The North Berwick Witch Trials
22/01/2021
Lying just outside of Edinburgh, the now picturesque town of North Berwick was the site of one of Scotland’s most infamous witch trials. … More The North Berwick Witch Trials
Category: History
New Research to Unlock the Secrets of the Galloway Hoard
07/01/2021
National Museums Scotland is set to lead a new research project into one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites, the Galloway Hoard. Funded through a grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the three-year project will carried out in collaboration with the University of Glasgow. ‘Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard’ The Galloway Hoard is … More New Research to Unlock the Secrets of the Galloway Hoard
Dreams of the Past: The Indian Barrier State
28/12/2020
The arrival of Europeans in North America heralded a dark period for indigenous populations the length and breadth of the continent. Within the space of a few centuries, the patchwork of varied, independent tribal societies that littered the modern-day mainland United States was gradually destroyed; with peoples scattered and often subjected to brutal acts of … More Dreams of the Past: The Indian Barrier State
83 Years On: Remembering the Nanjing Massacre
11/12/2020
In 1937, before a shot was even fired in Europe, Imperial Japanese forces were engaged in a long, bloody conflict in China – and it is during this period that we catch a glimpse of the atrocities that would stain the 1940s. The event, or series of events, we are looking at today is the … More 83 Years On: Remembering the Nanjing Massacre
The Battle of Gettysburg: The Turning Point
18/11/2020
The Battle of Gettysburg epitomises the futility of war and offered people of the time a terrifying glimpse at the devastating future of conflict. It is a landmark moment not only in the American Civil War but in world history; a victory and tragedy in the same breath. Fought from the 1st of July through … More The Battle of Gettysburg: The Turning Point
Defeat and Humiliation: The Battle of Neville’s Cross
14/11/2020
On the 17th October 1346, Scottish and English forces clashed outside Durham in one of the key battles of 14th-century British history. The Battle of Neville’s Cross was a disastrous military failure for the Kingdom of Scotland which led to the capture and humiliation of King David II. Embroiled deep in the Hundred Years War, … More Defeat and Humiliation: The Battle of Neville’s Cross
Kings, Queens & Treacherous Schemes: The Gunpowder Plot
05/11/2020
Every year on the 5th November, the skies above Britain are awash with colour as thousands of fireworks let out their brief, explosive bursts of light. Bonfires burn throughout the land and Brits young and old recall the rhyme, “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot“. The Gunpowder Plot reads like your … More Kings, Queens & Treacherous Schemes: The Gunpowder Plot
The Battle of Boroughmuir : Desperation in Defeat
10/08/2020
It was a warm July day as they clambered to plug gaps in the walls; flesh and bone replaced their bricks and mortar. They had endured much already, yet with every slaughtered horse they piled up, the grotesque stench grew in severity, permeating the humid air and lingering in their nostrils. Guy, Count of Namur … More The Battle of Boroughmuir : Desperation in Defeat
The Battle of Falkirk : The End of the Beginning
22/07/2020
The Battle of Falkirk, which took place on the 22nd July 1298, is one of the most famous battles of the Scottish Wars of Independence.
The euphoria of victory would be short-lived, however. And at the Battle of Falkirk, Wallace and the Scots would go toe-to-toe with a far different animal to the one they previously encountered on the banks of the River Forth.
… More The Battle of Falkirk : The End of the Beginning
Great Catastrophes, Part 1: The Great Fire of London
28/06/2020
Human history has been shaped by great catastrophic events. In this series of articles, I will explore a wide range of catastrophes throughout our history, ranging from natural disasters to pandemics and global conflicts. In September 1666, the Great Fire of London began its devastating rampage throughout the city. It is by all accounts the … More Great Catastrophes, Part 1: The Great Fire of London
