Fought on the 17th January 1746, the Battle of Falkirk Muir marked an impressive victory for the Jacobite cause, but one that would have little impact on the eventual outcome of the conflict. … More The Battle of Falkirk Muir: A ‘Hollow Victory’ for the Jacobite Cause
The Massacre of Tranent started as a protest against the conscription of working-class Scottish men but quickly boiled over into violence. … More The Massacre of Tranent: When Defiant Miners Faced British Dragoons
The island of Inchkeith boasts a peculiar and chequered history. During both world wars, this craggy outcrop in the Firth of Forth formed part of a defensive network which protected shipping and kept watch for elusive German U-boats. Featuring bunkers, artillery positions and anti-aircraft guns, the island was a fortress and would likely have been … More The Bizarre Inchkeith Language Experiment Commissioned by King James IV
On 31st January 1918, Royal Navy vessels sailing from Rosyth meandered their way through thick fog toward the North Sea.
While the battlegroup passed the Isle of May, five disastrous collisions occurred which sank two British submarines and caused damage to three more. … More Tragedy at Sea: The ‘Battle’ of May Island, 1918
Scotland boasts a long, distinguished line of monarchs stretching from the modern day back to the early middle ages. From the Kenneth MacAlpin in the ninth century to the Union of the Crowns in 1603, many have ruled Scotland in its early and frequently fragmented forms. Notably, from the Acts of Union in 1707 to … More 5 of Scotland’s Longest Reigning Kings
Lying just outside of Edinburgh, the now picturesque town of North Berwick was the site of one of Scotland’s most infamous witch trials. One that saw dozens executed and high society implicated in a tale of dark deeds and demonic pacts. … More The North Berwick Witch Trials
Earlier this month I spent a weekend much like any other during this past year and half, meandering around Edinburgh and exploring its many nooks and crannies. On this occasion, I found myself in Portobello, located in the north east of Edinburgh on the coast. While walking along the beach I recalled seeing peculiar photographs … More Fire in the Skies Above: The Battle of the River Forth, 1939
Scottish history is rich, vibrant and littered with colourful tales of bravery, deceit, violence and lust. It is no surprise that George RR Martin drew some inspiration from it.
There are many tales from Scotland’s past that aren’t immortalised in fantasy fiction, however, yet they are every bit as brutal and harrowing. … More Fact or Fiction? 5 of the Darkest Events in Scottish History
On 9th November 1938, a torrent of state-sponsored violence was unleashed across Germany and Austria in an event that would come to foreshadow the Holocaust. … More On This Day: Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass
Every year on 5th November, the skies above Britain are awash with colour as thousands of fireworks let out their brief, explosive bursts of light. Bonfires burn and Brits young and old recall the rhyme, “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot”. The Gunpowder Plot reads like your quintessential Hollywood blockbuster; a … More Kings, Queens & Treacherous Schemes: The Gunpowder Plot
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