History
Features about history from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland, newest at the top. Skip to the archive.
September 2011
Sculptor Tom Church's Braveheart
Sculptor Tom Church talks about the inspiration for his controversial 'Braveheart' statue of William Wallace.
July 2011
Brahan Seer: the Scot who could see the future
Like a Scottish Nostradamus, the Brahan Seer is credited with remarkable gifts of prophesy including a prediction of the slaughter of Highlanders at Culloden.
Ghostly Ground: the most haunted places in Scotland
Scotland has been proclaimed one of the most haunted countries on Earth. What follows is a list of the 10 most haunted locations in the country.
June 2011
The Past, present and future of the Glenlee Tall Ship
The Tall Ship, the ‘Glenlee’ is the only Clydebuilt ship of her kind still afloat in the UK and is now at a new berth outside the Riverside Museum, Scotland's Museum of Transport and Travel.
John Logie Baird: thinking outside the box
To mark the switching off of the anaologue television system, Iain Baird celebrates the pioneering work of the man who helped develop it – his grandfather John Logie Baird.
May 2011
The history of the Scottish Cup trophy
An insight into the history of the Scottish Cup trophy. Richard McBrearty from the Scottish Football Museum tells the story behind the world's oldest national football trophy.
Wojtek: the Polish soldier bear who lived at Edinburgh Zoo
Wojtek, the brave, beer-drinking bear who became a Polish war hero, was a legend in his own lifetime. Seven decades on and in Scotland the legend is undergoing a renaissance.
April 2011
Tying the knot: handfasting through the ages
Handfasting is the symbolic act of a couple's hands being tied together, often with cords or ribbons, representing their union. For modern-day couples who choose to be handfasted, it is usually the main focus of their wedding day or engagement and is seen as strongly symbolic and spiritual.
A history of the Barras in Glasgow
A feature about the vibrant world of the world famous Barras.
The Scottish roots of Merlin the Welsh wizard
Was Merlin the Welsh wizard really Scottish?
March 2011
The Grisly Deeds of Alexander Bean
Sawney Bean: The story of Scotland's legendary cannibal.
Scotland's First Census
Senchus fer nAlban was Britain's first native census. This 7th Century document records the people and military power of Dalriada.
Johnny Ramensky
One of the most exciting and daring criminals in Scottish history. The ultimate daredevil, Johnny Ramensky, famous for safecracking and breaking out of prisons.
The Curious Case of Oscar Slater
One of the most dramatic miscarriages of Scottish Justice, rectified with help from the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
Lifting Lines and Laying off: Scottish Bookmaking in the 1950s
Illegal Scottish Bookmaking in the 1950s, as told by those who experienced the activities.
Minnie Dean, the Scottish baby farmer
An article on the life of notorious Scotswoman Minnie Dean, the only female ever to be executed in New Zealand.
February 2011
The Curse of Scotland
Why is the nine of diamonds playing card referred to in card games as "The Curse of Scotland"?
From the archive
- Alexander II
- Alexander III
- Antonine Wall
- The Auld Alliance
- The Battle of Bannockburn
- The Battle of Stirling Bridge
- Columba
- Constantine II
- Crannogs
- The Declaration of Arbroath
- Edward I
- The Glasgow Cheapside Street Fire
- Iona
- James I
- James II
- James III
- James IV
- James V
- James VI
- Kenneth MacAlpin
- Kingdom of the Angles
- Kingdom of the Britons
- Kingdom of the Gaels
- Kingdom of the Picts
- Lords of the Isles
- Malcolm II
- Malcolm III
- Mary Queen of Scots
- Neolithic Tombs
- Robert the Bruce
- The Romans
- Scottish Reformation
- Skara Brae
- The Stewarts
- The Wars of Independence
- William Wallace
