8.Read theText. The last great wilderness

Scotland is, in fact, a part of Great Britain. It is governed from London but in many ways it is a separate nation. It has its own capital city, Edinburgh, its own laws, its own stamps, its own educational system. It even has its own language, Gaelic, where a lake is called a „loch”, a stream is called a „burn” and a valley is called a „glen”.

There are only about five million Scots, and most of them live in the southern half of the country called „Lowland”, where the major cities are situated. Scottish traditions are still going strong: a long time ago the society was divided into big family groups called clans. Each clan had a different coloured tartan and its name was preceded by „Mac” which means „son of”. Some of these clans still exist today and all the tartans can be found in the form of kilts, jackets, hats and blankets.

Today Scotland is very popular. Most holiday visitors to Scotland go to the Highlands because of the high mountains and deep valleys, clean rivers and old castles. You can’t go to Scotland without visiting Loch Ness and looking for monster Nessie.

The Highlands are home to many rare birds and animals, like the golden eagle and the wildcat, which are found nowhere else in Britain. Besides beautiful green areas, the Highlands offer entertaining activities too. Every year, there are traditional celebrations called The Highland Games, where clansmen compete in sports events, take part in Scottish dancing or play the bagpipes in competitions.

But it is a lonely, mild and empty land. The population is getting smaller all the time. Perhaps the Highlands of Scotland will become the last great wilderness of Europe. The Highlands of Scotland are well worth visiting!