Scotland

Scotland is one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. It was historically an entrely separate kingdom, but became more closely linked with England when the crowns of the two countries were united under James I in 1603. It retained its own parliament and government until the Act of Union in 1707 formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. It always had a separate legal system and other institutions, and has had its own devolved parliament since 1999.

Local government

Local government in Scotland has been reorganised a number of times (1890, 1929, 1947, 1975, 1994). Currently there are 32 council areas (including three island areas). Police and fire services are still organised within eight areas corresponding to the pre-1994 regions.

LGBT issues

Scotland was excluded from the Sexual Offences Act 1967 which partially legalised homosexuality in England and Wales; decriminalisation happened with the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980. See age of consent for progess since then.

Since devolution, Scotland has on some issues been ahead of the rest of the United Kingdom. For instance Patrick Harvie MSP proposed civil partnerships originally for Scotland alone (but this was in the end achieved by UK-wide legislatio). In mid-2012 there seemed a real possiblity that equal marriage would be achieved first in Scotland.

External sites

LGBT History Scotland: http://www.lgbthistoryscotland.org.uk/