Constitutional status of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles

Okay, so imagine you have a group of friends who live in a different house than you do. They have their own rules and ways of doing things in their house, but they're still part of the same neighborhood as you. Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles are like that group of friends. They're part of a bigger group of places called Scotland, but they have some special rules and ways of doing things because they're far away from the rest of Scotland and have a different history.

In the past, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles were actually owned by a different country called Norway. But then they were given to Scotland hundreds of years ago, so they have a unique cultural and historical background.

Even though they're part of Scotland, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles have some special laws that recognize their uniqueness. For example, they have their own councils that make decisions for their communities, and they have some control over things like fishing and tourism that are important to their economy.

So, basically, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles are like a group of friends who are part of a bigger community but have their own unique rules and ways of doing things because they're far away and have a different history.