Timeline_of_Scottish

Timeline of Scottish history

This timeline outlines the main events in Scottish history.

1 1st century - 7th century
2 8th century
3 9th century
4 10th century - 13th century
5 14th century - 15th century
6 16th century
7 17th century
8 18th century
9 19th century
10 20th century
11 21st century
12 See also

1st century - 7th century

c.84: Romans defeat Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius.
c.143: Romans construct the Antonine Wall.
c.163: Romans withdraw south to Trimontium and Hadrian's Wall.
c.300: The term Pict is first recorded in describing the federated tribes invaded by Constantius Chlorus.
c.397: Saint Ninian establishes a Christian mission at Whithorn.
c.470: Votadini peoples form the kingdom of Gododdin in the region north of the River Tweed.
c.547: Angles capture the British fortress at Bamburgh and found the kingdom of Bernicia.
563: Saint Columba founds a monastery at Iona and begins his mission to the northern Picts.
c.574: Áedán mac Gabráin begins reign over the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata.
c.580: Riderch I of Alt Clut rules region later known as the kingdom of Strathclyde.
c.584: Bruide son of Maelchon dies.
604: Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria.
638: Northumbrians capture Edinburgh from Gododdin.
680s: Trumwine Bishop of Abercorn.
681: Bruide mac Bili, King of Fortriu, campaigns against Orkney
685: Pictish King Bruide mac Bili defeats Ecgfrith of Northumbria at the Battle of Dunnichen, halting the northern expansion of Northumbria.
693: Bruide mac Bili dies
697: Bruide mac Der-Ilei among the signatories of the Cáin Adomnáin.

8th century

717: Nechtan mac Der-Ilei expels Ionan clergy from Pictland and adopts Roman usages with the aid of Bishop Curetán; masons sent by Abbot Ceolfrid of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory help build stone churches at Restenneth, Rosemarkie and elsewhere in eastern Scotland.
724-729: Drust and Nechtan mac Der-Ilei fight civil war
732: Death of Nechtan mac Der-Ilei; Óengus mac Fergusa becomes King of the Picts.
735: Óengus mac Fergusa, King of the Picts, campaigns against Dál Riata, and seizes and burns the royal centre of Dunadd
736: Battle of Cnoc Coirpi between Fortriu and Dál Riata
741: Battle of Druimm Cathmail between Fortriu and Dál Riata; the "smiting of Dál Riata", in which Dál Riata is subdued by Óengus mac Fergusa
747: St Andrews founded by this time, death of Abbot Túathalán.
750: Picts defeated by Britons at the Battle of Catohic
756: Óengus mac Fergusa allied with the English of Northumbria attacks the Britons; the English army is destroyed
761: Death of Óengus mac Fergusa.
763: Battle takes place in Fortriu between Ciniod and Áed Find; result unknown.
778: Death of Áed Find, King of Dál Riata
794: Annals of Ulster report the "wasting" of "all the islands of Britain by gentiles [Vikings]"

9th century

802: Iona burned by Vikings
806: The monasteries under Iona are attacked by Vikings, killing 68 monks
820: Death of Caustantín mac Fergusa.
829: Abbot Diarmait, abbot of Iona, goes to Alba with relics of St Columba
831: Diarmait of Iona goes to Ireland with relics of St Columba
839: Eóganan mac Óengusa and his brother Bran killed in battle with Vikings, end of dominance of Fortriu.
858: Death of Kenneth mac Alpin, King of the Picts; "union of Picts and Scots" traditionally dated from his reign.
870: Alt Clut—Dumbarton Rock— captured by the Norse-Gael or Viking leaders Amlaíb Conung and Ímar after six month's of siege
878: Kenneth mac Alpin's son Áed killed; Giric becomes king.
889: Death of Giric; Domnall mac Causantín, grandson of Kenneth, becomes king.
c.890: Exodus of the Strathclyde Britons to Gwynedd (in Wales).

10th century - 13th century

900: Causantín mac Áeda succeeds Domnall mac Causantín.
943: Causantín mac Áeda abdicates to become a culdee at St Andrews.
c.940: Saint Catroe of Metz leaves Scotland.
952: Death of Causantín mac Áeda.
954: Indulf captures Edinburgh from Northumbria.
1058: After defeating Mac Bethad and Lulach, Máel Coluim III is proclaimed king.
1124: David I becomes king and introduces the feudal system of landholding to much of Scotland.
1156: Somerled defeats the Norse King of Mann and the Isles, establishing his own semi-independent rule as ri Innse Gall-King of the Hebrides.
1164: Somerled is defeated by the Scottish crown in the Battle of Renfrew.
1174: William I signs the Treaty of Falaise in which he swears allegiance to Henry II of England.
1234: Galloway's independent existence ends with the death of Alan, Lord of Galloway.
1237: Southern border of Scotland established in the Treaty of York.
1263: Scots defeat Norwegians at Largs.
1266: Norway cedes the Western Isles to Scotland in the Treaty of Perth.
1292: Edward I of England intervenes in Scottish affairs and grants the Scottish throne to John Balliol.
1297: Andrew de Moravia and William Wallace lead the Scots to victory over England at Stirling Bridge.

14th century - 15th century

1314: Robert the Bruce defeats the English at Bannockburn.
1320: Nobles assert Scottish independence in the Declaration of Arbroath.
1328: Treaty of Edinburgh. England recognises Scottish independence.
1371: Robert II becomes first Stewart king.
1402: English defeat Scots in the Battle of Nesbit Moor and the Battle of Humbleton Hill.
1413: Foundation of the University of St Andrews.
1451: Establishment of the University of Glasgow.
1468: Denmark cedes Orkney and Shetland to Scotland.
1493: Lordship of the Isles abolished. In 1540 the title was reserved to the crown.
1495: Creation of the University of Aberdeen (King's College).
1496: Education Act of 1496 makes education compulsory for barons and wealthy landowners.

16th century

1513: James IV and thousands of Scots are killed at Flodden.
1532: Creation of the College of Justice and the Court of Session.
1559: John Knox returns to Scotland from Geneva to promote Calvinism.
1560: Parliament legislates protestant reformation of the Church of Scotland.
1568: Mary, Queen of Scots flees to England following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Langside..
1578: James VI takes over government from his regent, James Douglas.
1582: Establishment of the University of Edinburgh by Royal Charter.
1587: Mary is beheaded by the order of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
1592: Presbyterianism becomes the established form of church government in Scotland by Act of Parliament.

17th century

1603: The Union of the Crowns: James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.
1614: John Napier invents logarithms and publishes a book promoting their use in mathematics.
1618: James VI forces episcopacy on the Church of Scotland through the Five Articles of Perth.
1633: Education Act of 1633 ordains a school in every parish (partially successful).
1638: Scottish Covenanters rebel against Charles I.
1643: The Solemn League and Covenant promises Scots army to aid English parliamentarians against the king.
1651-1660: Scotland incorporated into the English Commonwealth and Protectorate.
1660: The monarchy is restored and Scotland resumes its status as a separate kingdom.
1679: Duke of Monmouth defeats Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Brig.
1689: Jacobite highlanders defeats army of William III at Killiecrankie, but are halted at Dunkeld.
1689: The Claim of Right and the re-establishment of Presbyterianism.
1692: Massacre of Glencoe.
1695: The Bank of Scotland is created by Act of Parliament.
1696: Education Act of 1696 ordains a school in every parish (successful; act governs education until the 1872 act).

18th century

1707: The Union of the Parliaments: the Acts of Union are passed by both the Scottish and English parliaments.
1715: First Jacobite rising.
1745: Second Jacobite rising.
1746: The Battle of Culloden ends the second Jacobite rising.
1754: Joseph Black discovers "fixed air" (carbon dioxide).
1748: David Hume publishes An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
1762: Land tenure reform leads to the Highland Clearances and massive emigration for several decades.
1769: James Watt patents idea for separate condensing chamber in the Steam engine.
1776: Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations.

19th century

1802: John Playfair publishes summary of James Hutton's theories of Geology.
1805: The Glasgow Herald newspaper first published.
1817: The Scotsman newspaper first published.
1820: The "Radical War".
1822: Visit of King George IV to Scotland organized by Sir Walter Scott.
1832: The Reform Act enlarges the franchise.
1843: The Disruption in the Church of Scotland (over the issue of patronage).
1846: Beginning of the ten-year Highland Potato Famine.
1847: The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland is established.
1864: James Clerk Maxwell presents equations describing electromagnetic fields.
1874: Patronage abolished in the Church of Scotland.
1878: Collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank
1879: William Gladstone conducts the Midlothian campaign as part of a political comeback.
1879: The Tay Bridge Disaster.
1885: Creation of the Scottish Office and the post of Secretary for Scotland, later Secretary of State for Scotland.
1890: Opening of the Forth Railway Bridge.
1896: Opening of the Glasgow Subway.

20th century

1929: The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland unite.
1934: Scottish National Party founded.
1938: The Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938 is held at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow.
1941: The Clydebank Blitz (13-15 May).
1943: Creation of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to bring electricity to all parts of the Highlands and Islands.
1945: First Scottish Nationalist MP is elected.
1947: Nationalisation of the railways - the Scottish Region of British Railways is created.
1947: The first Edinburgh International Festival is held.
1950: The Stone of Destiny is removed from Westminster Abbey.
1957: Scottish Television starts broadcasting.
1968: The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland permits the ordination of women as ministers.
1975: Local government reorganisation (replacing Counties and Burghs for administrative purposes with Regions and Districts).
1978: Launch of BBC Radio Scotland.
1979: Referendum to create a Scottish Assembly fails to meet the required majority.
1988: Terrorists blow up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 lives, including 11 residents of the town.
1994: Local government reorganisation (replacing the Regions and Districts with single-tier councils).
1996: The Stone of Destiny is permanently returned to Scotland, to be housed in Edinburgh Castle.
1997: A referendum on a devolved Scottish Parliament is passed by a large majority.
1999: A Scottish parliament sits for the first time in 272 years.

21st century

2004: Opening of the new Scottish Parliament Building.
2007: The Scottish National Party become the largest party in the Scottish Parliament and forms a minority government.

Contents

1st century - 7th century

8th century

9th century

10th century - 13th century

14th century - 15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

See also