For the default shortcuts and assuming that all actions have a unique first letter, I would go with the right configuration. Although the keys will be scattered around the board, assigning a specific letter to a certain action will be easier for the player to remember. For example, (b) for book, (p) for parliament, etc.
The original Civilization for PC used the same concept and I still remember the shortcut keys despite not having played it in 10-20 years.
And as the other person said, if you can allow the player to remap the shortcut keys that would be good as well.