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Click
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Prehistoric
Scotland
The
history of Scotland begins around 10,000 years B.P. (Before Present), when
humans first began to inhabit Scotland after the end of the Devensian
glaciation, the last ice age. Of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age
civilization that existed in the country, many artifacts remain, but few
written records were left behind.
Mesolithic
hunter-gatherer encampments formed the first known settlements, and
archaeologists have dated an example at Cramond near Edinburgh to around
8500 BC. Numerous other sites found around Scotland build up a picture of
highly mobile boat-using people making tools from bone, stone and antlers.
The oldest standing
house in Northern Europe is at Knap of Howar, dating from 3500 BC
In 3000 BC, some
Neolithic farmers lived in stone houses (such as those at Skara Brae) set
into existing middens.
Neolithic
farming brought permanent settlements, and the wonderfully well-preserved
stone house at Knap of Howar on Papa Westray dating from 3500 BC predates
by about 500 years the village of similar houses at Skara Brae on West
Mainland, Orkney. The
settlers introduced chambered cairn tombs from around 3500 BC, and from about 3000 BC the many standing stones
and circles such as the Ring of Brodgar on Orkney and Callanish on Lewis.
These form part of the Europe-wide Megalithic culture which also produced
Stonehenge in Wiltshire, and which pre-historians now interpret as showing
sophisticated use of astronomical observations. The cairns and Megalithic
monuments continued into the Bronze age, and hill forts started to appear,
such as Eildon Hill near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, which goes back
to around 1000 BC and which accommodated several hundred houses on a
fortified hilltop. Brythonic
Celtic culture and language spread into Scotland at some time after the
8th century BC, possibly through cultural contact rather than through mass
invasion, and systems of kingdoms developed. From
around 700 BC the Iron age brought numerous hill forts, brochs and
fortified settlements which support the image of quarrelsome tribes and
petty kingdoms later recorded by the Romans, though evidence that at times
occupants neglected the defences might suggest that symbolic power had as
much significance as warfare
1st
century - 9th century
84: Romans
defeat Caledonians
at the Battle
of Mons Graupius.
143:
Romans construct the Antonine
Wall.
163:
Romans withdraw south to Trimontium
and Hadrian's
Wall.
300:
The term Pict
is first recorded in describing the federated tribes invaded by Constantius
Chlorus.
397: Saint
Ninian establishes a Christian
mission at Whithorn.
470: Votadini
peoples form the kingdom of Gododdin
in the region north of the River
Tweed.
547: Angles
capture the British fortress at Bamburgh
and found the kingdom of Bernicia.
563: Saint
Columba founds a monastery at Iona
and begins his mission to the northern Picts.
574: Áedán
mac Gabráin begins reign over the Gaelic
kingdom of Dál Riata.
580: Riderch
I of Alt Clut rules region later known as the kingdom of Strathclyde.
584: Bruide
son of Maelchon dies.
604: Æthelfrith
unites Bernicia
and Deira
to form the kingdom of Northumbria.
638: Northumbrians
capture Edinburgh
from Gododdin.
680s: Trumwine
Bishop of Abercorn.
685:
Pictish King Bruide
mac Bili defeats Ecgfrith
of Northumbria at the Battle
of Dunnichen, halting the northern expansion of Northumbria
697: Bruide
mac Der-Ilei among the signatories of the Cáin Adomnáin.
717: Nechtan
mac Der-Ilei expels Ionan
clergy from Pictland and adopts Roman usages with the aid of Bishop
Curetán;
masons sent by Abbot Ceolfrid
of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow
Priory help build stone churches at Restenneth, Rosemarkie
and elsewhere in eastern Scotland.
732:
Death of Nechtan mac Der-Ilei; Óengus
mac Fergusa becomes King of the Picts.
747: St
Andrews founded by this time, death of Abbot Tuathalán.
761:
Death of Óengus mac Fergusa.
820:
Death of Caustantín
mac Fergusa.
839: Eóganan
mac Óengusa and his brother Bran killed in battle with Vikings,
end of dominance of Fortriu.
858:
Death of Kenneth
mac Alpin, King
of the Picts; "union of Picts and Scots" traditionally
dated from his reign.
870:
Alt Clut—Dumbarton
Rock— captured by the Norse-Gael
or Viking
leaders Amlaíb
Conung and Ímar
after six month's of siege
878:
Kenneth mac Alpin's son Áed
killed; Giric
becomes king.
889:
Death of Giric; Domnall
mac Causantín, grandson of Kenneth, becomes king.
890:
Exodus of the Strathclyde Britons to Gwynedd
(in Wales)
10th century - 13th century
900: Causantín
mac Áeda succeeds Domnall mac Causantín.
943:
Causantín mac Áeda abdicates to become a culdee
at St Andrews.
940:
Saint Catroe
of Metz leaves Scotland.
952:
Death of Causantín mac Áeda.
954: Indulf
captures Edinburgh from Northumbria.
1058:
After defeating Mac
Bethad and Lulach, Máel
Coluim III is proclaimed king.
1124: David
I becomes king and introduces the feudal system of landholding to
much of Scotland.
1156: Somerled
defeats the Norse King
of Man, establishing his own semi-independent rule as ri Innse
Gall-King of the Hebrides.
1164:
Somerled is defeated by the Scottish crown in the Battle
of Renfrew.
1234:
Galloway's independent existence ends with the death of Alan,
Lord of Galloway.
1237:
Southern border of Scotland established in the Treaty
of York.
1263:
Scots defeat Norwegians at Largs.
1266: Norway
cedes the Western
Isles to Scotland.
1292: Edward
I of England intervenes in Scottish
affairs and grants the Scottish throne to John
Balliol.
1297: Andrew
de Moravia and William
Wallace lead the Scots to victory over England
at Stirling
Bridge.
14th century - 16th century
1314: Robert
the Bruce defeats the English at Bannockburn.
1328: Treaty
of Edinburgh. England
recognises Scottish
independence.
1371: Robert
II becomes first Stewart
king.
1402:
English defeat Scots in the Battle
of Nesbit Moor and the Battle
of Humbleton Hill.
1413:
Foundation of the University
of St Andrews.
1451:
Establishment of the University
of Glasgow.
1468: Denmark
cedes Orkney
and Shetland
to Scotland.
1493: Lordship
of the Isles abolished. In 1540 the title was reserved to the
crown.
1495:
Creation of the University
of Aberdeen (King's College).
1513: James
IV and thousands of Scots are killed at Flodden.
1532:
Creation of the College of Justice and the Court
of Session.
1559: John
Knox returns to Scotland from Geneva
to promote Calvinism.
1560:
Parliament legislates protestant
reformation of the Church
of Scotland.
1568: Mary,
Queen of Scots flees to England following the defeat of her army
at the Battle
of Langside..
1578: James
VI takes over government from his regent, James
Douglas.
1582:
Establishment of the University
of Edinburgh by Royal Charter.
1587:
Mary is beheaded by the order of Queen
Elizabeth I of England.
1592: Presbyterianism
becomes the established form of church government in Scotland by Act
of Parliament. A few years later King James successfully reintroduced Episcopacy.
17th century - 18th century
1603:
The Union
of the Crowns: James
VI of Scotland becomes James
I of England.
1638:
Scottish Covenanters
rebel against Charles
I.
1643:
The Solemn
League and Covenant promises Scots army to aid English
parliamentarians against the king.
1651-1660:
Scotland incorporated into the English Commonwealth and Protectorate.
1660:
The monarchy is restored and Scotland resumes its status as a separate
kingdom.
1679: Duke
of Monmouth defeats Covenanters at the Battle
of Bothwell Brig.
1689: Jacobite
highlanders defeats army of William
III at Killiecrankie,
but are halted at Dunkeld.
1689:
The Claim
of Right and the re-establishment of Presbyterianism.
1692: Massacre
of Glencoe.
1695:
The Bank
of Scotland is created by Act of Parliament.
1707:
The Union of the Parliaments: the Act
of Union between England and Scotland is passed.
Scotland
existed as an independent state
until the Act
of Union, 1
May 1707.
1715:
First Jacobite
rising.
1745:
Second Jacobite
rising.
1746:
The Battle
of Culloden ends the second Jacobite
rising.
1748: David
Hume publishes An
Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
1762:
Land tenure reform leads to the Highland
Clearances and massive emigration for several decades.
1769: James
Watt patents idea for separate condensing chamber in the Steam
engine.
1776: Adam
Smith publishes The
Wealth of Nations.
19th century
1802: John
Playfair publishes summary of James
Hutton's theories of Geology.
1817: The
Scotsman newspaper first published.
1820:
The "Radical
War".
1822: Visit
of King George IV to Scotland organized by Sir Walter
Scott.
1832:
The Reform
Act enlarges the franchise.
1843:
The Disruption
in the Church
of Scotland (over the issue of patronage).
1846:
Beginning of the ten-year Highland
Potato Famine.
1847:
The United
Presbyterian Church of Scotland is established.
1864: James
Clerk Maxwell presents equations describing electromagnetic
fields.
1874:
Patronage abolished in the Church
of Scotland.
1878:
Collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank
1879:
Gladstone's Midlothian campaign.
1879:
The Tay
Bridge Disaster.
1885:
Creation of the Scottish
Office and the post of Secretary for Scotland, later Secretary
of State for Scotland.
1890:
Opening of the Forth
Railway Bridge.
1896:
Opening of the Glasgow
Subway.
20th century
1908:
Introduction of the Old Age Pension.
1918:
Votes in Parliamentary elections for women over 30 introduced.
1926:
General Strike.
1928:
Equal franchise for all men and women over 21 introduced.
1929:
The Church
of Scotland and the United
Free Church of Scotland unite.
1934: Scottish
National Party founded.
1938:
The Empire
Exhibition, Scotland 1938 is held at Bellahouston
Park, Glasgow.
1941:
The Clydebank Blitz
(13-15 May).
1943:
Creation of the North
of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to bring electricity to all parts
of the Highlands and Islands.
1945:
First Scottish
Nationalist MP
is elected.
1947:
Nationalisation of the railways - the Scottish
Region of British Railways is created.
1947:
The first Edinburgh
International Festival is held.
1948:
Start of the National
Health Service.
1950:
The Stone
of Destiny is removed from Westminster
Abbey.
1957: Scottish
Television starts broadcasting.
1964:
Opening of the Forth
Road Bridge.
1966:
Opening of the Tay
Road Bridge.
1968:
The General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland permits the ordination of women
as ministers.
1975:
Local government reorganisation (replacing Counties and Burghs for
administrative purposes with Regions and Districts).
1978:
Launch of BBC
Radio Scotland.
1979: Referendum
to create a Scottish Assembly fails to meet the required majority.
1988:
Terrorists blow up Pan
Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie
with the loss of 270 lives, including 11 residents of the town.
1994:
Local government reorganisation (replacing the Regions and Districts
with single-tier councils).
1996:
The Stone
of Destiny is permanently returned to Scotland, to be housed in Edinburgh
Castle.
1997:
A referendum on a devolved Scottish
Parliament is passed by a massive majority.
1999: The
Scottish parliament sits for the first time under the new constitutional
arrangements.
The main Scottish costume
consists of the Leine
(a shirt like that worn in the rest of Europe at this time, which did NOT
lace up the front in fantasy pirate shirt fashion), the Plaid
(previously might have been called a 'brat', or cloak; this word has
changed in modern Gaelic to mean a rug or carpet), Trews, a jacket,
and shoes. They also wore knee-breeches like the ones
worn in the Lowlands or in England. Women wore several petticoats (skirts), the
arisaidh
(woman's form of the plaid), stays, and a jacket or bedgown,
as well as a head-covering known as a kertch if she were
married
The Plaid
 The term
plaid (pronounced 'playd') here means a
blanket or cloak, not the pattern of the material; it can refer to cloth
that is white or striped as well as the usual checked cloth. Tartan
is the term used for the checked pattern itself.
The plaid is described as being 12 to 18 feet long by about 5 feet
wide, being made of two strips of cloth about 30" wide sewn together
lengthwise. Those who could afford to do so
wore colorful tartans, whereas the poorer folk wore browns and so on, the
better to blend with the vegetation. (This is not, however, due to a lack
of access to colorful dyes, which were, and are, quite plentiful and
readily available throughout Scotland.) White, striped and single-color
plaids were also common. In earlier periods, sheep and goat skins seem
also to have been worn as mantles, both with and without the hair still
attached
The plaid (usually unbelted) was also worn with trews, and
was worn wrapped over one shoulder and under the opposite arm.
Plaids are generally pinned at the shoulder with an iron pin or bodkin,
not a penannular brooch, which fell out of use about 600 years prior to
this period.
Women's Plaids or Arisaids
 They
were about the same size as men's plaids, but sometimes were plain white or striped rather
than tartan. (To get the striped fabric, they most likely used the same
warp as was used to make the tartans, but used one color for the weft.)
Women wore the plaid like a shawl, they were generally fastened at the breast with a ring brooch, which is a
brass or silver round ring, decorated with engraving or other
ornamentation. At some point, women also started belting their plaids
around themselves, very much as men did, pinning both upper ends of the
plaid on their breast. Women's plaids, whether belted or unbelted,
however, were called arisaids, as distinct from the breacan feile (the Gaelic name for the
kilt)
Trews and Breeches
Trews were worn in Scotland from the medieval period through the end of
the 18th century, usually by men wealthy enough to own and/or ride horses.
They are descended either from early Celtic braccae/broc, or from footed
hose common throughout Europe in the middle ages and worn elsewhere in the
British Isles through the 17th century for casual wear, or both. Knee breeches were also worn
in the Highlands, but presumably were not remarked upon very often since
they weren't unusual. Three bodies have been found in bogs in
Caithness, Lewis, and the Shetlands from the late 1600s/early 1700s, and
two are wearing knee breeches, while one (a boy) is wearing a long coat
that isn't typical of the short coats we think of Highlanders wearing
during this period. He may have been wearing linen breeches, but if
he was, the acidity of the bog has eaten them away since linen is a plant
material, leaving the protein fibers of his woolen garments untouched.
Jackets/Coats
 Both men's and women's outerwear seems, as far as we can tell from period
portraits, to mirror that worn in England at the time, with the exception
of men's coats when they are wearing the belted plaid, in which case they
are shorter than usual, reaching only the top of the hip. This is a
practical consideration, since it would be impossible to wear a
knee-length coat with a belted plaid -- the skirts of the coat would
interfere with the belted plaid. Men also wore waistcoats under
their coats, either with sleeves or without sleeves (waistcoats in this
period often had sleeves, which could be either sewn in, or tied on with
lacing). Men would NOT have worn their waistcoats alone without
their coats, unless they were engaged in hard physical labor.
Women in Scotland, as in England, seem to be wearing either a jacket
like a feminized version of the man's jacket, or (by the mid-1700s) what
is called a 'bedgown' -- a more shapeless, mid-hip to knee-length gown.
It's possible that women also sometimes wore a sort of waistcoat (over
their stays), with sleeves that tied on, like men's waistcoats.
However, they did NOT wear these waistcoats as outer garments.
Stays
Women would have worn stays. Also worn at home would have been
lightly-boned stays called 'jumps,' worn for very informal occasions such
as during the confinement after childbirth; they aren't considered proper
wear for public. Working women's
stays were often of rough linen canvas or of thick leather, which would be
scored along the lines where boning goes on a cloth corset; this scoring
helps the leather to bend properly around the torso. If the stays
were of cloth, the boning could be of materials such as straw (like
broom-straw), caning, or other cheap and available stiffeners. Another reason for the wearing of stays is
the prevalence of rickets and other diseases causing curvature of the
spine - stays were seen as one way of keeping the body from becoming
deformed due to illness. A modern, practical consideration for
wearing stays is that they make great back support, especially when one is
working around camp, lifting heavy pots, firewood, and other things.
Kertch / hats
 The Hen Wife" by Richard
Waitt (1706). Notice the head covering, called a 'kertch' or
'breid', worn by Scottish married women in the 1600s and 1700s.
The kertch appears to be worn on top of a close-fitting coif of
some kind, held on with a brass pin at the crown of the head.
The Highland bonnet seems to have gradually made its way
into the Highlands by the mid-to-late 1700s. It is a direct
descendant of the soft-crowned,
brimmed hat worn during the 16th century, which over time lost its
brim and became the Scottish bonnet we all know today. There are
other hats with similar or identical shapes, including the Basque beret,
(possibly) the Monmouth cap worn by sailors throughout the middle ages,
and a beret-like hat worn by the very early Celts, but apparently this
shape died out in the Highlands and was reintroduced.
Shoes
The Ballyhagan
shoe was a gathered type of pampootie, Arran Islands Pampootie were more
like a ballet slipper and the Drummaccon Bog shoe.
The
monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland.
According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed
mac Ailpín), who founded the state in 843
Kenneth MacAlpin
House
of Alpin (Ailpean)
Kenneth
I (Modern Gaelic: Coinneach I mac Alpin; Old Gaelic: Cináed mac Ailpín)
(c.843–858)
Donald
I (Domhnall I; Domnall mac Ailpín) (858–862)
Constantine
I (Causantín mac Cináeda) (862–877)
Áed
(Aodh; Áed mac Cináeda) (877–878)
House
of Strathclyde
Eochaid
(Eochaidh; Eochu) (878–889)
House of Alpin
Giric (Giric; Giric mac Dúngail) (878–889)
House
of Alpin (Restored)
Donald
II (Domhnall II; Domnall mac Causantín) (889–890)
Constantine
II (Causantín mac Áeda) (900–943)
Malcolm
I (Calum I; Máel Coluim mac Domnaill) (943–954)
Indulf
(Indulbh; Idulb mac Causantín) (954–962)
Dub
(Dubh; Dub mac Maíl Choluim) (962–967)
Culen (Cuilean; Cuilén mac
Iduilb) (967–971)
Kenneth
II (Coinneach II; Cináed mac Maíl Choluim) (971–?)
Amlaíb
(Amlaíbh; Amlaíb mac Iduilb) (after 973–977)
Kenneth
II (Coinneach II; Cináed mac Maíl Choluim) (977–995)
Constantine
III (Constantín III; Causantín mac Cuilén) (995–997)
Kenneth
III (Coinneach III; Cináed mac Duib) (997–1005)
Malcolm
II (Calum II; Máel Coluim mac Cináeda) (1005–1034)
House of Dunkeld
Duncan
I (Donnchadh I; Donnchad mac Crínáin) (1034–1040)
William
Wallace
House of Moray
MacBeth (MacBeatha; Mac Bethad mac
Findláich) (1040–1057)
Lulach
(Lulach mac Gillai Comgain) (1057–1058)
House of Dunkeld
Malcolm
III (Calum III; Máel Coluim mac Donnchada) (1058–1093)
Donald
III (Domhnall III; Domnall mac Donnchada) (1093–1094)
Duncan
II (Donnchadh II; Donnchad mac Maíl Choluim) (1094)
Donald
III (Domhnall III; Domnall mac Donnchada) (1094–1097)
Edgar (Eagar/Eadgar; Etgair mac Maíl
Choluim) (1097–1107)
Alexander
I (Alasdair I; Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim) (1107–1124)
Saint
David I (Daibhidh I; Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim) (1124–1153)
Malcolm
IV (Calum IV; Máel Coluim mac Enric) (1153–1165)
William
I (Uilleam I; Uilliam mac Enric) (1165–1214)
Alexander
II (Alasdair II) (1214–1249)
Alexander
III (Alasdair III) (1249–1286)
Margaret
(Mairead; Maighread) (1286–1290)
First
Interregnum
Guardians
of Scotland
William
Fraser, Bishop of St Andrews
Duncan
Macduff, Earl of Fife
Alexander
Comyn, Earl of Buchan
Robert
Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow
James
Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland
John
Comyn
Robert
the Bruce
House of Balliol
(Bailiol)
John (Iain) (1292–1296)
Second Interregnum
Guardians
of Scotland
Andrew
de Moray (1297)
William
Wallace (1297–1298)
Robert
the Bruce, Earl of Carrick (1298–1300)
John
Comyn (1298–1301)
William
Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews (1299–1301)
Sir
Ingram de Umfraville (1300–1301)
John
de Soules (1301–1304)
John
Comyn (1302–1304)
House of Bruce
(Bruis)
Robert
I the Bruce (Raibeart I) (1306–1329)
David
II (Daibidh II) (1329–1371)
House of Balliol
Edward
Balliol (Eideard) (Antiking 1329 – 1363)
House of Stewart
Robert
II (Raibeart II) (1371–1390)
Robert
III (Raibeart III) (1390–1406)
James
I (Seumas I) (1406–1437)
James
II (Seumas II) (1437–1460)
James
III (Seumas III) (1460–1488)
James
IV (Seumas IV) (1488–1513)
James
V (Seumas V) (1513–1542)
Mary
I (Mairi) (1542–1567)
House of Stuart-Lennox
James
VI (Seumas VI) (1567–1625), Union of the Crowns with Kingdom of England
from (1603)
Charles
I (Teàrlach I) (1625–1649)
Charles
II (Teàrlach II) (1649–1685)
James
VII (Seumas VII) (1685–1689)
Mary
II (Mairi II) (1689–1694), co–monarch
William
II (Uilleam II) (1689–1702), co-monarch until 1694
Anne
(Anna) (1702–1714), though the Scottish throne was replaced with that of
the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Jacobite
Claimants
James
VIII (Seumas VIII), also known as Old Pretender, the son of James VII, was
claimant from 1701 until his death in 1766.
Charles
111 (Teàrlach III), often called Bonnie Prince Charlie, was claimant from
his father's death until his own death in 1788.
Henry
1 (Eanraig I), the younger son of James VIII. As he was a cardinal, he
left no offspring. Died in 1807.
After
1807, the Jacobite claims passed first to the House of Savoy (1807-1840),
then to the Modenese branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1840-1919),
and finally to the House of Bavaria (since 1919). The current heir is
Franz, Duke of Bavaria. Neither he nor any of his predecessors since 1807
have pursued their claim
Scottish
monarchs' family tree
This
is a family tree for the kings of Scotland, since the unification under
the House of Alpin in 834, to the personal union with England in 1603
under James VI of Scotland. It includes also the Houses of Dunkeld,
Balliol, Bruce, and Stuart
Houses
of Alpin and Dunkeld (834-1290)
Click
thumbnails to enlarge and print
Houses
of Balliol, Bruce and Stuart (1292-1625)
Click
thumbnails to enlarge and print
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