Yes very different.

Scotland was an independent monarchy until James VI of Scotland became James 1 of England as well in 1603, after Elizabeth 1 died with no children. So you could say Scotland took over England.

Scotland already had its own economy and laws, and was respected. The people living there had the same rights as the English. They were also a Protestant country, so the religious views were aligned with England. Great Britain includes Scotland, so the Scots were equals and rulers of the Empire as much as the English were.

Ireland was more of a colony in terms of its treatment. The people didn't have many rights and were exploited terribly by both the English and Scots. They were predominantly Catholic too, which made them seen as lower ranking people. They weren't classed as part of the UK until 1801, but by then, the English and Scottish held most of the land and the Irish were stuck being tenant farmers or labourers.