Traditional Scottish Dance

Dance is common to all cultures and this is especially true of the people of Scotland who take their traditional forms of dance very seriously. Dancing in Scotland dates back very far and over time many variations have emerged. Each dance has its own background and beginning. Whilst there are many Scottish dances, you'll find that traditional dancing normally falls into one of four main categories: Ceilidh, Cape Breton Step Dancing, Scottish Country Dancing and Highland Dancing. Ceilidh The Ceilidh dances are easy to learn and often look more difficult than they really are. Learning them is easy because the musicians and fellow dancers are always happy to help beginners learn the steps. The Ceilidh dances are very sociable, easy-going and good exercise when the pace increases. Scottish country dancing is similar to Ceilidh dancing but they are usually a little more formal, complex and better well-organized. Once you know the Ceilidh dance steps, you can join in anywhere in the world. Cape Breton Step Dancing This dance is mainly done solo and is done purely for stage performances where it is combined with traditional Scottish music. Cape Breton step dancing was almost lost in Scotland but fortunately it was preserved in Nova Scotia by Scottish emigrants. Recent years has seen it making a comeback in Scotland. It is very similar to the Irish hardshoe dances and the same types of shoes are used for this dance form. Scottish Country Dancing Scottish Country Dancing is mostly used at sociable gatherings - although it is often performed and there are even occasional competitions. This dance form is done in sets, normally of 3, 4 or 5 couples, that arrange themselves either in two lines (men facing ladies) or in a square. During the course of the dance, the dancers complete a set of formations enough times to bring them back to their opening positions. Highland Dancing Highland Dancing is usually performed solo by young people and is a very colorful and lively style of dance. Many Scots quote that there is no better scenery in Scotland than seeing a young kilted dancer, swaying and turning to the sounds of the traditional Scottish bagpipes. This form of dancing has become a very competitive one and the levels of standard had gone up immensely.

Interceltic festivals

Pipers at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient As one of the Celtic nations, Scotland is represented at interceltic events at home and around the world. Scotland is host to two interceltic music festivals the Scottish Arts Council funded Celtic Connections, Glasgow, and the Hebridean Celtic Festival, Stornoway that were founded in the mid 1990s.[13][14][15][16] Scottish culture is also represented at interceltic festivals of music and culture worldwide. Among the most well known are Festival Interceltique de Lorient held annually in Brittany since 1971 the Pan Celtic Festival, Ireland, and the National Celtic Festival, Portarlington, Australia.[17][18][19]

Banking and currency

Main article: Economy of Scotland Banking in Scotland also features unique characteristics. Although the Bank of England remains the central bank for the UK Government, three Scottish corporate banks still issue their own banknotes: the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank. These notes have no status as legal tender, (although no banknotes are Legal tender in Scotland.)

Folklore
Main article: Scottish folklore Halloween is a traditional and much celebrated holiday in Scotland on the night of Oct 31. [5] The name Halloween is first attested in the 16th century as a Scottish shortening of the fuller All-Hallows-Even,[6] and has its roots in the gaelic festival Samhain, where the Gaels believed the border between this world and the otherworld became thin, and the dead would revisit the mortal world.[7] Gaelic practices included; wearing costumes and masks that was an attempt to copy the spirits or placate them,[5][8] large communal bonfires would hence be lit to ward off evil spirits, turnips were hollowed-out and carved with faces to make lanterns also used to ward off harmful spirits,[5] going from door to door guising children disguised in costume requesting food or coins,[9] playing games such as apple bobbing.[10] Many of these traditional practices remain popular in Scotland on Halloween,

and further contemporary imagery of Halloween is derived from Gothic and Horror literature (notably Shelley's Frankenstein and Stoker's Dracula), and classic horror films (such as Hammer Horrors). Mass transatlantic Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century popularized Halloween in North America.[11]

Facts of Scottish culture

Scotland also has its own unique family of languages and dialects, helping to foster a strong sense of "Scottish-ness". See Scots language and Scottish Gaelic language. An organisation called Iomairt Cholm Cille has been set up to support Gaelic-speaking communities in both Scotland and Ireland and to promote links between them. [12] Scotland retains its own national church, separate from that of England. See Church of Scotland and Religion in the United Kingdom. The patron saints of Scotland is Saint Andrew, and Saint Andrew's Day is celebrated in Scotland on 30 November. Saint (Queen) Margaret, Saint Columba and Saint Ninian have also historically enjoyed great popularity. Scotland's Financial Services Industry While we cannot fail to recognise the scale of the long-term challenges the industry faces, the activities that the financial services industry undertakes have vital implications for the economy. The industry plays a key role in providing a range of services access to finance. The global economy is still in a period of turbulence and change as this Annual Report is published. However, the financial services industry continues to make a vital contribution to the strength of Scotland's economy, to our quality of life and to our growing international reputation as a world class location for business. It makes a major contribution to the life and economy of Scotland, now making a contribution of 8% to the country's output. Despite several Scottish-based companies announcing plans to reduce staff number, falling output and potential job cuts do not represent the industry-wide picture. Indeed, a number of major investment and expansion plans have been announcing. Scotland continues to build on the conditions for necessary growth. Scotland remains a sizeable, global centre for a range of financial services industries, including life & pensions and asset management. Scottish companies have also demonstrated strength in international markets, exporting financial services to the rest of the UK and worldwide. Scotland's most valuable resource, our people, will be instrumental in ensuring that the financial services industry in Scotland remains competitive as we come through this global downturn. The creation of a Financial Services Skills Gateway will produce a robust skills

demand statement setting out clearly its current and future skills needs to help supply-side organisations align provision to specific industry needs.