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BC
8000
The last Ice Age ended, and a bare and almost lifeless landscape emerged from the ice.
6000
Britain was still connected to Europe. Man first arrived around this period, as nomadic hunters from the south. Scotland was forested by birches and pines and populated by wolves, brown bears, giant elk and other "Northern" species.
5000
Scotland's first house is built at Crathes near Banchory. This circular stone structure was around 8 metres in diameter.
4000
Farming people came to Scotland from Europe, introducing wheat, barley and rye and sheep.
3000
Various groups of people moved to Scotland from areas as far apart as the Baltic, the Mediterranean and the Iberian peninsular.
These people brought metal in the form of Bronze with them and thus brought Scotland out of the stone age. These people also built chambered cairns and tombs suggesting that they had some form of religious beliefs. Other evidence of their faith or ritual practices are the great stone circles still standing today.
Around this period these people built extensively.
Tombs such as those at Maes Howe and Isbister in the Orkneys and in Argyll around the Kilmartin Valley.
The most famous of their remaining constructions however is the village of Skara Brae.
2000
The Beaker people, so-called because of the pottery drinking vessels found in so many of their graves, settled on the Scottish east coast in the Aberdeen area.
They inhabited a wide area from Bohemia to Britain and south into parts of Iberia, from which they may have spread
northwards in the first place. They too were mainly farmers.
Their chief weapon was the bow, firing arrows tipped with flint. This should not give the false impression that they were primitive savages, for they used
bronze and possessed an advanced knowledge of astronomy.
They also had developed a sufficiently sophisticated social organization to enable them to build the great
megalithic observatories, such as the lines of giant stones at Carnac in Brittany and
the huge stone circles at Stonehenge, Avebury, and nearby Silbury Hill, the last being the largest prehistoric structure in Europe.
1000
Scotland was on the main trading route from Ireland to Scandinavia and was also trading with the Mediterranean and Baltic peoples. A gold route from Ireland to the Baltic crossed from Galloway to the Forth.
900
The Goidelic Celts arrived in Scotland. A combative people of fine physique and fair hair, the Celtic tribes had a strongly matriarchal society. It is thought that these people developed from the Urnfield People of Northern Europe.
500
Short, dark Brythonic Celts called the Cymry (Welsh) settled in Scotland as far north as the line between the Forth and the Clyde. Some of the earliest sagas date from this settlement and give detailed accounts of battles and momentous events.
80
Julius Agricola advanced across the River Clyde fighting off bands of warring Celts.
84
Calgacus with his Caledonii army of 30,000 men, met Agricola and his force of 5000 at Mons Grapius (near Huntly). Calgacus is reported to have lost 10,000 killed or wounded while the Romans lost only 360!
AD
297
The Picts were first mentioned in Roman literature, their Roman nickname "Picti" being used in a Latin poem. These people of whom very little is known, are thought to have been a fusion of the aboriginal Scottish peoples and the original Celtic tribes who settled the east coast.
The name "Picti" meaning 'painted ones' or another meaning 'fighter'. Both of these descriptions were quite apt.
360
Roman literature described the warring tribe based in Ireland as the 'Scotti'.
470
Fergus Mor Mac Eirc of the Ulster Dál Riada crosses to Scotland and establishes a new Dál Riadan kingdom in Kintyre. The Romans referred to these people as the "Scotti"
597
Saint Colum Cille (known as St Columba in Scotland) who introduced Christianity to Scotland from Ireland, died.
He was born in Donegal in 521 AD.In the time of Saint Colum Cille paganism was still widespread. What he introduced
to Iona and Scotland was Christianity based on the institution of the monastery.
794
First recorded raid on Scottish islands by the Vikings. They had raided Lindisfarne to the south the year before in 793 AD.
802
Viking raiders terrorised the coasts of Scotland.
In this year they first raided the holy island of Iona, burning it to the ground.
The famous "Book of Kells" was transferred with members of the community to Ireland where it was thought to be safe from the Norsemen.
806
The vikings returned to Iona, this time killing 68 monks. After this raid the holy island was abandoned for over a century.
843
Cináech (Kenneth) Mac Alpin who in 841 AD defeated the remnants of the Pictish army (he was referred to
as "the raven feeder") united the Dál Riadan Scots and Picts as one nation. This was the first step in creating a united Scotland.
1005
Malcolm II killed Kenneth III and became King.
1018
Malcolm II gained Lothian after defeating the Saxons at the Battle of Carham. Death of Owen-the-Bald, King of Strathclyde.
1034
Duncan, already ruler of Strathclyde, killed his grandfather Malcolm II and became King of a (largely) united Scotland.
1040
MacBeth killed Duncan and became King.
1057
Malcolm III (or Malcolm Canmore) killed MacBeth and became King.
1107
On the death of Edgar, Scotland became disunited. Alexander I became King of Scots, but David I became King in Lothian and Strathclyde.
1124
Unity was restored when, on Alexander's death, David became King of Scots. His reign was 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 briefly 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.
1412
University of St. Andrews founded.
1451
University of Glasgow founded. Before this time many scholars found their education in France.
1460
King James II was killed by an exploding cannon 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.
1495
University of Aberdeen founded.
1497
Declaration of the Education Act, introducing compulsory schooling for all Scottish children.
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 (old) Alliance'; all Scottish citizens became French and vice versa.
1552
The General Provincial Council ordered each parish to keep a register of baptisms and marriage banns.
1553
The earliest known Scottish parish records were set down in Errol, Perthshire.
1560
John Knox's sermon at Perth - regarded as the start of the Reformation in Scotland established Protestantism. The authority of the pope was abolished.
1582
University of Edinburgh founded.
1592
The Presbyterian Church was formally established, there were no bishops and secular commissaries were appointed by the crown.
1600
Scotland abandoned the Julian Calendar and adopted the Gregorian Calendar.
1603
James VI of Scotland became James I of England bringing about the Union of the Crowns.
1606
Coal and salt miners became virtual slaves with passing of new laws.
1608
The Plantation of Ulster was formed. It was divided and sold to buyers from England and Scotland. There were 59 buyers. These new landholders took many labourers and farmers as tenants and to cultivate the lands they had taken. By 1640 there were over 40,000 Scots in Northern Ireland.
1617
James (on his only return to Scotland) tactlessly lectured his countrymen on the "superiority of English civilisation".
1618
James imposed 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 became 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.
When the Bishop called upon the dean to read the collect, Jenny Geddes (a local stallholder) flung her stool at the dean's head 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 of thousands of Scots.
1639
Charles called a General Assembly, effectively abolishing the unpopular Scottish Bishops. Agreement was reached through the Treaty of Berwick.
1640
Charles' peace collapsed; a Scots army marched on Newcastle.
1641
With no realistic chance of opposing the Scots, Charles negotiated a truce at Ripon.
1642
Civil war broke out in England. The Scottish Covenanters sided with the English rebels who took power. As the Earl of Montrose had sided with the King, civil strife spilled into Scotland.
1645
Due to increased military activity, each county and burgh was ordered to raise and maintain a militia. At this point the population of Scotland was estimated to be in the region of 420,00. This year was also significant in that it was the year the plague made its last appearance in Scotland
1646
Charles 1 persuaded many Scotsmen to fight on his behalf.
1649
Charles 1 was executed and the Cromwellian "Commonwealth" period began.
1651
Cromwell had many Scottish prisoners transported to settlements in America.
1682
The National Library of Scotland, one of the UK's four copyright deposit libraries was founded.
1688
Rebellion broke out in both England and Scotland against the Roman Catholic king, James II of England and VII of Scotland.
The king fled and was deposed. His son-in-law William (of Orange) and daughter Mary were crowned king and queen.
1690
The Presbyterian Church was permanently restored and became the Church of Scotland.
1692
Clan Campbell, siding with the English King, murdered members of Clan McDonald at Glencoe.
1695
Bank of Scotland founded (still operating to this day).
1707
The Act of Union was passed despite riots in Edinburgh. Scotland was formally united with England to form Great Britain.
The single paliament, to be held in London, had 45 Scottish members in the House of Commons and 16 Scottish peers in the House of Lords.
1715
First Jacobite rebellion. James III son of the deposed James II, raised an army in Scotland and marched into England. The Jacobites were defeated at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. Many Scottish Jacobites fled the country settling in North America.
1745
The second Jacobite uprising occured. Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) returned to Scotland. After initial Scottish victories including the Battle of Prestonpans, the Jacobite army advanced as far south as Derby but then retreated.
1746
Battle of Culloden Moor took place which ended the Jacobite Rebellion. Charles escaped to France, the wearing of the kilt, playing of the pipes, and bearing weapons was prohibited. Once again many Scots were banished or fled to the West Indies or America.
1759
The Carron Iron Works was set up near Falkirk, in Stirlingshire. Many Englishmen were brought north to teach the Scots the iron industry.
1770
The Clyde Trust was created to convert the River Clyde, which was at that time an insignificant river, into a major port for shipping. This required a major programme of excavation and dredging.
James Watt invented his steam engine in this year, enabling increased development of mines and greater productivity in the developing factories and mills.
James Hogg the "The Ettrick Shepherd" was born in Selkirk.
1775
The need for coal had so increased that all new miners were allowed to be free.
The Cotton industry was undergoing a boom in this period.
1779
The Industrial Revolution hit Scotland with many cotton mills being established and mines opening up.
During this period the major towns and cities experienced a population explosion.
1782
Famine forced many people to cross the border into England.
1790
The Forth and Clyde canal was opened.
1799
Miners were finally freed of their virtual slavery as the law of 1606 was repealed.
They were then able to move to other mines or seek other types of employment.
1801
Large quantities of ironestone were found in the area between the Clyde and Forth. These areas contained both iron and coal and were mined extensively.
Iron works were built and English workers brought in to pass on their skills to Scots workers.
1810
Scotland's first powered loom was used, heralding an increased building of factories.
1812
Steamboats were built and used on the Clyde and other rivers opening up trade and employment opportunities in the river towns.
1826
Scotland's first commercial railway was opened between Edinburgh and Dalkeith.
1829
Social Reforms were enacted whereby Roman Catholics were permitted by law to buy and inherit property and retain records.
1840
Railways were introduced on a grand scale and people were then able to travel more freely.
1843
Disruption of the Church of Scotland. 474 ministers signed the Deed of Demission and formed the Free Church of Scotland (the 'Wee Frees').
1846
Famine swept the Highlands with many deaths and 300,000 people on the verge of starvation, many highlanders migrated or moved into the cities & towns of lowland Scotland with its booming industrial economy.
The Clearances (1780-1880) reached their peak around this point, with thousands of evicted Highlanders moving south to the factories & mines or overseas to Canada and New Zealand.
1848
Many Scots left for New Zealand in a mass migration.
1851
Another mass migration occurred, this time to Australia. A census of genealogical value was taken in this year, the type of information being taken being far superior to that of the first census taken in 1841.
1855
Civil registration commenced. This was the first attempt to record vital statistics of birth, death and marriage of all people regardless of religion or social status.
1877
Blantyre Colliery Disaster. Over 210 men and boys were killed in Dixon's Nos 1 & 2 Pits, in an explosion of coal dust and firedamp.
1879
Tay Bridge Disaster (the bridge collapsed in a storm taking a train with it - the enquiry revealed that corners had been cut during construction to reduce costs).
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.
1937
The largest ocean liner ever built, the Queen Elizabeth, was launched in Clydebank.
1941
Hitler's Deputy Rudolf Hess parachuted from a plane near Strathaven in Lanarkshire trying to get in contact with his friend the Duke of Hamilton.
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 stole 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, longest suspension bridge in Europe, opened by Queen Elizabeth.
1965
Tay Road Bridge opened - briefly the longest bridge in the world at just over one mile.
1967
The Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) was launched in Clydebank. It was the last great Clyde-built passenger liner.
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 all on board, a total of 275 people, and a number on the ground.
1996
A gunman killed 16 five-year-old children, their teacher and himself in the Primary School at Dunblane in Perthshire. This was the worst tragedy of its type in the U.K.
The 'Stone of Destiny', Scotland's Coronation Stone, was returned from London to Edinburgh Castle, 700 years after being stolen by Edward I.
1997
The Scottish people voted overwhelmingly to restore the Scottish Parliament. Many Scots feel this is the first step towards the break-up of the United Kingdom and the establishment of an independent Scottish state.
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