Who are the Scots?
Everyone who lives in Scotland or identifies themselves as being Scottish. Whether you can trace ten generations of Scots in your ancestry or came to live here yesterday is irrelevant. If you consider yourself to be a Scot, you are one.
Scotland has existed as a specific national entity since the year 843, though it's borders have shifted on a number of occasions since then. It is the oldest country in Europe and has the oldest flag, the saltire:
Scottish Languages
Three main languages are spoken in Scotland, English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic (pronounced phonetically 'Gah-lick' unlike Irish 'Gay-lick'). The official language is English, although Gaelic is spoken, primarily in the North and West of Scotland. The Scots language (which has many similarities to English, but also draws on French and Gaelic) is also spoken. Whereas Gaelic is the language of the Highlands & Islands, Scots is the language of the Lowlands.
Scots
Scots (also known as Lallans) is a West Germanic language used in Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, and border areas of the Republic of Ireland, (where it is known in official circles as Ulster Scots or Ullans but by speakers simply as Scotch or Scots).
For many years speaking Scots in Scotland was actively discouraged within the Scottish education system. This was accentuated with the advent of UK-wide TV broadcasting and it's emphasis on Received Pronunciation (RP). Scots words were not considered 'proper' and often parents would try and encourage the use of English words rather than Scots, terming the Scots words 'slang'.
In fact however Scots has survived throughout much of lowland Scotland (and as Doric in Aberdeen and further north) and most Scots can understand a lot of Scots words though some may not always realise that they are speaking another language. Scotland's most famous poet Robert Burns wrote in both Scots and English.
Many English speakers nowadays speak a mixture of Scots and English and this is reflected in a number of Scottish dramas (particularly comedy programmes) and films. Scotland has it's own soap, River City, which is set in Glasgow and which contains a number of different Scots dialects.
Scots Language Guide (from Wikipedia)
Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages and is the original language of Scotland. This branch includes also the Irish and Manx variants, and as a branch is distinct from the Brythonic branch, which includes Welsh, Cornish, and Breton.
Scottish, Manx and Irish Gaelic are all descended from Middle Irish. The language is often described as Scottish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, or Gàidhlig to avoid confusion with the other two Goidelic languages.
Much traditional Scottish music is written and performed in Gaelic. Many bands who sing in both Gaelic and English have enjoyed worldwide success, particularly Runrig and Capercaillie.
Learn Scottish Gaelic (online courses)
Scottish Gaelic Language and Pronunciation Guide (with Links to other Scottish Gaelic resources)
English
The language of England which has spread across the world and is used predominately by former British colonies, ie USA, Australia, Ireland etc but is also spoken by numerous others in other countries. English is the official language of Scotland and is spoken by almost all Scots living in Scotland.
Scottish English (Guide from Wikipedia)