Question: what does scotland contribute to the uk economy

title: Economy of Scotland
text: From 1790 the chief industry in the west of Scotland became textiles , especially the spinning and weaving of cotton . This flourished until the American Civil War in 1861 cut off the supplies of raw cotton ; the industry never recovered . However , by that time Scotland had developed heavy industries based on its coal and iron resources . The invention of the hot blast for smelting iron ( 1828 ) had revolutionised the iron industry , and Scotland became a centre for engineering , shipbuilding , and locomotive construction . Toward the end of the 19th century steel production largely replaced iron production . Emigrant Andrew Carnegie ( 1835 -- 1919 ) built the American steel industry , and spent much of his time and philanthropy in Scotland . Agriculture gained after the union , and standards remained high . However the adoption of free trade in mid-19th century brought cheap American corn which undersold local farmers . The industrial developments , while they brought work and wealth , were so rapid that housing , town planning , and provision for public health did not keep pace with them , and for a time living conditions in some of the towns were notoriously bad .