Scotland is one of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom of Greatn Britain and Northern Ireland. The Scottish mainland occupies the northern third of Great Britain and is bordered by sea on three sides. To the north and west is the Atlantic Ocean, to the east is the North Sea.

The total land area of Scotland is 30,420 sqaure miles including 186 islands, most of which are included in three groups - the Hebrides, off the western coast; the Orkney Islands, located off the north-eastern coast; and the Shetland Islands, located northeast of the Orkneys.