You're correct - all of us are British, but English people have the habit of referring to the UK as England. Since the time of Thatcher, much resentment was caused in Scotland by her government's anti Scottish policies, leaving us all now with a drift away from the the UK. "Britain", as you say, means also the "UK." And with any smaller country adjacent to a larger one, you tend to get people being assertive about their culture etc. Scotland has 5 million to England's 60.

All have the same passport, a British or UK passport.

Braveheart, I'm sorry to say, is Tartan Hollywood, portraying the "evil" English, and the "brave" Highlanders. It follows the cliches of a Western movie. None of this is accurate.

Incidentally, Scotland holds two main cultures - the Highland area - initially Gaelic speaking, and Lowland Scotland, which always spoke what we now call English (Northern English) since varieties of that language formed in these islands. The Scots were historically hostile to the Highlanders, and were part of the army which routed them at Culloden. Scots kings passed a number of laws against Highlanders.

After the Highlanders were defeated, many emigrated to, for example, the US, or Australia, where they inflicted the same horrors on Native Americans or Aborigines, that were inflicted on them.

Excellent, thanx for that bit of history. Helps me understand the culture and how present sentiments were formed.

Regarding financial matters, there's no difference in income tax and health care between any of the UK's countries, right?

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J A Y | Riding a 98 Suzuki DR650
Current ride thru Latin Am and Africa > Jammin thru the Global South

I think to understand the difference you would need to live here. To understand the reasons for the difference you would need to learn the history. The above brief of Scottish history is not really correct.

The Clearances were not really an emigration, in the sense of choosing a place in the sun.

The Enlightenment was only possible because of the union with England, 1707. The Enlightenment meant Scotland led the world in many fields, for a brief time. This happened after the last rebellion, and resulted in Scots doing some pretty amazing things in this world. The argument now is whether the union is holding Scotland back, whereas before it clearly benefited Scotland.

It's wrong to say that the Highlanders only went off and raped and pillaged the lands they ended up in.

The Scots (who are they?) were not historically hostile to the Highlands. That's misleading when you don't clarify the period or the region. Scots (old) have ruled all the way down to Northumbria, with the whole country united during periods.

Highlanders fought Highlanders at times. Clan rivalry coming before anything else. It wasn't simply a lowland v highland thing. All sides were at Culloden, and the other fights.

However, Scotland has a much longer history as a country in its own right than it does as part of the UK. The Thatcher years were just one time of many where Scottish interests have been ignored in favour of the English voters/interests. Long before Thatcher there have been problems with conflicts of interest.

But, this isn't a history web site. So....

Regarding finance, tax is the same (for now). Regarding health, although Scotland was the leading force in health (a way back now) we are lumbered with the same inept administration as most developed countries and the health system is not as good as it could be. You will always be treated in an emergency though, and it's free.

Dear Jammin - are you mental?!

Exactly - the cost of living here is atrocious - (real world) inflation is currently running at 30%, fuel prices are extortionate, there are more speed cameras and CCTV in this country than any other in the world, yet crime (particularly petty, anti-social, and even serious violence) continues to increase... and don't get me started on the petty bureaucracy and countless laws that have been introduced that seem to only affect/restrict/oppress the law abiding...

If you do decide to come to the UK, for goodness sake live in the south east so you can get to the rest of Europe quickly...

Seriously.

xxx

with respect, he'd have to be mental to live in the south east. it's only 8 hours to france from edinburgh, and less from most parts of northern england. and the north is even closer.

classic british/english association, from today:

LONDON (Reuters) - Young Britons are to get the chance to go to the theater for free in a bid to drum up new audiences, the government said on Tuesday.

The 2.5 million pound scheme, which will run from February 2009, will involve 95 venues across England with a proportion of tickets given away free to anyone under 26.

Oh I agree, which is why I moved from Sussex to Wales... but I'm sure you appreciate I was being somewhat facetious... x

Mind you, goodness knows how you can get from Edinburgh to France in 8 hours? - unless you fly...

xxx

throttle to the stop, and inside the channel tunnel train before the door closes (or it goes on fire!)

Hee hee - and at 2am I reckon... that's gotta be some going fella!

xxx

Hi Jammin,

To answer your question about the weather: the rain here doesn't really fit into any particular 'type' - we get all sorts! Being close to the ocean and all that entails means our weather is very unpredictable. The last couple of years have been quite poor weather wise, but we do sometimes have good years, you just have to be philosophical about it. If you go out often enough you'll have soon crappy days and some good, and even some fantastic ones. The weather is undoubtedly better down south but, personally, I feel our poor weather is outweighed by the other benefits of living in Scotland. One thing you'll learn if you come here is the importance of good weather-proof gear!

Regarding British History: it is enormously complicated and open to interpretation. The main thing to realise is that, save for a tiny minority of small minded bigots and half-witted football fans, we all get on pretty well.

Matt

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http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

The media have never been too worried with accuracy. According to ABC news in the US last week, Lloyds of London was taken over by a bank in Scotland, in other words, wrong Lloyds, wrong way round, but for 200m Americans, who cares?

I think Jammin is over-researching the issue. As mountainboy suggested, look for a job, check the salary, check local house prices or rents, go on a few tourist sites, local forums whatever, then decide if it's somewhere you want to live.

I too love mountains and the coast but I don't live near either and I'm not planning to uproot the family just to improve my quality of life by a few degrees. Compared to the US, the UK is tiny and you're never too far from anywhere. From Leicestershire, I can get cross-country to Wales, the Lake District, or the West Country in a few hours. And roads around here are okay for biking too.

Having said that, if I had a blank canvas like Jammin, I'd think seriously about Scotland too. Don't mind the weather, great roads, scenery, less crowded, and as somebody mentioned on another part of the HUBB, a new ferry service starting up to Holland soon so you don't have to suffer riding down through England (which will keep both sides happy!)

Indoors,

I live up in the north east coast of scotland just north of aberdeen, there is a huge shortage of engineering staff in the oil industry so plenty of jobs at the moment.
Weather is not as nice up here as it is in central scotland or england it is colder but we get less rain than the west coast of scotland. Its not like hot countries that have set seasons and the weather gets very random all year round and can change even a few miles away with all the micro climates from the small coves, glens ect.

gaelic language is mostly west coast and islands of scotland, not really highlanders and even then very few speak it there.

Roads are ok not any motorways up here at best you will get a 2 lane dual carriageway and theres not many of them north of aberdeen. Most all year bikers are considered mental as lots of ice in winter so you may want a car for oct/nov-march. OH and they favour the throwing lots of loose stones on a bed of tar method on a lot of roads up here[ letting the cars flatten it] so beware.

House prices vary, a bit expensive in aberdeen and maybe upto 30 miles out then drop a huge amount 140k will get a nice 2 bedroom semi 45 minutes drive from the city centre double that for one in the city suburbs, nothing compared to english prices though. Rental of a nice 2 bedroom flat/apartment in centre of town is around £600-750 houses in the suburbs are around the same rental.

Aberdeens not really a big city 20 minutes your in the countryside, plenty of bars and clubs, a few casinos and all the usual attractions. Royal deeside is a very popular ride with bikers and it is a very pretty part of the country. Lots of nature reserves and glens to investigate as well as large amounts of trails[no bikes on them though]. The whisky trail and castle trails are also nice runs.

Scotlands not that big a place the major cities are only a few hours drive apart.

Um, not sure about that.
The UK is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Therefore, NI is not part of Britain, but is part of the UK.

There is no such thing as a "British Passport". Passports for UK citizens are issued by the United Kingdom Passport Authority (or Agency or whatever - but it begins with A.)

So there are 3 levels of nationality/citizenship to be confused by...

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Simon

London-Cape Town 2004-06
Buenos Aires-Vancouver 2008-10:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fitzpatrick

Y'wha'?
Just trying to help with the original question about UK/Britain/England/Scotland/Wales/NI.
England is not Britain and Britain is not the UK. Neither England nor Britain issue passports; the UK does.

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Simon

London-Cape Town 2004-06
Buenos Aires-Vancouver 2008-10:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fitzpatrick

...maybe I meant Great Britain, not Britain. Apparently Britain = The UK, and Great Britain = England, Scotland and Wales.

How should I know? I've only lived in it since 1966.

From Wikipedia:

" "Great Britain" refers to three quarters of the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" (UK). It refers only to the largest island within the union.
In 1975 the government affirmed that the term Britain, not Great Britain, could be used as a shortened form of the United Kingdom.[citation needed] British refers, however, to all citizens of the United Kingdom, Welsh, Scottish, English and Northern Irish."

So Britain, but not Great Britain, is the UK and therefore does issue passports.
Or summink.

__________________
Simon

London-Cape Town 2004-06
Buenos Aires-Vancouver 2008-10:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fitzpatrick

Honestly, if i were you, I'd give the UK a wide birth... This country is buggered.
The best country i have ever been to, and if i spoke the lingo i would go in a shot, is germany.
But thats just my opinion!!