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When James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne in 1603, England and Scotland had different systems of measure. Superficially the English and the Scots units of measure were similar – many had the same names – but there were differences in their sizes: in particular the Scots pint and gallon were more than twice the size of their English counterparts. [3]
Scottish or Scots units of measurement are the weights and measures peculiar to Scotland which were nominally replaced by English units in 1685 but continued to be used in unofficial contexts until at least the late 18th century. [citation needed] The system was based on the ell , stone , and boll and firlot .
An area of land one chain (four rods) wide by one furlong in length. As the traditional furlong could vary in length from country to country, so did the acre. In England an acre was 4,840 square yards (4,050 m 2), in Scotland 6,150 square yards (5,140 m 2) and in Ireland 7,840 square yards (6,560 m 2). It is a Saxon unit, meaning "field".
The Board of Trade, on behalf of the government, agreed to support a ten-year metrication programme. There would be minimal legislation, as the programme was to be voluntary and costs were to be borne where they fell. [30] Under the guidance of the Metrication Board, the agricultural product markets achieved a voluntary switchover by 1976. [31]
Although the United Kingdom is a unitary sovereign state, it contains three distinct legal jurisdictions in Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland, each retaining its own legal system even after joining the UK. [9] Since 1998, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have also gained significant autonomy through the process of devolution.
Prior to metrication, in the United Kingdom, the standard single measure of spirits in a pub was 1 ⁄ 6 gill (23.7 mL) in England and Northern Ireland, and either 1 ⁄ 5 gill (28.4 mL) or 1 ⁄ 4 gill (35.5 mL) in Scotland. After metrication, this was replaced by measures of either 25 or 35 millilitres (0.176 or 0.246 gi), at the discretion ...