Scotland is a country that is part ofthe United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of Great Britain, it shares aborder with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, theAtlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland constitutes over 790 islandsincluding the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Scots law has a basis derived from Roman law, combining features of both uncodifiedcivil law, dating back to the Corpus Juris Civilis, and common law with medieval sources. The terms of the Treaty of Union with England in 1707 guaranteed the continued existence of a separate legal system in Scotland from that of England and Wales. Prior to 1611, there were several regional law systems in Scotland, most notably Udal law in Orkney andShetland, based on old Norse law. Various other systems derived from common Celtic orBrehon laws survived in the Highlands until the 1800s.
