From around 750 BC to 12 BC, the Celts were the most powerful people in central and northern Europe. There were many tribes of Celts, speaking a vaguely common language. The word Celt comes from the Greek word, Keltoi, which means barbarians and is properly pronounced as "Kelt". Several hundred years before Julius Caesar, they occupied many parts of central and western Europe before crossing to Scotland. The bravery of the Celts in battle was legendary. They often spurned body armour, going naked into battle. Ordinary Celtic soldiers, often naked except for golden neck torcs, worked themselves into a fury before entering into battle and then fought wildly like beasts. After battle a victorious Celt would ride off with the heads of slain enemies dangling from the neck of his horse. Celtic society was typically more equal in terms of gender roles. Women were on more or less equal footing as men, being accomplished warriors, merchants and rulers.
The Kingdom of the Picts Known as 'Picti' by the Romans, meaning 'Painted Ones' in Latin, these northern tribes constituted the largest kingdom in Dark Age Scotland. They repelled the conquests of both Romans and Angles, creating a true north-south divide on the British Isles, only to disappear from history by the end of the first millennium - swallowed whole by
the history of another group, the Gaels. Together they created the Kingdom of Alba. The Picts took part in one of the most decisive battles in Scottish history - the Battle of Dun Nechtain (Dunnichen). If the Picts had lost, Scotland might never have existed. For the Angles of Northumbria it was simply a disaster - ending their domination of Scotland. In 878 AD the Pictish king, Áed, was murdered and replaced by a Gael - Giric. Giric accelerated the Gaelic takeover of Pictish politics during his reign making the Gaelic language and traditions commonplace. Future Pictish kings such as Donald and Constantine embraced Gaelic culture and by 900 AD Pictland ceased to exist. The reign of Donald is listed in the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba as a king of Alba. Pictland and Dál Riata had gone and in their place Alba - a Gaelic word for Scotland - was created.
the history of another group, the Gaels. Together they created the Kingdom of Alba. The Picts took part in one of the most decisive battles in Scottish history - the Battle of Dun Nechtain (Dunnichen). If the Picts had lost, Scotland might never have existed. For the Angles of Northumbria it was simply a disaster - ending their domination of Scotland. In 878 AD the Pictish king, Áed, was murdered and replaced by a Gael - Giric. Giric accelerated the Gaelic takeover of Pictish politics during his reign making the Gaelic language and traditions commonplace. Future Pictish kings such as Donald and Constantine embraced Gaelic culture and by 900 AD Pictland ceased to exist. The reign of Donald is listed in the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba as a king of Alba. Pictland and Dál Riata had gone and in their place Alba - a Gaelic word for Scotland - was created.
The Saltire, Scotland’s national flag, is steeped in history and legend and is thought to be the oldest national flag in Europe. The Saltire has a white diagonal cross on a blue background, which represents the crucifixion of the apostle St Andrew, Scotland’s patron saint. Believed to be the oldest flag in Europe, the origin of the flag comes from an old Scottish legend. Tradition has it that the flag originated in a battle fought near the East Lothian village of Athelstaneford in AD 832. An army of Picts and Scots under Óengus invaded the Lothian’s which at that time still Northumbrian territory and found themselves surrounded by a larger force of Saxons led by Athelstan. Fearing the outcome Óengus led prayers for deliverance and was rewarded by seeing a cloud formation of a white Saltire against the blue sky. Óengus vowed that if, with the saint’s help, he gained victory, Andrew would thereafter be the patron saint of Scotland. The Scots did win. On the basis of this the Saltire became the flag of Scotland.
On the death of his father, Alexander II who died on an expedition to recover the Hebrides from King Haakon of Norway Alexander III was crowned king at Scone in 1249 when he was eight years old. Two years later, he married Margaret, daughter of King Henry III of England whom he had been engaged to from infancy. He became a strong ruler and as a result of his marriage there was little conflict with England. He successfully defeated an invasion by King Haakon of Norway at the Battle of Largs in 1263. Following this, the Treaty of Perth transferred the Hebrides and the Isle of Man to Scotland from Norway. As part of the peace-making, his daughter married Haakon's grandson whose daughter Margaret later became Queen of Scotland. His wife died in 1275 and the death of his sons left him without a heir. Alexander married a second time to Yolande of Dreux, but on 19th March 1286, within six months of his marriage his horse stumbled in the dark in Fife as he was returning to his wife and he died at the foot of the cliff. His grand-daughter Margaret, the "Maid of Norway" became Queen of Scotland at the age of three. She was the last of the direct line of the House of Canmore. She left Norway to come to Orkney in 1290 but died on the voyage, before reaching Scotland, plunging Scotland into a long period of conflict for survival as an independent country in the "Wars of Independence".
Sir William Wallace 1272?-1305, Scottish national hero. The first historical record of Wallace's activities concerns the burning of Lanark by Wallace and 30 men in May 1297, and the slaying of the English sheriff, one of those whom Edward of England had installed in his attempt to make good his claim to overlordship of Scotland. After the burning of Lanark many joined Wallace's forces, and under his leadership a disciplined army was evolved. Wallace marched on Scone and met an English force before Stirling Castle in Sept 1297. The English trying to cross a narrow bridge over the River Forth, were killed as they crossed, and their army was routed. Wallace crossed the border and laid waste several counties in the North of England. In December he returned to Scotland and for a short time acted as guardian of the realm for the imprisoned King John. In July 1298, Edward defeated Wallace and his army at Falkirk, and forced him to retreat northward. His prestige lost, Wallace went to France in 1299 to seek the aid of King Philip IV, and he possibly went on to Rome. He is heard of again fighting in Scotland in 1304, but there was a price on his head, and in 1305 he was betrayed and captured by Sir John de Menteith. He was taken to London in Aug 1305, declared guilty of treason, then dragged through the streets before being hung, drawn and quartered, with his body parts displayed in various parts of Scotland as a warning to others.
Andrew de Moray raised the flag and led a rebellion against English rule in the north-east of Scotland. Andrew de Moray led the rising against Edward I of Englands rule in the north while Wallace struck at Lanark and the south. In September 1297 Andrew Moray and Wallace joined forces and the Scots prepared for battle near Stirling. It is widely though that Moray made the battle plan - picking the ground and deciding the tactics. On 11 September the Scots met Edward’s army under the Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham. The Battle of Stirling Bridge was a resounding victory for the Scots but it cost Andrew de Moray his life. Moray was badly wounded at the battle - possibly struck by an arrow. His seal is found on two letters dated 11th October and 7th November so it is thought that Moray survived the battle but later died of his wounds. Andrew de Moray’s widow gave birth to their son that winter. The boy was named Andrew and in time Sir Andrew Moray became Guardian of Scotland and married Robert the Bruce’s sister, Christian Bruce. Murray is one of Scotland greatest unsung heroes.
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), often known as Robert the Bruce was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage and his maternal of Franco-Gaelic. He became one of Scotland's greatest kings, as well as one of the most famous warriors of his generation, eventually leading Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England and Edward 1st and 2nd. He claimed the Scottish throne as a fourth-greats-grandson of David I of Scotland, and saw the recognition of Scotland as an independent nation during his reign. Bruce is remembered in Scotland today as a national hero, similar to George Washington in the American Revolution, and is referred to as "The Hero King" by many Scots. His body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey, while his heart is buried in Melrose Abbey. His embalmed heart was to be taken on crusade by his lieutenant and friend Sir James Douglas to the Holy Land, but only reached Moorish Granada, where it acted as a talisman for the Scottish contingent at the Battle of Teba.
The Black Douglas or Good Sir James Douglas depending what side you were on was a staunch ally of Robert the Bruce. He became a skilled and battle-hardened knight, known for his courage and his ferocity. Douglas fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn. Bruce made Douglas a ‘knight banneret’ (a knight who could lead men in battle under his own banner) on the morning of 24 June. After Bannockburn, Douglas cut a bloody swathe across the English border – burning crops, villages, and terrorising the local population. To the English he was ‘Black Douglas’ - a terrible bogeyman. To the Scots he was the Good Sir James Douglas - a great lord who became one of the Bruce’s most trusted lieutenants. When Bruce lay dying in 1329 he asked Douglas to take his heart on crusade. Douglas and a handful of Scots knights took Bruce’s heart to Spain where Douglas died fighting the Moors at Teba. His bones and heart were returned to Scotland and buried at St Bride's Kirk, at Douglas, Lanarkshire.
James IV has been acclaimed by historians as the first true Renaissance king of Scotland. Under his rule, James patronised the arts and sciences and Scotland flourished as a result. It was during his reign that the first printing press was established in Scotland (1305). During the same period James brought order to Scotland by ending the influence of the Lords of the Isles. From then on the King of Scots would hold that title. In 1502 he signed the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Henry VII of England that went some way to ease the traditional enmity between the two countries. To cap the new warm relations with the old enemy James married Henry's daughter, Margaret Tudor in 1503 which ensured that any future offspring of the marriage having a claim to the English throne. The peace lasted until 1513 when James was honour-bound (The Auld Alliance) to aid the French and invade England. This was naturally at odds with the Treaty he had signed with Henry VII in 1502. James made up his mind. He declared war on England and led his army south. The campaign was a disaster. On the 9th September 1513 James led his army into battle at Flodden where King James and 10,000 Scots died.
Born at Linlithgow Palace on 8 December 1542, Mary became Queen of Scots when she was
six days old. Her claims to the throne of England were almost as strong as her claims to the Scottish throne. Tall, graceful and quick-witted, Mary married the Dauphin of France in Paris on 24 April 1558. He succeeded to his father's throne in 1559, making Mary Queen of France as well as Scotland, but his reign was brief for he died of an ear infection in 1560. Mary decided to go back to Scotland, now an officially Protestant country and she was a Roman Catholic, but her half-brother, Lord James Stewart, later Earl of Moray, had assured her that she would be allowed to worship as she wished and in August 1561 she returned, to an unexpectedly warm welcome from her Protestant subjects. Mary married her second cousin Henry, Lord Darnley and a son was born, James who was to become James VI of Scotland and I of England.
six days old. Her claims to the throne of England were almost as strong as her claims to the Scottish throne. Tall, graceful and quick-witted, Mary married the Dauphin of France in Paris on 24 April 1558. He succeeded to his father's throne in 1559, making Mary Queen of France as well as Scotland, but his reign was brief for he died of an ear infection in 1560. Mary decided to go back to Scotland, now an officially Protestant country and she was a Roman Catholic, but her half-brother, Lord James Stewart, later Earl of Moray, had assured her that she would be allowed to worship as she wished and in August 1561 she returned, to an unexpectedly warm welcome from her Protestant subjects. Mary married her second cousin Henry, Lord Darnley and a son was born, James who was to become James VI of Scotland and I of England.
John Knox played a pivotal role in the reformation of the church in Scotland, born in Haddington, about 17 miles outside of Edinburgh and later educated at St Andrews. When the Reformed Protestant religion was formally ratified by law in Scotland in 1560 he was appointed minister of the Church of St. Giles, then the main church of Edinburgh. John Knox is considered to be the greatest Reformer in the history of Scotland. His father was William Knox, who fought at the Battle of Flodden, and his mother was an educated woman named Sinclair. John Knox is the author of “The History of the Reformation in Scotland”. A higher testimony to the worth of a man not without faults was pronounced at his grave in St. Giles by the Earl of Mortoun, the regent of Scotland, in the presence of a massive funeral procession, who had followed the body to its last resting-place: "Here lyeth a man who in his life never feared the face of man, who hath been often threatened with dagger, but yet hath ended his dayes in peace and
honour."
honour."
John Graham of Claverhouse, Bonnie Dundee lived from 1648 to 27 July 1689. He was a Scottish noble and professional soldier and is best known for leading the Jacobite cause in the first Jacobite uprising of 1689. His military career began in the French army of Louis XIV where he distinguished himself at the Battle of Seneff in Belgium, in 1674. In 1680 Dundee met Charles II in London, and this proved the start of a meteoric rise for Dundee. In 1683 he was appointed to the Scottish Privy Council and in 1686 he was appointed to the post of Provost of Dundee. In 1688 he was created Viscount Dundee by King James VII. King James, but I am sorry for your lordship.' The dying Graham replied, 'If it goes well for him, it matters the less for me.' Bonnie Dundee died on the battlefield and was carried to nearby St Bride's Kirk a few miles away where he was buried The stone which commemorates him at the crypt there gives his age as 46, though he was actually only 41.
Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie (1720-88), the rightful heir to the British throne who led the Scottish Highland army in the Forty-five Rebellion. Charles raised his father's standard at Glenfinnan and there raised a large enough force to enable him to march on the city of Edinburgh, which quickly surrendered. On 21 September 1745 he defeated the only government army in Scotland at the Battle of Prestonpans, and by November was marching south at the head of around 6,000 men. Having taken Carlisle, Charles' army progressed as far as Derby. Here, despite the objections of the Prince, the decision was taken by his council to return to Scotland. By now he was pursued by the King George II's son, the Duke of Cumberland, who caught up with him at the Battle of Culloden on 16 April 1746. At Culloden his forces were utterly routed and the Duke of Cumberland earned the name “The Butcher” for the atrocities he authorised his men to carry out after the battle which included the murder of women and children. Charles was hunted as a fugitive for more than five months, but the Highlanders never betrayed him, and he escaped to France in September 1746.
Lord George Murray was born on 4 October 1694, at Huntingtower, Perth, the son of John Murray, 1st Duke of Atholl. Like many Scots of the day, he had to make a major and difficult decision in 1745 as to whether or not to support Prince Charles Edward Stewart. He eventually joined the Prince and was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Jacobite forces. He is reckoned to have been easily the best Jacobite general ensuring victory at Prestonpans and efficiently organising the retreat from Derby. His Irish advisors had pushed the Prince into the invasion of England, against Murray's advice. The Prince dismissed Murray only to find that the Highlanders would not follow any other general however, and Murray was reinstated. In January 1746, Murray defeated the British forces at Falkirk. He was unhappy with the Prince's decision to make a stand at Culloden due to the terrain, and following the disastrous outcome of the battle, the last to be fought on British soil, he retired to France. He eventually settled in Holland, where he died at Medemblik in 1760, never having returned to his beloved Scotland.
Flora MacDonald, the famous Jacobite heroine lived on South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides. In 1746, on the neighbouring island of Benbecula she met Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, in flight after the disastrous defeat at Culloden. She helped the Prince escape by boat to Skye, disguising him as her maidservant. She was arrested for her part in assisting him and taken prisoner to London. After her release in 1747 she commissioned this portrait which she gave to the captain of the ship which had brought her south, in thanks for the kindness he had shown her. Flora passes away at Kingsburgh on the Isle of Skye in 1790, at the age of 68. She is buried in the Kilmuir Cemetery. There is a statue to her memory in the grounds of Inverness Castle
John Paul was born at Arbigland, Kirkbean, Scotland on July 6th 1747. Apprenticed to a merchant at age 13 he went to sea. At 21 years of age he received his first command. After his success as a merchant skipper in the West Indies trade, John Paul emigrated to the British colonies in North America and there added "Jones" to his name. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, Jones was in Virginia. He cast his lot with the Americans, and on 7 December 1775, he was commissioned first lieutenant in the Continental Navy, serving aboard Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred. On 23 September 1779, his ship engaged the HMS Serapis commanded by Captain Richard Pearson in the North Sea off Famborough Head, England. It was a bloody battle with the two ships literally locked in combat. Sharpshooting Marines and seamen in Richard's tops raked Serapis with gunfire, clearing the weather decks. Jones and his men fought on even though their ship was sinking beneath them. Finally, Capt. Pearson tore down his colours and surrendered. After the American Revolution, Jones served as a Rear Admiral in the service of Empress Catherine of Russia, but returned to Paris in 1790. He died in Paris at the age of 45 on 18 July 1792.
John Loudon McAdam was a Scottish engineer and road-builder. He invented the process called "macadamisation", that was used for building roads with a smooth hard surface that was more durable and less muddy than soil-based tracks. Modern road construction reflects McAdam's influence to this day. Of
subsequent improvements, the most significant was the introduction of tar to bind the road surface's stones together – "tarmac" (Tar Macadam) – followed later by the use of hot-laid tarred aggregate or tar-sprayed chippings to create better road metalling. More recently, oil-based asphalt laid on reinforced concrete has become a major road surface, but its use of granite or limestone chippings still recalls McAdam's innovation.
subsequent improvements, the most significant was the introduction of tar to bind the road surface's stones together – "tarmac" (Tar Macadam) – followed later by the use of hot-laid tarred aggregate or tar-sprayed chippings to create better road metalling. More recently, oil-based asphalt laid on reinforced concrete has become a major road surface, but its use of granite or limestone chippings still recalls McAdam's innovation.
Robert (Rabbie) Burns is one of the most famous characters in Scottish Cultural History. His importance is immense, not only in terms of his story and his work but as a living tradition, carried from generation to generation throughout the world. Everyone, everywhere, who joins in the celebration of Scotland, Scottish
Heritage or Scottish Culture, will witness references to Robert Burns. Every year on the anniversary of his birth, 25th January, thousands of people throughout the world pay homage to this great man by way of a 'Burns Supper'. The ritual was started by close friends of Burns a few years after his death as a tribute to his memory and remains largely unchanged to this day.
Heritage or Scottish Culture, will witness references to Robert Burns. Every year on the anniversary of his birth, 25th January, thousands of people throughout the world pay homage to this great man by way of a 'Burns Supper'. The ritual was started by close friends of Burns a few years after his death as a tribute to his memory and remains largely unchanged to this day.