"The economy of Scotland had an estimated nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of up to £152 billion in 2015. Since the Acts of Union 1707, Scotland's economy has been closely aligned with the economy of the rest of the United Kingdom (UK) and England has historically been its main trading partner. Scotland still conducts the majority of its trade within the UK: in 2014, Scotland's exports totalled £76 billion, of which £48.5 billion (64%) was with constituent nations of the UK, £11.6 billion with the rest of the European Union (EU), and £15.2 billion with other parts of the world.
Scotland was one of the industrial powerhouses of Europe from the time of the Industrial Revolution onwards, being a world leader in manufacturing.[9] This left a legacy in the diversity of goods and services which Scotland produces, from textiles, whisky and shortbread to jet engines, buses, computer software, ships, avionics and microelectronics, as well as banking, insurance, investment management and other related financial services. In common with most other advanced industrialised economies, Scotland has seen a decline in the importance of both manufacturing industries and primary-based extractive industries. This has, however, been combined with a rise in the service sector of the economy, which has grown to be the largest sector in Scotland.
Less than or equal to 10% of Scotlands gdp is from EU. What would happen to them without trade from the rest of UK?
"as Scotland was highly educated and with a wealth of niche industries"
I'd like to switch your words around a little. "as Scotland with a few niches of highly educated and with a wealth of industrialized areas."
Should have tried going to Glasgow back in the day, actually not so sure it's changed too much.
Scotland without it's rise in industry would have been left with sheep, loch ness, whisky, shortbread, some highland lassies that would tear you up, golf, thistles, tossing the caber, Mel Gibson, peregine falcons (awesome), textiles in quilts, tickling trout and some pretty awesome sheep dog trials.
