Religion

Scottish Presbyterians have been meeting in 'kirk sessions" ever since John Knox thundered his fiery sermons from the pulpit of St. Giles in the 1560's. Today, their denomination is the official, as well as the largest, church in the country. The Church of Scotland, as it is called, claims the adherence of nearly half the population. Roman Catholics, particularly strong in the western Highlands, make up the second-largest group of worshippers.

Education

To the Scots, education is extremely important, and they start sending their children to school at 5 years of age. At 12, Scottish youngsters generally graduate from elementary to secondary schools, where they must continue until they are 16. Higher education may be pursued at eight universities and dozens of other specialized institutions. Four of the Scottish universities, those of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, are more than 400 years old.

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