---
title: "40 Interesting Facts About Scotland"
url: https://www.kickassfacts.com/scotland-facts/
date: 2018-04-12
modified: 2018-04-12
lang: en
author: "jazz"
description: "Here are 40 Interesting Scotland facts. 1-5 Scotland Facts 1. The town of Dull in Scotland has been twinned with the town of Boring, Oregon since 2012. In 2013, the..."
categories:
  - "Countries"
  - "Fact List"
image: https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/scotland-article.jpg
word_count: 1174
---

# 40 Interesting Facts About Scotland

Here are 40 Interesting Scotland facts.

## 1-5 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/dull.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/dull.jpg)Image credit: gaelharrison.com

1. The town of Dull in Scotland has been twinned with the town of Boring, Oregon since 2012. In 2013, the town of Bland, [Australia](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-kickass-and-interesting-facts-about-australia-part-2-of-2/) joined them in what has become known as the 'Trinity of Tedium’. - [Source](https://www.good.is/articles/trinity-of-tedium)

2. An intricate, 300-year-old map of the world was discovered wedged into a chimney in Aberdeen to stop a draft. It was delivered to the National Library in Scotland for painstaking restoration. - [Source](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/found-an-intricate-17thcentury-map-stuffed-into-a-chimney)

3. Some areas in Scotland switched to blue street lights at night and saw a decrease in crime and [suicide](https://www.kickassfacts.com/30-suicide-facts/) rates. - [Source](https://psychcentral.com/blog/can-blue-colored-light-prevent-suicide/)

4. Operation Vegetarian was a 1942 plan by the British military to drop linseed cakes infected with anthrax on German fields where they would be eaten by cows and thus infect the civilian population that ate them, the test site in Scotland remained uninhabitable until the 1990’s. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Vegetarian)

5.  "Towser," a long-haired tortoiseshell female cat, is credited with killing an estimated 28,899 mice in 24 years of work as the resident pest control expert at Glenturret whiskey distillery in Scotland. [Guinness Book of Records](https://www.kickassfacts.com/17-interesting-facts-about-the-guinness-book-of-world-records/) recognizes her tally as the world record. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenturret_distillery#Towser_the_Mouser)

## 6-10 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/fried-pizza.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/fried-pizza.jpg)Image credit: uklocalnews.website

6. A popular dish in Scotland is a frozen pizza folded in half, dipped in batter and deep-fried. It is usually served with [salt](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-kickass-interesting-facts-about-salt/) and vinegar. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pizza_varieties_by_country#Scotland)

7. In 1348, the Scots invaded the English because they were weakened by the plague. The Scots subsequently caught the plague themselves, went back to Scotland, and killed their own population. - [Source](http://www.thenational.scot/culture/14864611.Scotland_Back_in_the_Day__Black_Death_changed_the_country_forever/)

8. The longest echo ever recorded in a man-made structure was set in an underground fuel depot constructed in Scotland before [WWII](https://www.kickassfacts.com/30-kickass-interesting-facts-about-world-war-2-part-1/) when a blank was fired from a pistol it lasted 112 Seconds. - [Source](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/now-weve-heard-it-all-acoustic-scientists-shatter-the-world-record-for-longest-ever-echo-9062134.html)

9. The first recorded utterance attributable to a native of Scotland was made when a Roman lady criticized the sexual morals of Caledonian women, and a Caledonian woman replied: "We consort openly with the best of men while you allow yourselves to be debauched in private by the worst”. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_conquest_of_Britain#Failure_to_conquer_Caledonia)

10. People lived in caves in Scotland until 100 years ago when it was outlawed. - [Source](https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/the-forgotten-cave-dwellers-of-scotland-s-far-north-1-3915730)

## 11-15 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Pound_sterling_note_selection.png)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Pound_sterling_note_selection.png)Image credit: en.wikipedia.org

11. Despite billions of pounds worth of being printed and used every year, there is no legal tender paper money in Scotland, even Scottish bank notes are not legal tender in Scotland. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banknotes_of_the_pound_sterling#The_question_of_legal_tender)

12. All Olympic curling stones are made of a rare type of granite that is only found on a tiny [island](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-interesting-facts-about-islands/) in Scotland. - [Source](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/sports/olympics/for-sale-craggy-isle-where-olympic-rocks-are-the-stars.html)

13. The king of Scotland sent two boys to be raised by a mute woman on an island, to try and discover if language was innate or learned. - [Source](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_deprivation_experiments)

14. Medical students in 18th-century Scotland could pay their tuition fees in corpses. - [Source](http://www.historickilmun.org/stories/a-grave-problem)

15. The infamous Red Wedding, from G.R.R. Martin's "A Storm of Swords", was inspired by real-life events which took place at Edinburgh Castle in 15th century Scotland, known as "The Black Dinner”. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Douglas#Black_Dinner)

## 16-20 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Over_the_bridge_to_Skye.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Over_the_bridge_to_Skye.jpg)Image credit: en.wikipedia.org

16. When Germany beat [England](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-interesting-facts-about-england/) in a game of football ferry workers in Scotland let any car with German license plates go for free. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skye_Bridge)

17. The town of Larkhall, Scotland, hates the color green so strongly that their Subway is painted black instead. - [Source](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/scottish-town-where-green-is-beyond-the-pale-981747.html)

18.  Scotland is actually the intellectual birthplace of the modern world. Craig Ferguson made a joke about the Scottish Enlightenment and suggested doubters look it up. Turns out the Scots were at the forefront of the Enlightenment. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Enlightenment)

19. Scotland once tried to become a colonial power. The colony failed so spectacularly that it became a large factor in Scotland becoming part of the United Kingdom. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darien_scheme)

20. In 1836, a group of young boys discovered a group of 17 miniature coffins buried in a cave outside Edinburgh, Scotland. The coffins contain tiny dolls, each individually dressed, and the coffins all differ in their decoration. No one knows who buried them, when, or why. - [Source](https://ridiculouslyinteresting.com/2012/06/29/the-mysterious-coffins-of-arthurs-seat/)

## 21-25 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Flag_of_Scotland.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Flag_of_Scotland.jpg)

21. There is about 2 times as many people of Scottish ancestry living in the United States and [Canada](https://www.kickassfacts.com/30-kickass-interesting-facts-about-canada-part1/) compared to Scotland. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_people)

22. There is an Island off of Scotland where wallabies have happily inhabited and adapted to the climate there since the 1940s. - [Source](https://www.scotsman.com/news/the-loch-lomond-island-home-to-wallabies-and-how-to-get-there-1-4205617)

23. There is a private garden in Scotland based almost entirely on fractals and mathematics. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Cosmic_Speculation)

24. The Scottish parliament and the Tourist Board of Scotland in 2007 spent £125,000 coming up with the slogan "Welcome to Scotland”. - [Source](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scotlands-new-125k-sloganwelcome-to-scotland-963528)

25. The same castle in Scotland was used as Winterfell and throughout Monty Python and the Holy Grail. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doune_Castle#Monty_Python_and_the_Holy_Grail)

## 26-30 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/scotland-whisky.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/scotland-whisky.jpg)

26. 90% of Scotch whisky made in Scotland is exported. - [Source](https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Qwufwl4w3NMC&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=90+percent+of+scotch+is+exported&source=bl&ots=iZYaWBDtbF&sig=LkNABOVnaSori-Er4Y8mRjYq79M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=d4lfVL74FsOcNveWhMAD&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=90%20percent%20of%20scotch%20is%20exported&f=false)

27. "Frankenstein" mummies were found in Scotland. 2 bodies made out of 6 people. - [Source](https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/07/120706-bog-mummies-body-parts-frankenstein-ancient-science/?source=link_fb20120706news%3Dfrankmummies&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20120706news%3Dfrankmummies&utm_campaign=Content)

28. A woman in Scotland registered herself by accident as a tourist attraction, becoming the nations 87th best destination. - [Source](http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/27/woman-inadvertently-becomes-87th-best-glasgow-attraction-after-tripadvisor-mistake-4325826/)

29. All Scottish Folds are descended from a single cat named Susie, found on a farm in Scotland in 1961, who was killed by a car three months after producing the first Scottish Fold kittens. - [Source](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Fold#Origin)

30. In the Harry Potter universe, Hogwarts is located in Scotland, not England. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogwarts)

## 31-35 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Skara-Brae.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Skara-Brae.jpg)Image credit: youtube.com

31. In 1850, a severe storm in Scotland eroded a hillock, thus revealing "Skara Brae", a well preserved Neolithic settlement. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skara_Brae)

32. Scotland actually has [dolphins](https://www.kickassfacts.com/30-interesting-facts-dolphins/), not just any dolphins but the worlds largest bottlenose dolphins. - [Source](http://www.wdcs.org/national_regions/scotland/shorewatch/bottlenose_dolphin.php)

33. The Appalachian trail is being extended into Scotland, due to the shared cultural and geological heritage. - [Source](http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/highlights/2010/ScotlandInIAT.html)

34. King James I of Scotland was trapped in a drain and killed because it was blocked to prevent the loss of tennis balls. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tennis#Royal_origins)

35. In the 18th century, to discreetly tax rich people more, Scotland imposed window taxes based on the number of windows your residence had. To this day you can see many bricked over windows from that time. - [Source](http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/articles/window_tax.html)

## 36-40 Scotland Facts

[![](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Badbea.jpg)](https://www.kickassfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Badbea.jpg)Image credit: en.wikipedia.org

36. The village of Badbea in Scotland was so windy that children and animals had to be tied to posts or rocks to stop them being blown away. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badbea#Daily_life)

37. Researchers in Scotland conducted a study on the effects of [music](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-kickass-and-interesting-facts-about-music/) on dogs' behavior. They played a variety of music to [dogs](https://www.kickassfacts.com/25-kickass-and-interesting-facts-about-dogs-part-2/) and assessed physiological and behavioral changes. The dogs responded most positively when they were played reggae and soft rock over other genres of music. - [Source](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-38757761)

38. Half of Scotland is owned by as few as 500 landlords. - [Source](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/10/scotland-land-rights)

39. There is a semi-feral breed of sheep in Orkney, Scotland, banned from grassland to preserve grazing, which adapted to survive on seaweed. - [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ronaldsay_sheep)

40. The largest chunk of ice to fall from the sky was in Scotland in 1849. After a tremendously loud sound of thunder, a 6 meter wide ice mass weighing half a ton fell from the sky and narrowly missed a farmhouse. - [Source](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-piece-of-fallen-ice)