Scotlands History

Scotland's History

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Choose Scotland’s History.

Choose the Picts. Choose the Orkney Venus. Choose the invention of television. Choose the discovery of penicillin and the use of anaesthetics. Choose Dolly the Sheep and Billy Connolly’s banana boots. Choose to read Tam O’ Shanter, Trainspotting and Treasure Island. Choose the great minds of the Scottish Enlightenment. Choose James Watt’s steam engine and Dundee’s jute mills. Choose to invade Stirling Castle. Choose Mary Queen of Scots, Somerled, Wallace and Bruce. Choose crannogs. Choose Votes for Women, Isobel of Fife and Kay Matheson. Choose the Lewis Chessmen.

Choose Scotland’s future.

 
Image of the first page of the Scotland's History interactive timeline
Explore 5000 years of people, events and artefacts with our Scotland's History timeline.
Portraits of two men, both wearing white wigs, one in a red and gold coat and one in a black jacket

Scottish Enlightenment

Learn about the intellectual movement of the 18th century which shaped the way we think and live today.

Photo of a young girl holding the Australian flag and smiling

Scots and Australia

The stories of the Scots who went to Australia, why they went, and how the experience affected them and changed Australia itself.

Photo of a small African boy peeking through a gap in a wooden fence

Scotland and the Abolition of the Slave Trade

Find out about Scotland's role in the slave trade and in its abolition.