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Editorial
Online publication covering Scottish history, heritage and archaeology. Featuring articles, reviews, latest book releases, places to visit, events and more. mail@scottishhistory.org
On this day in Scottish History
5 April
5 April 1820: An armed group of striking Glasgow workers marching to seize weapons at the Carron Ironworks in Falkirk were attacked by troops of the 10th Hussars and Stirlingshire Yeomanry in the so-called...
On this day in Scottish History
4 April
4 April 1406: Robert III died at Rothesay Castle shortly after receiving the news that his son and heir James had been captured by pirates while en route to France.
4 April 1661: The death...
On this day in Scottish History
3 April
3 April 1746: A Jacobite force under Donald Cameron of Lochiel and Alexander Macdonald of Keppoch broke off the siege of Fort William. Charles Edward Stuart had ordered all Jacobite detachments to assemble at...
News
Crannog Centre reopens after devastating fire
The Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay welcomed the first visitors to its new site following a catastrophic blaze which destroyed the original site in 2021.
Located in Dalerb in Perthshire, the new site is...
On this day in Scottish History
2 April
2 April 1572: Dumbarton Castle which was held by a garrison loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots was seized by supporters of James VI during the Marian Civil War.
2 April 1746: While in camp...
On this day in Scottish History
1 April
1 April 1746: Major-General John Lindsay, Earl of Crawford with St George's Dragoon Regiment and 400 Hessian infantry began to push up from Dunkeld towards the Pass of Killiecrankie to reconnoitre the Jacobites before...
On this day in Scottish History
31 March
31 March 1295: The death at Lochmaben Castle of Scoto-Norman nobleman Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, the son of Robert de Brus, 4th Lord of Annandale and Isobel of Huntingdon. He gained...
On this day in Scottish History
30 March
30 March 1296: After his summons to King John Balliol was ignored and in direct response to the sacking of Carlisle and atrocities committed by Scottish forces in the north of England, Edward I...
On this day in Scottish History
29 March
29 March 1746: At Dunkeld, Prince Frederick of Hesse-Cassel received a report that a large body of Jacobites were marching towards Dunkeld to attack his Hessian forces stationed there. Frederick drew his regiments up...
On this day in Scottish History
28 March
28 March 1560: Under the terms of the Treaty of Berwick (27 February 1560), an English army under Lord Grey crossed the border into Scotland to support the Scottish Lords of the Congregation and...
News
New Perth Museum opens with Stone of Destiny as centrepiece
The new Perth Museum will open its doors on Saturday 30 March 2024 following a £27 million redevelopment. It will highlight the fascinating objects and stories that put Perth and Kinross at the centre...
On this day in Scottish History
27 March
27 March 1746: A detachment of 500 Hessian troops commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel de la Primaudaye arrived at Wade's Taybridge, Aberfeldy where they established a defensible bridgehead on the far side to guard against any...
On this day in Scottish History
26 March
26 March 1296: The First War of Scottish Independence began with a Scottish attack on Carlisle. John 'The Red' Comyn, Lord of Badenoch led the Scottish army and attempted to seize Carlisle Castle which...
On this day in Scottish History
25 March
25 March 1306: Six weeks after the murder of his main rival, John Comyn Lord of Badenoch, Robert the Bruce seized the vacant Scottish throne and was crowned king of Scots at Scone by...
On this day in Scottish History
24 March
24 March 1603: The death of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Two days later the news would reach the 36-year-old James VI that he was now James I of England. The crowns of Scotland...
On this day in Scottish History
23 March
23 March 1708: A French fleet carrying James Francis Edward Stuart arrived in the Firth of Forth intending to land an invasion force of French troops in Fife and begin a Jacobite rising against...
On this day in Scottish History
18 March
18 March 1689: The Earl of Leven's Regiment of Foot (later the King's Own Scottish Borderers) was raised by Act of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Within 4 hours around 780 men were enlisted...
News
Old Military Road in Glen Croe to be improved
Transport Scotland has announced that work to improve the Old Military Road through Glen Croe, which was once part of Major William Caulfeild's Dumbarton to Inveraray military road, would go ahead.
A contract has been...
On this day in Scottish History
17 March
17 March 1746: A Jacobite force under the command of Lord George Murray began the siege of Blair Castle in Perthshire. Blair Castle was the seat of Lord George’s pro-Hanoverian brother, James Murray, 2nd...
News
Rothesay Castle re-opens following conservation work
Rothesay Castle, which is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), has fully reopened to visitors following temporary access restrictions due to a high-level masonry programme. The programme examined the impact of climate change on...
News
Lost village on Isle of Skye discovered during forestry work
During an environmental check before harvesting in Glen Brittle Forest on the Isle of Skye, the low stone walls and earthen banks of a post-medieval township were discovered.
The township is believed to date...
On this day in Scottish History
13 February
13 February 1692: Scottish government soldiers under the command of Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon fell upon their hosts, the Macdonalds of Glencoe. In a cold-blooded breach of highland hospitality, 38 Macdonalds were killed...
News
Medieval Fearn Abbey in possible community buyout
Fearn Amenities has received a £20,000 grant to explore the potential purchase of Fearn Abbey in Easter Ross as a community asset.
Highland Council approved the funding for a feasibility study and business plan for...
News
Medieval carvings on Isle of Luing at risk of weather damage
13th-century carvings at Kilchattan Old Parish Church on the Argyll island of Luing are at risk of being weathered away and Luing History Group are concerned they might be lost forever before they have...
Scottish History Blog
Tartan was not banned after Culloden
The Dress Act 1746, also known as the Disclothing Act, was a part of the Act of Proscription which was introduced by the government after the defeat of the 1745 Jacobite Rising at Culloden....
Resources
Dress Act 1746
The Dress Act 1746, also known as the Disclothing Act, was a part of the Act of Proscription which came into effect on 1 August 1746, following the Jacobite Rising of 1745.
It made...
On this day in Scottish History
27 October
27 October 1327: Elizabeth de Burgh died at Cullen Castle, Banffshire. Elizabeth was the second wife of Robert the Bruce and was queen consort of Scotland 1306-1327. Elizabeth was born c.1284 in County Down, Ulster, and...
On this day in Scottish History
Birth of James II
On 16 October 1430, King James II was born. James ascended to the throne at the tender age of six. Despite enduring a distressing childhood under the manipulation of various conniving nobles and regents,...
On this day in Scottish History
27 July
27 July 1689: Scottish government forces under the command of Major-General Hugh Mackay of Scourie were defeated by a Jacobite army loyal to the deposed King James commanded by John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount...
Scottish History Blog
The Scottish Highland Clans: Origins, Decline and Transformation
The Highland, Gaelic-speaking clans are a vital part of Scotland’s history. They also shape how the world imagines Scotland today.
This course uses the expertise of University of Glasgow academics to explain the structure, economy...
News
Declaration of Arbroath to go on display for first time in 18 years
The Declaration of Arbroath, one of Scotland's most important historical documents, will be on public display for the first time in 18 years at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The display will...
News
Culloden battlefield virtual tours
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the Jacobite Rising of 1745-46. The battle took place on April 16, 1746, on Drumossie Moor near Inverness, and resulted in a decisive victory for...
Resources
Highland Services Act 1715 (Disarming Act)
The Disarming Act of 1715 was an Act of Parliament of Great Britain which was designed to curtail Jacobitism among clans in the Scottish Highlands after the Jacobite rising of 1715. The new law came...
Scottish History Books
The Fabulous Flotilla
A captivating story about the rivers of Burma, featuring some of the largest paddle steamers in the world
Reveals the little-known connection with Burma - Scotland's 'lost colony'
Liberally illustrated with many evocative photographs, maps and...
News
Virtual tours of Culloden battlefield to launch January 2023
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has announced that virtual tours of the Culloden battlefield are to be launched at the end of this month, allowing people from all over the world to tour...
Scottish History Blog
Recommended books on the Wars of Scottish Independence
With numerous books covering the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1357) here is a list of the most essential reading for those interested in the period.
Bannockburn: The Scottish War and the British Isles, 1307-1323 by...
Resources
Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Act 1707
Our sovereign lady and the estates of parliament, considering that by the late act of parliament for a treaty with England for a union of both kingdoms it is provided that the commissioners for...
Scottish History Blog
Recommended books on the Jacobites
There are many books covering the Jacobite period and this list shares the most essential reading for those interested in the period from the Revolution of 1688 to the battle of Culloden and beyond.
Fight...
Scottish History Blog
Early Modern Scottish Palaeography: Reading Scotland’s Records
Explore Scottish history and learn more about using historical sources
Palaeography is the study of ancient handwriting and a vital skill in the historian’s toolkit. It is essential when conducting research on early modern Scotland...
Resources
Field Marshal George Wade
George Wade was born in 1673 in Killavalley, Westmeath, Ireland, and is best remembered as the father of the military road-building programme that he oversaw and directed during his tenure as commander-in-chief Scotland (1724-1740).
Wade...