Notable Dates in Scottish History
A note on time and dates in Scotland.
- 80
-
Julius Agricola advances across the River Clyde fighting off bands of warring
celts.
- 84
-
The celtic tribes unite under Calgacus, but he is killed (along with 10000
men) when he meets the Roman army at Ardoch.
- 296
-
The Pictish people were first mentioned in Roman literature. The name "Pict" is
said to have come either from a latin word meaning "painted ones" or another
meaning "fighter". Both of these accurately depicted the Pictish people.
- 360
-
Roman literature describes the warring tribe based in Ireland as the "Scots".
- 368
-
The Pict, Scot and Saxon tribes attack the Romans in London and plunder their
treasures.
- 503
-
The Scots leave Ireland and build their kingdom of Dalriada in Argyll on the
West coast of Scotland.
- 597
-
St. Columba died.
- 843
-
Kenneth MacAlpin unites the Scots and Picts as one nation. This was the first
step in creating a united Scotland, a process not completed until at least
1034 and perhaps much later.
- 1005
-
Malcolm II kills Kenneth III and becomes King.
- 1018
-
Malcolm II gains Lothian after defeating the Saxons at the Battle of Carham.
Death of Owen-the-Bald, King of Strathclyde.
- 1034
-
Duncan, already ruler of Strathclyde, kills his grandfather Malcolm II and
becomes King of a (largely) united Scotland.
- 1040
-
MacBeth kills Duncan and becomes King.
- 1057
-
Malcolm III (or Malcolm Canmore) kills MacBeth and becomes King.
- 1107
-
On the death of Edgar, Scotland becomes disunited. Alexander I becomes King
of Scots, but David I becomes King in Lothian and Strathclyde.
- 1124
-
Unity was restored when, on Alexander's death, David becomes King of Scots.
His reign is one of the most important in Scotland's history, extending
Scottish borders to the River Tees, including all of Northumberland.
- 1295
-
Signing of the "Auld Alliance" between Scotland and France - one of the world's
oldest mutual defence treaties.
- 1296
-
Annexation of Scotland by England. Scotland's Coronation Stone - the "Stone of
Destiny" or "Stone of Scone" - was removed to Westminster Abbey (in London) by
the English King Edward I. The stone was temporarily returned to Scotland in
1950 and permanently returned in 1996.
- 1314
-
Battle of Bannockburn (Scots under Robert the Bruce routed the English led
by Edward II) resulting in Scottish independence.
- 1320
-
The Declaration of Arbroath was drawn up to urge
the Pope to recognise Scottish independence from England. The Pope accepted
the Declaration.
- 1411
-
University of St. Andrews founded.
- 1451
-
University of Glasgow founded.
- 1460
-
King James II was killed by an exploding canon during the siege of Roxburgh.
- 1488
-
King James III was murdered after being accused of surrounding himself with
evil advisors who encouraged him to bring Englishmen into Scottish affairs.
- 1494
-
University of Aberdeen founded.
- 1502
-
King Henry VII of England gave his daughter in marriage to James IV of
Scotland. This gave rise to the Union of the Crowns in 1603.
- 1512
-
Under the terms of a treaty with France (the "Auld Alliance") all Scottish
citizens became French and vice versa.
- 1559
-
John Knox's sermon at Perth - regarded as the start of the Reformation in
Scotland.
- 1582
-
University of Edinburgh founded.
- 1600
-
Scotland adopts Gregorian Calendar.
- 1603
-
James VI of Scotland becomes James I of
England bringing about the Union of the Crowns.
- 1617
-
James (on his only return to Scotland) tactlessly lectures his countrymen on the
"superiority of English civilisation".
- 1618
-
James imposes Bishops on the presbyterian Church of Scotland in an attempt
to integrate it with the Church of England. This move was deeply unpopular
with the Scots.
- 1625
-
Charles I becomes King on the death of his father. Although born in Scotland,
Charles had no interest in the country and dealt with Scottish affairs with
even less tact than his father, causing discontent.
- 1637
-
Charles attempted to further anglicise the Church of Scotland by introducing
a new prayerbook, which caused riots at St. Giles in Edinburgh.
Jenny Geddes throws a stool in St.
Giles in protest.
- 1638
-
Charles regarded protests against the prayerbook as treason, forcing Scots to
choose between their church and the King. A "Covenant", swearing to
resist these changes to the death, was signed in Greyfriars Church in
Edinburgh. The covenant was accepted by hundreds if thousands of Scots.
- 1639
-
Charles calls a General Assembly, effectively abolishing the unpopular
Scottish Bishops. Agreement is reached through the "Treaty of Berwick".
- 1640
-
Charles peace collapses; the Scots show force by marching on Newcastle.
- 1641
-
Having no realistic chance of opposing the Scots, Charles negotiates a
truce at Ripon.
- 1642
-
Civil war breaks out in England. The Scottish Covenanters side with the
English rebels who take power. The Earl of Montrose had sided with King Charles
so civil strife also spilled into Scotland.
- 1682
-
The National Library of Scotland was founded. Now one of the UK's four copyright
deposit libraries.
- 1692
-
The massacre of Glencoe. Clan Campbell siding with the King murders
members of Clan McDonald.
- 1695
-
Bank of Scotland founded (still operating to this day).
- 1707
-
Act of Union is passed; Scotland formally united with England to form Great Britain.
- 1715
-
First Jacobite rebellion; Jacobites defeated at the Battle of Sheriffmuir.
- 1744
-
The world's first Golf Club (the
Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers)
was founded.
- 1745
-
Prince Charles
Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) returns to Scotland;
Second Jacobite rebellion begins; Scottish victory at the Battle of
Prestonpans; Jacobite Scottish army advance as far south as Derby but
then retreat.
- 1746
-
Battle of Culloden (Jacobite Scots routed by the Government troops); Charles
escapes to France; the wearing of the kilt was prohibited.
- 1768
-
The first edition of the "Encylopaedia Britannica" was published in
Edinburgh by William Smellie
- 1770
-
The Clyde Trust was created to convert the River Clyde, which was at that time
an insignficant river, into a major thoroughfare for maritime communications.
This required a major programme of excavation and dredging.
- 1826
-
Scotland's first commercial railway was opened between Edinburgh and Dalkeith.
- 1843
-
Disruption of the Church of Scotland. 474 ministers signed the Deed of
Demission and formed the Free Church of Scotland (the "Wee Free").
- 1860
-
Scotland hosted the first Open Golf Championship.
- 1870
-
The first Rugby International was played between
Scotland and England.
- 1872
-
The Scottish Football Assocation and Rangers
Football Club were founded.
- 1879
-
Tay Bridge Disaster (bridge collapsed in storm taking train with it -
enquiry revealed corners had been cut during construction to reduce costs).
- 1888
-
Celtic Football Club was founded.
- 1890
-
Forth Rail Bridge opened, it took six years to build.
- 1896
-
Opening of the Underground Railway (the "shooglie") in Glasgow. It remains the
only underground in Scotland.
- 1915
-
Britain's worst train disaster took place near Gretna Green, south of Dumfries,
killing 227 people.
- 1937
-
The largest ocean liner ever built, the Queen Elisabeth, was launched in
Clydebank.
- 1941
-
Hitler's Deputy Rudolf Hess parachuted from a plane just south of Glasgow.
His purpose remains one of the great enigmas of the war.
- 1943
-
More than 1000 people were killed over two days in Clydebank and Southern
Glasgow during the only sustained German Luftwaffe attack on Scotland during
the Second World War.
- 1950
-
Scottish Nationalists steal the "Stone of Destiny" from Westminster Abbey. This
was Scotland's Coronation Stone, taken by the English in 1296. By tradition all
British Monarchs have to be crowned while sitting on it. It was eventually
recovered from Arbroath Abbey, although some claim this was a copy, and the
original remains in Scotland.
- 1959
-
Scotland's first nuclear power station was opened at Chapelcross in
Dumfriesshire.
- 1964
-
Forth Road Bridge opened by Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II. It was the longest
suspension bridge in Europe.
- 1965
-
Tay Road Bridge opened - for a short time the longest bridge in the world,
at just over one mile.
- 1967
-
The Queen Elisabeth II (QE2) was launched in Clydebank. It was the last of
the great clyde-built passenger liners.
- 1971
-
66 people were killed in Scotland's worst football disaster, when part of the
stadium collapsed at Ranger's ground in Glasgow after a match with Celtic.
- 1975
-
The first oil was piped ashore from the North Sea at Peterhead.
- 1988
-
Scotland's worst terrorist incident occurred when a bomb exploded on
board a Boeing 747 air liner on course from Frankfurt to New York. It crashed
on the village of Lockerbie in Dumfriesshire, killing a total of 275 people,
which represented all on board and a number on the ground.
- 1990
-
Scotland defeated England to win the Rugby "Grand Slam".
- 1996
-
A gunman kills 16 five-year-old chidren, their teacher and himself in the
Primary School at Dunblane in Perthshire. This is the worst tragedy of
its type in the U.K.
The "Stone of Destiny", Scotland's Coronation Stone, is returned from London
to Edinburgh Castle, 700 years after
being stolen by Edward I.
© 1995, Bruce M. Gittings, Department of Geography,
The University of Edinburgh.