The electoral success of secessionist parties in Catalonia and Scotland over the last decade, together with Brexit and the support for Eurosceptic parties in many EU member states, have prompted a rethink of many taken-for-granted notions about politics in Spain, the UK and the EU. Secessionist parties in Catalonia and Scotland often combine calls for independence with support for the EU, but independence for Catalonia might entail the loss of EU membership. In the UK, Scotland voted for the UK to remain in the EU, yet it was forced to leave the Union along with the rest of the country: what effect has Brexit had on Scottish independence claims? Through comparing Catalonia and Scotland, this short volume aims to contribute to debates on, and advance knowledge of, visions of independence and integration, how they interrelate in Europe’s emergent political order, and what they entail for European integration and democracy in the EU.

This edited volume explores how (what is today) Scotland can be compared with, contrasted to, or was connected with other parts of Early Medieval Europe. Far from a 'dark age', Early Medieval Scotland (AD 300-900) was a crucible of different languages and cultures, the world of the Picts, Scots, Britons and Anglo-Saxons. Though long regarded as somehow peripheral to continental Europe, people in Early Medieval Scotland had mastered complex technologies and were part of sophisticated intellectual networks.This cross-disciplinary volume includes contributions focussing on archaeology, artefacts, art-history and history, and considers themes that connect Scotland with key processes and phenomena happening elsewhere in Europe. Topics explored include the transition from Iron Age to Early Medieval societies and the development of secular power centres, the Early Medieval intervention in prehistoric landscapes, and the management of resources necessary to build kingdoms.

This study documents and analyses the expectations of political elites about Scotland's role in a changing European Union. Based on 60 interviews with members of civil society, government officials, and politicians that were conducted during the key months preceding the first elections to the new Scottish Parliament, the book considers two key questions. First, how do elites expect the Scottish Executive to influence European policy-making? Second, how do elites understand the operation of governance under new constitutional arrangements? The study draws from the conceptual framework of Multi-Level Governance, using an actor-centred approach to obtain a nuanced understanding of perceptions. Many elites conclude that devolution is unlikely to affect significantly Scottish involvement in European policy-making. They do believe, however, that it can change the domestic legislative process in accordance with new forms of governance. This approach -- which includes the principles of partnership, participation, and co-operation -- could also guide Scotland's relationships with the UK and Europe.

Setting out to explore the rich diversity of medieval Scotland's contacts with Europe, the author focuses on religious, cultural and economic connections and includes a study of both the means by which people travelled and the first major wave of emigration from Scotland. The book ranges widely from the galloglass who fought in Ireland to artists who painted in the Netherlands; from impoverished students to merchants and monasteries wealthy from the export of wool.

This volume counters the relative neglect of comparative literature in Scotland by exploring the fortunes of Scottish writing in mainland Europe, and, conversely, the engagement of Scottish literary intellectuals with European texts.