The Kingdom of Scotland is a state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843, which joins with the Kingdom of England to form a unified Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.

Its territories expand and shrink, but it comes to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England.

It suffers many invasions by the English, but under Robert I it fights a successful war of independence and remains a distinct state in the late Middle Ages.

In 1603, James VI of Scotland becomes King of England, joining Scotland with England in a personal union.

In 1707, the two kingdoms are united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain under the terms of the Acts of Union.

From the final capture of the Royal Burgh of Berwick by the Kingdom of England in 1482 (following the annexation of the Northern Isles from the Kingdom of Norway in 1472) the territory of the Kingdom of Scotland corresponds to that of modern-day Scotland, bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest.The Crown is the most important element of government.

The Scottish monarchy in the Middle Ages is a largely itinerant institution, before Edinburgh develops as a capital in the second half of the fifteenth century.

The court remains at the center of political life and in the sixteenth century emerges as a major center of display and artistic patronage, until it is effectively dissolved with the Union of Crowns in 1603.

The Scottish Crown adopts the conventional offices of western European courts, and develops a Privy Council and great offices of state.

Parliament also emerges as a major legal institution, gaining an oversight of taxation and policy, but is never as central to the national life as its counterpart in England.

In the early period the kings of the Scots depend on the great lords—the mormaers and toísecs—but from the reign of David I, sheriffdoms are introduced, which allow more direct control and gradually limit the power of the major lordships.

In the seventeenth century the creation of Justices of Peace and Commissioners of Supply help to increase the effectiveness of local government.

The continued existence of courts baron and the introduction of kirk sessions help consolidate the power of local lairds.Scots law develops into a distinctive system in the Middle Ages and is reformed and codified in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Under James IV the legal functions of the council are rationalizsed, with a royal Court of Session meeting daily in Edinburgh.

In 1532 the Royal College of Justice is founded, leading to the training and professionalization of lawyers.

David I is the first Scottish king known to have produced his own coinage.

Early Scottish coins are virtually identical in silver content to English ones, but from about 1300 their silver content begins to depreciate more rapidly than the English coins.

At the union of the Crowns in 1603 the Scottish pound is fixed at only one-twelfth the value of the English pound.

The Bank of Scotland issues pound notes from 1704.

Scottish currency is abolished by the Act of Union.Scotland is half the size of England and Wales in area, but has roughly the same length of coastline.

Geographically Scotland is divided between the Highlands and Islands and the Lowlands.

The Highlands have a relatively short growing season, which is further shortened during the Little Ice Age.

From Scotland's foundation to the Black Death the population grows from perhaps half a million to a million, then falls to half a million.

It probably expands in the first half of the sixteenth century, reaching about 1.2 million by the 1690s.

Significant languages in the medieval kingdom include Gaelic, Old English, Norse and French; but by the early modern era Middle Scots begins to dominate.

Christianity is introduced into Scotland from the sixth century.

In the Norman period the Scottish church undergoes a series of changes that lead to new monastic orders and organization.

During the sixteenth century, Scotland undergoes a Protestant Reformation that creates a predominately Calvinist national kirk.

There are a series of religious controversies that result in divisions and persecutions.

The Scottish Crown develops naval forces at various points in its history, but often relies on privateers and fought a guerre de course.

Land forces center around the large common army, but adopt European innovations from the sixteenth century; and many Scots take service as mercenaries and as soldiers for the English Crown.

Scottish flags include the Lion rampant and the Saltire, the latter being incorporated into the Union Flag from 1603.