existence of legal, educational, religious and other institutions distinct from those in the UK have contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and national identity. Following the Enlightenment in the 18th century, Scotland was transformed into one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial centres of Europe. This has affected Scottish culture illustrated in the strong literary, political and intellectual heritage of the country underpinned by a promotion of social justice (Bryce, Humes, Gillies & Kennedy, 2013). In recent times, Scottish identity has been exerted through devolution from the UK parliament in 1999 and the subsequent independence referendum in 2015.
