Understanding Scotland has been recognised since publication as the key text on the sociology of Scotland. This wholly revised edition provides the first sustained study of post-devolution Scottish society. It contains new material on:

* the establishment of the Scottish parliament in 1999

* social and political data from the 1997 general elections

* the new cultural iconography of Scotland

* Scotland as a European society.

For anyone wishing to understand Scottish society in particular or the general issues involved in nation building, McCrone's clear-headed coherently argued account of the main issues will be essential reading.