Bonnie Scotland and what we owe her

by William Elliot Griffis

CHRONOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF SCOTLAND’S HISTORY

PREHISTORIC
	Britain, “north of the Tweed.” Picts and various tribes.
THE ROMAN PERIOD
B.C.
55.	Julius Cæsar lands in southern Britain.
A.D.
50.	Romans in Britain learn of the Caledonii in the north.
81.	Agricola’s frontier between the Firths of Forth and Clyde.
82.	The Ninth Legion at the Tay River.
84.	Great battle between the Romans and northern natives.
84.	Caledonia circumnavigated.
120.	Hadrian erects the Roman Wall.
139.	Wall of Antoninus Pius.
181.	Revolt of the Tribes. Commodus.
208.	Uprising of the Tribes. Severus.
210.	Roman road made through the Forth Forests.
364.	Highland host invades the South.
368.	Roman slaughter of the “Scots” (Irish invaders).
406.	Revolt of the northern tribes.
410.	The Romans leave Britain.
PERIOD OF ANARCHY—FIFTH TO SEVENTH CENTURY
	Migration of the “Scots” (Irish) to the peninsula.
	Fergus, first “Scots” Prince.
	Entrance of the Germanic, Continental tribes into Britain.
	Four kingdoms: Pictish (Pictland); Irish (Dalriada); Brython (Strathclyde); and “English” (Benicia).
CHRISTIAN SCOTLAND
563.	St. Columba (521–592), Christian missionary at Iona.
573.	St. Kentigern at Glasgow.
651.	St. Cuthbert at Melrose.
710.	The Pict Christians conform to the Roman Church rules.
717.	The Columba monks expelled.
730–761.	The Pict, Angus MacFergus, paramount.
802.	Iona burnt by the Norsemen. Desolate for two hundred years.
802–839.	The Scandinavian sea-rovers settle on the northern coasts.
844–860.	Kenneth MacAlpine, King of the Picts.
	Blending of the Picts and Scots into one people.
904.	St. Andrews: religious centre. Stone of Scone.
945.	Malcolm acquires northern Strathclyde.
1018.	Lothian part of the Celto-Pict realm.
1005–1034.	King Malcolm II.
FEUDAL SCOTLAND
1039–1056.	Macbeth flourishes.
	Ireland, “the Land of the Scots,” is known by its modern name. “Scotland” refers to northern Britain.
1057.	Macbeth defeated and slain by Malcolm Canmore.
1066.	Normans invade England.
1058–1093.	Malcolm Canmore and Queen Margaret.
	Great social and political changes in Scotland.
	The Celtic Church gives way to Western uniformity.
	Dunfermline, capital of the realm.
1124.	Alexander, King of Scotland.
	Planting of Norman, Flemish, and Anglican colonies on east coast.
	Anglo-Norman feudalism in Scotland.
	David I, “The Maker of Scotland,” builder of abbeys and bishoprics.
1153–1165.	Malcolm the Maiden. Great Clan of Macdonalds formed.
	Ascendancy of Anglican influence. Inverness granted a royal charter.
1165–1214.	William the Lion. Dundee granted a royal charter.
	Chimneys introduced into Scotland.
1249–1286.	Alexander III. Treaty with Norway.
	Islands incorporated in the Scottish realm.
1292.	John Baliol crowned on the Stone of Scone.
FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OF HOSTILITY TO ENGLAND AND FRIENDSHIP WITH FRANCE
1297–1305.	Edward of England. Intervention in Scotland.
1298.	William Wallace.
1274–1329.	Robert the Bruce.
1334–1346.	Battle of Bannockburn.
	Scotland independent.
	Scottish Parliament at Cambuskenneth.
1333–1361.	Struggle with Edward III of England.
	King David in Captivity. Ransom. Scheme of Union.
	Struggles between Scottish kings and nobles looking to centralization of royal power.
	Partisan warfare. The House of Douglas.
1364.	Proposal of Union with England rejected by the Scottish Parliament.
THE SCOTTISH KINGS
1371–1390.	Robert II. The Stuart line of kings founded.
	Policy of Scotland shaped by Earls Douglas, Mar, March, and Moray.
	English invasions of Scotland.
1390–1406.	Robert III. Beginning of nearly two centuries of royal minority, regencies, and nobles’ power. Decline of kingly authority. Great power of the nobles.
1395.	The Lollards in Scotland: forerunners of the Reformation.
1406–1437.	James I. His reign a struggle against anarchy.
	Attempts to Anglicize Scotland.
	Parliament of Highlanders at Inverness. Several chiefs seized and executed.
1437–1460.	James II marries Mary of Gelderland: kills Douglas at Stirling. Earls still powerful.
THE RENAISSANCE
1460–1488.	James III marries Anne of Denmark.
	The thistle, the national badge of Scotland.
	Witchcraft. King imprisoned by the nobles and assassinated.
1465–1536.	Hector Boece writes the “History of Scotland.”
1488–1513.	James IV. Modern History of Scotland begins.
1494.	Grey Friars’ Church in Edinburgh built.
	Ayala, Spanish envoy and writer on Scotland.
	Music and poetry cultivated.
1495.	University of Aberdeen founded.
1496.	Parliament decrees compulsory education.
	University of St. Andrews. Hepburn founds St. Leonard’s College.
1503.	Marriage of James IV with Margaret of England, at Holyrood.
	First Peace with England since 1332. An era of prosperity.
1505.	Royal College of Surgeons founded at Edinburgh.
1507.	Printing introduced into Scotland.
1513.	Battle of Flodden Field.
THE REFORMATION
	Rise of the burgesses and middle classes.
1513–1542.	James V: minority. Angus rules. James escapes to France.
1537.	James marries Mary of Guise, and on her decease, Mary of Lorraine.
1540.	Lordship of the Isles annexed to the Crown.
1542.	Invasion of Scotland by Henry VIII.
	King and clergy on the Roman, nobles on the Reformed, side.
1542–1587.	Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
	Close relations with France.
1505–1572.	John Knox.
	Destruction of monasteries and abbeys.
1557.	Last Protestant martyr burned.
1565.	Queen Mary marries Lord Darnley.
1566.	Murder of Rizzio in Holyrood.
1567.	Murder of Lord Darnley.
	Marriage of Mary with Bothwell.
1567–1625.	George Buchanan, scholar, reformer, author of De Jure Regni apud Scotos.
	James VI educated by George Buchanan.
PRESBYTERIAN SCOTLAND
1560.	Foundation of the National Church.
	First General Assembly of Scotland.
1578.	Andrew Melville the Reformer. Second Book of Discipline.
	Divine Right of Presbytery taught. Nobles debarred from spoiling the Church.
1587.	Execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
1592.	James gives Presbyterianism his sanction.
1603.	Union of the crowns of England and Scotland.
	James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.
1605.	The Border region pacified and civilized.
1606.	The Union Jack flag, uniting crosses of St. George and St. Andrew.
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
1584–1688.	Scotland’s fight against prelacy.
1610.	King James changes his mind. Attempts assimilation of Church of Scotland with the Anglican Establishment.
1618.	The Perth Synod accepts episcopacy.
1600–1649.	Charles I asserts the royal prerogative.
1625.	Attempts to fasten the liturgy and bishops upon Scotland.
1637.	Jenny Geddes. Uproar in St. Giles’s Cathedral.
	Signing of the National Covenant.
1638.	Episcopacy cast out.
1645.	Covenanters compel Charles I to sign the Covenant.
1649.	Charles Stuart, King of England, executed.
1650.	Cromwell in Scotland.
1649–1685.	Restoration of the Stuarts. Charles II crowned, 1660.
	Prelacy established in Scotland. The dragonnades.
	Archbishop Sharp assassinated.
	Drowning of the martyrs at Wigtown.
	John Graham of Claverhouse. Battle of Bothwell Bridge.
1633–1701.	James II of Great Britain.
1680.	James, Duke of Albany, in Scotland.
1685.	Coronation. The Roman ritual in Westminster Abbey.
MODERN SCOTLAND
1688.	Landing of William III.
1690.	Restoration of the Kirk in Scotland.
1689.	Battle of Killiecrankie.
1692.	Massacre at Glencoe.
1695–1701.	The Darien Scheme.
1686–1758.	Allan Ramsay, poet and musician.
1707.	Union of Scotland and England.
1715.	The Old Pretender.
1725.	General Wade opens the Highlands: road-building.
	The Black Watch Regiment formed from loyal Highland clans.
1730–1740.	Large number of Scottish students in English schools and universities.
1745.	“Bonnie Prince Charlie.”
1746.	Culloden. Scottish feudalism ended.
	Scottish history merged with that of Great Britain.
1746–1770.	The Highlanders assimilated, enrolled in the British army, or emigrate to America.
1751–1773.	Robert Fergusson, poet.
1773.	Dr. Samuel Johnson visits the Hebrides and Highlands. His book an epoch-maker.
1773.	Fingal’s cave first described.
1759–1796.	Robert Burns.
1802.	The Edinburgh Review started.
1771–1832.	Sir Walter Scott: poetry, 1805–1815; prose, 1814–1830.
1822.	Caledonian Canal opened.
1795–1881.	Thomas Carlyle.
1843.	Disruption. Formation of the Free Church of Scotland.
1830.	Railway system inaugurated.
1846.	Large emigration to America.
1819–1901.	Queen Victoria. In the Highlands often, from 1852.
	The Highlands become game preserves.
1915.	The 225th meeting of the General Assembly in Edinburgh.