Scotland during World War I

Scotland played a crucial role in the British effort during the First World War, contributing significantly in terms of manpower, industry, and resources. The nation's industries were mobilized for the war effort, with the Singer Clydebank sewing machine factory, for instance, securing over 5,000 government contracts and producing a staggering array of war materials, including 303 million artillery shells and components, aeroplane parts, grenades, rifle parts, and 361,000 horseshoes. By the war's end, the factory's 14,000-strong workforce was about 70 percent female.

From a population of 4.8 million in 1911, Scotland sent 690,000 men to the war, with 74,000 losing their lives and 150,000 suffering serious injuries. Urban centers in Scotland, marked by poverty and unemployment, were fertile recruiting grounds for the British army. Dundee, with its predominantly female jute industry, had a notably high proportion of reservists and soldiers. Initially, concern for the welfare of soldiers' families hindered enlistment, but voluntary rates surged after the government assured a weekly stipend for the survivors of those killed or disabled. The introduction of conscription in January 1916 extended the impact of the war across all of Scotland. Scottish troops often comprised significant portions of active combatants, as seen in the Battle of Loos, where Scots divisions and units were heavily involved and suffered high casualties. Although Scots represented only 10 percent of the British population, they constituted 15 percent of the armed forces and accounted for 20 percent of the war's fatalities. The island of Lewis and Harris experienced some of the highest proportional losses in Britain.

Scotland's shipyards and engineering shops, particularly in Clydeside, were central to the war industry. However, Glasgow also saw radical agitation leading to industrial and political unrest, which continued post-war. After the war, in June 1919, the German fleet interned at Scapa Flow was scuttled by its crews to prevent the ships from being seized by the Allies.

At the war's outset, RAF Montrose was Scotland's primary military airfield, having been established by the Royal Flying Corps a year earlier. The Royal Naval Air Service set up flying-boat and seaplane stations in Shetland, East Fortune, and Inchinnan, with the latter two also serving as airship bases protecting Edinburgh and Glasgow. The world's first aircraft carriers were based at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife, which became a significant site for aircraft landing trials. Glasgow-based William Beardmore and Company produced the Beardmore W.B.III, the first Royal Navy aircraft designed for aircraft carrier operations. Due to its strategic importance, Rosyth dockyard was a prime target for Germany at the war's outset.