Scottish Gaelic is spoken by approximately 60,000 people in Scoland (Alba), mainly in the Higlands (a’Ghaidhealtachd) and in the Western Isles ( Na h-Eileanan an Iar). It is, however, also used in Glasgow (Glaschu), Edinburgh (Dun Eideann) and Inverness (Inbhir Nis).

Scottish Gaelic is closely related to Manx and Irish and was originally brought to Scotland around the 4th Century AD by the Scots from Ireland. It was spoken throughout Scotland between the 9th and 11th centuries. All Scottish Gaelic dialects are mutually intelligible and written Irish can be understood to a large extent.

The earliest texts, identified as being in Scottish Gaelic are notes in the Book of Deer which was written in north eastern Scotland in the 12th Century.

Scottish Gaelic is written with just 18 letters each of which gets its name from either a tree or shrub. All the consonants have more than one pronunciation depending on their position in a word and which vowels precede or follow them.

A grave accent on a vowel (Àà, Èè, Ìì, Òò and Ùù) indicates a longer version of the vowel, but these are not considered separate letters

The older Gaelic (uncial) script or "corr litir" has not been used for several centuries in Scotland, and has never been used in printed Gaelic. The uncial script is still used in Ireland on road signs and public notices.

The orthography of Scottish Gaelic was regularised in the late 1970s

76 Publius Aelius Hadrianus, the man who built Hadrian’s Wall to cut Scotland off from the rest of Britain, was born

360 The warring tribe, which was based in Ireland, were described as the “Scots” in Roman Literature.

368 The Saxon, Pict and Scot tribes attack the Romans in London and steal their treasures.

503 The kingdom of Dalriada in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland, is built by the Scots upon their departure from Ireland

603 St Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow (also known as St Kentigern) died

843 The Picts and Scots are united as one nation by Kenneth MacAlpin. This was the first movement towards a united Scotland. This process was not completed until approximately 1034

1005 Malcolm II kills Kenneth III and becomes King

1018 Malcolm II gains Lothian after defeating the Saxons at the Battle of Carham.

1034 Duncan, who was already the ruler of Strathclyde, killed his grandfather, Malcolm II, and becomes the King of a largely united Scotland.

1040 Duncan is killed my Macbeth who then becomes King

1057 Malcolm III, also known as Malcolm Canmore, kills Macbeth and then becomes King.

1107 Scotland becomes disunited as a result of the death of Edgar. Alexander I becomes the King of Scots but David I becomes King in Lothian and Strathclyde.

1124 On the death of Alexander, unity was restored once again in Scotland and David became King of Scots. David’s reign becomes one of the most important in the history of Scotland as it extended the Scottish borders to the River Tees which also included all of Northumberland.

1139 The Second Treaty of Durham when David I was recognised as King of an independent Scotland by King Stephen of England.

1263 The Battle of Largs took place in which the Scots defeate the Vikings who were attempting to invade

1295 The signing of the “Auld Alliance” between France and Scotland took place and is now known as one of the world’s oldest mutual defence treaties.

1296 Annexation of Scotland by England. The English King Edward I removed Scotland’s Coronation Stone - also known as the “Stone of Destiny” or “Stone of Scone” - and took it to Westminster Abbey in London. It was temporarily returned to Scotland in the 1950’s and then permanently returned in 1996.

1297 The Battle of Stirling Bridge took place where Wallace defeats Edward I (as was famously portrayed by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart)

1303 Forces are released to launch attacks on Scotland following peace being made between France and England.

1305 William Wallace was betrayed and handed over to the English and executed.

1314 The Battle of Bannockburn, where the Scots, under the command of Robert the Bruce, routed the English who were led by Edward II. The end result was Scottish independence.

1320 In a bid to urge the Pope to recognise Scottish independence from England the Declaration of Abroath was drawn up. The declaration was accepted.

It read: “ For we fight no for glory nor for riches nor for honour, but only and alone for freedom, which no good man surrenders but with his life.”

1328 The treaty of Edinburgh between King Robert I and Edward III. This recognised Scotland’s independence and ended the 30 years of Wars of Independence.

1411 The University of St Andrew’s was founded

1451 The University of Glasgow was founded at the request of James II and Bishop Turnbull

1488 King James III was murdered after he was accused of surrounding himself with advisors who were encouraging him to bring Englishmen into Scottish affairs.

1494 The University of Aberdeen was founded

1502 King Henry VII of England’s daughter married James IV of Scotland which gave rise to the Union of Crowns in 1603.

1503 Papal Bull which was signed by Pope Alexander VI confirmed the marriage of James IV and Margaret Tudor and also the “Treaty of Everlasting Peace” between Scotland and England.

1505 Edinburgh Council granted a charter to the “Barber Surgeons” which enabled them to practise surgery within the boundaries of the city. This created the basis for the Royal College of Surgeons.

1508 The first printed book in Scotland with a definite date was a vernacular poem by John Lydgate entitled “The Complaint of the Black Knight”. It was produced on a press which was set up in Edinburgh by Walter Chapman who was an Edinburgh merchant, and his business partner Androw Myllar, a booksellar, and was located near what is now known as Cowgate.

1512 Under the terms of the “Auld Alliance” with France all Scottish citizens became French and vice versa.

1522 England declared war on both Scotland and France

1557 The Reformation began in Scotland by John Knox

1559 The reformation in Scotland is believed to have started at the sermon in Perth by John Knox

1560 Parliament banned masses taking place in Latin as Protestant faith gained the ascendancy

1567 The first book ever published in Gaelic was printed in this year. It was called “Forms of Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Catechism of the Christian Faith” and was translated from English by Bishop John Carsewell of the Isles.

1576 The first Bible (New Testament) was printed in Scotland by Bassandyne

1582 The University of Edinburgh is founded

1587 Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle

1593 The second University in Aberdeen was founded and called Marischal College.

1595 The City Baillie was shot when pupils from Edinburgh High School rioted following being refused a holiday

1600 Scotland began celebrating New Year on the 1st January of this year. Before then it used to be celebrated on March 25TH.

1603 James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England which brought about the Union of the Crowns.

1605 In the interests of the craftsmen on the city the Trades House was founded

Guy Fawkes was arrested under the Houses of Parliament with 20 barrels of gunpowder with the aim of blowing up parliament and the King. Parliament declared the 5th of November a day of public thanksgiving.

1606 The Union flag was adopted as the flag of Scotland, England and Wales

1615 A Banffshire-born Jesuit priest, St John Ogilvie, was hanged following refusing to renounce the supremacy of the Pope. He was the only Roman Catholic martyr in Scotland and was later canonised in 1976.

1616 The Scottish Privy Council published an Ordinance for the establishment of parish schools in Scotland. The document also commended the abolition of Gaelic.

1618 James imposes Bishops on the presbyterian Church of Scotland in attempts to integrate it with the Church of England. This proved to be very unpopular with the Scottish people.

1625 Charles I, on the death of his father, becomes King. Charles had no interest in Scotland, despite being born their and dealt with it’s affairs with less tact than his father had which caused discontent within the country.

1633 A warrant was issued by the Privy Council to Sir John Hepburn to raise a regiment of 1200 men to fight in the French service. The corps ultimately became the First Regiment of Foot, The Royal Scots

1637 Charles makes attempts to further anglicise the Church of Scotland by the introduction of a new prayerbook. This sparked riots at St. Giles in Edinburgh.

1638 The riots and protests against the new prayerbook were considered treason by Charles which forced the Scots to choose between their church and the King. A “Covenant” which swore to resist these changes to the death, was signed in Greyfriars Church in Edinburgh. It was accepted by hundreds if not thousands of Scots.

1642 In England Civil war breaks out. The Scottish Covenanters side with the English rebels who take power. The Earl of Montrose sided with King Charles so civil strife also spilled into Scotland

1651 The last coronation on Scottish soil took place when Charles II was crowned King of Scots at Scone.

1652 Scottish Regalia (sceptre, sword and crown) were saved from the invading army of Oliver Cromwell by James Granger, minister at Kinneff, Aberdeenshire after they had been smuggled from Dunnottar Castle which was under siege.

The Great Fire of Glasgow occurred destroying nearly a third of the city

1653 Oliver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of Scotland, England and Ireland.

1661 The first newspaper in Scotland was published. It was called “Mercurius Caledonius” and offered it’s people coverage of “the Affairs now in Agitation in Scotland, with a Survey of Foreign Intelligence”. It ceased being published in March of this year following only 9 issues.

Historical Scottish records were lost when the Elizabeth of Burntisland ship sank off the English coast. The records had been moved to London by Oliver Cromwell and were in the process of being returned to Edinburgh when they were lost.

1678 The first coach service between Glasgow and Edinburfh began and was started from the White Horse Inn, Edinburgh

1682 Now one of the UK’s four copyright deposit libraries, The National Library of Scotland was founded.

1693 Hackney cabs (horse-drawn taxis) were permitted for the first time in Glasgow
1695 The Bank of Scotland, which is still in operation today, was founded

A General Post Office was established by the Scottish Parliament

1701 Captain William Kidd, a scottish born pirate, was tried for piracy at London’s Old Bailey. He was later hanged on 23 May of this year

1703 Edinburgh Fire Brigade was formed and was one of the first in Scotland

8000 people were killed in just 24 hours when Britain was hit by the greatest storm on record

1707 The Act of Union was passed. This meant that Scotland formally united with England forming Great Britain. By choosing to do this, the Scottish Parliament voted itself out of existence.

The last meeting of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh took place until 1999

1715 The first newspaper in Glasgow city appeared for the first time and was known as the Glasgow Courant.

1728 The Royal Bank invents its first overdraft. A Wm Hogg overdraws by £1000 which is the equivalent of £66000 today

1736 The first regular public theatre in Scotland opened on Carrubber’s Close in Edinburgh

1744 The world’s first Golf Club, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh
Golfers, was founded.

1746 The Battle of Culloden took place, Charles escaped to France. The wearing of Kilts was prohibited.

1747 Lord Lovat was beheaded on Tower Hill after being found guilty of high treason. He was the last person to be beheaded in Britain.

A controlled experiment, carried out by James Lind, demonstrated that citrus fruits could prevent scurvy, a disease that was contracted by sailors while on long voyages. This later became standard issue to British sailors and gave rise to the term “limey” as a name for British overseas.

The Proscription Act was introduced which banned tartan and the carrying of weapons

1752 The Gregorian calender was adopted which meant that September 3 1752 became the 14 September. Crowds took to the street in protest demanding that they get their 11 days back.

1759 Robert Burns born in Alloway

1760 The Scottish School of Design was founded in Edinburgh. It was later known as the Royal Institution and finally came to be known as the Royal Scottish Academy.

George III was crowned which began a 60 year reign which is one of the longest in British History

1768 The first edition of “Encylopaedia Britannica” was published by William Smellie in Edinburgh.

1770 At this time the River Clyde was an insignificant river. The Clyde Trust was created and formed to turn the Clyde into a major thoroughfare for maritime communications. This resulted in a major operation of excavation and dredging.

1780 The firm of James Watt and Co was first established to manufacture the world’s first duplicating machines.

1782 James Chalmers was born in Arbroath and later went on to devise the adhesive postage stamp

The Proscription Act was repealed allowing the wearing of Tartan again

1783 The first publication of the Glasgow Herald was produced and it is now the longest continuously published daily paper in Britain.

1787 The first lighthouse in Scotland opened at Kinnaird Head in Fraserburgh. It was built by Robert Stevenson and Thomas Smith

1794 Robert Liston was born in Linlithgow and went on to carry out the first operation in Britain with the aid of an anaesthetic

1796 Robert Burns dies in Dumfries

1799 Income tax was introduced for the first time

1802 The Edinburgh Review was first published with the aim to “erect a higher standard of merit, and secure a bolder and purer taste in literature, and to apply philosophical principles and the maxims of truth and humanity to politics”

1809 William Ewart Gladstone, who became UK Prime Minister on four occasions was born this year

1814 Dr John Goodsir was born in Anstruther, Fife. He later showed and discovered in 1842 that bacteria was the cause of disease and that it could be eliminated with selective poisons. He achieved this 18 years before Louis Pasteur who is more commonly credited with the discovery.

1818 The first theatre to be lit by gas in Britain was the Theatre Royal in Glasgow

Honours list of Scotland was put on display in Edinburgh Castle after it was rediscovered by Sir Walter Scott

1824 Edinburgh’s Great Fire began and lasted for two days from the 15th to the 17th of November. It destroyed the High Street, Parliament Square and the Tron Kirk

1826 The first commercial railway was opened in Scotland. It ran between Edinburgh and Dalkeith.

1827 The foundation of the George IV Bridge was laid but was not completed until 1836 due to lack of funding

1831 The first passenger railway in Scotland opened between Glasgow and Garnkirk

A major outbreak of Cholera occurred in Scotland

1834 The first shipment of tea arrived from India at the Broomielaw Docks in Glasgow

1838 The pioneering conservationist and founder of Yosemite National Park, John Muir, was born in Dunbar

Built in Leith, the 703-ton Sirius which was carrying 90 passengers reached New York was the first ship to cross the Atlantic entirely under steam. Towards the end of the 18 day voyage fuel levels became low which resulted in spars and furniture being burned in order to provide enough fuel to complete their journey.

1843 The break up of the Church of Scotland occurred and the formation of the Free Church of Scotland took place

Dr Henry Faulds, who established the uniqueness of fingerprints, born in Beith, Ayrshire.

1847 Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh

Dr James Young Simpson delivered Wilhelmina Carstairs while chloroform was administered to the mother. Wilhelmina was the first child to be born with the aid of anaesthesia.

1848 Greenwich mean time adopted by Scotland

1849 Queen Victoria visited Glasgow. She was the first monarch to visit the city since the 16th century when James VI had come. Upon her visit to “the second city of the Empire” Queen Victoria is reputed to habe said that she did not wish to repeat the experience.

1850 Robert Louis Stevenson, the novelist and poet was born in Edinburgh

1852 Robert Cunningham Graham was born. The son of a Scottish Laird he went on to organise the Scottish Labour Party with Kier Hardie, wrote over 30 travel books and was then later elected as the first president of the Scottish National Party.

1859 Author of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born of Irish parents in Edinburgh

1860 Scotland hosted the first Open Golf Championship

1861 The one o’clock gun, was fired for the first time from Edinburgh Castle

The foundation stone of the main Post Office and the National Museum of Scotland was laid by Prince Albert. This was to be his last public engagement before his death.

1866 The first Labour Prime Minister of the UK, Ramsay MacDonald was born

1868 The last public hanging in Scotland took place and was that of Joseph Bell at Perth

The artist, architect and designer Charles Rennie MacKintosh was born

The Scottish Reform Act passed giving the vote to all male householders.

1869 Edinburgh’s University became the first University in Britain to allow women to study medicine although they were not allowed to graduate. A woman, however, under the disguise of Dr James Barry, actually took a medical degree at the University in 1812 and went on to become an army surgeon.

1870 The first Rugby International between Scotland and England was played

1872 Both Rangers Football Club and the Scottish Football Association were founded

Voting by secret ballot was introduced for the first time

1876 Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone. Two hours after it he lodged it his rival, Elisha Gray applied for a similar patent. Bell’s was granted.

1878 The first Tay rail bridge opens but was to collapse only 18 months later in the Tay Bridge Disaster.

1879 The Tay Bridge Rail Disaster occurred, the bridge collapsed and took the train with it. Enquiries into how it had happened revealed that corners had been cut during construction in an attempt to lower costs.

1888 Celtic Football Club was founded

1890 After six years of construction the Forth Rail Bridge opened.

1895 The coldest temperature ever seen in Scotland was recorded this year in Braemar and was believed to have been -27.2C

1896 The opening of the Underground Railway, also known as the “shooglie” in Glasgow. To this day it remains the only underground in Scotland.

1899 Following an experiment using electricity to drive Glasgow’s tram cars was successful. This sounded the end for the 3,000 horses used by the city on its 150 miles of track

1902 200 people are injured and 20 killed when a disaster at an English/Scottish football match at Ibrox Stadium when part of the flooring collapsed.

1913 Edinburgh zoo opened its doors for the first time

1915 The worst train disaster Great Britain has seen took place South of Dumfries near Gretna Green. 227 people lost their lives.

1916 The Daylight Savings Act brought in “British Summer Time” for the first time meaning all clocks and watches went forward for one hour.

1917 A majority vote of 330 in Parliament voted in favour of giving women over the age of 30 the right to vote for the first time.

1918 Armistice Day - World War I ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

1923 BBC Scotland began broadcasting from Glasgow

1925 The first moving image on a television screen took place when John Logie Baird transmitted the image of a 15 year old office boy in his London workshop

1928 The first state pension was introduced for the first time. All those over 65 were to receive it and it amounted to ten shilings (50 pence) a week.

Charles Rennie Macintosh dies

1930 Actor Sean Connery born
1933 The story of the Loch Ness monster first appears in the press. The story sparked a long running debate on whether some unknown animal or fish does actually inhabit the murky depths of the loch

1934 The first ever car driving tests were introduced

1937 Queen Elisabeth - the largest ocean liner ever built, was launched in Clydebank.

The 999 emergency telephone service first came into operation in this year for the police, fire ambulance and coastguards

1939 A City of Edinburgh Fighter Squadron shot down the first enemy aircraft over Britain (since 1918) following an attack on the Rosyth naval base on the Firth of Forth

1941 Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s Deputy, parachuted from a plane south of Glasgow. The purpose remains on of the greatest enigmas of the war.

1943 Over 1000 people were killed in two days in Southern Glasgow and Clydebank during the only sustained German Luftwaffe attack on Scotland during World War II.

1944 “Pay As You Earn” Income Tax introduced for the first time.

1946 The first TV Licences were issued in Britain costing only £2

John Logie Baird, inventor of the first television dies

1947 The first Edinburgh InternatioL Festival took place

1951 With a majority of 26 the Conservatives won the General Election which marked the beginning of 13 years of government.

1959 Scotland’s first nuclear power station at Chapelcross in Dumfriesshire was opened.

Prestwick and Renfrew airports in Scotland were the first in the UK to offer duty free good for sale.

1960 Elvis Preley touched down at Prestwick Airport - this was his only visit to Scotland.

1963 The last hanging in Scotland took place when 21 year old Henry Burnett was executed at Craiginches Prison in Aberdeen for the murder of seaman Thomas Guyan

1964 Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II opened the Forth Road Bridge. It was the longest suspension bridge in Europe.
The Forth Road bridge was opened by the Queen. With a centre span of 3300 feet and a length of 6156 feet it was the longest bridge in Europe at the time

The first stretch of the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh is opened

1965 The Tay Road Bridge opened and for a short period of time it was the longest bridge in the world at just over 1 mile long.

Cigarette advertising was banned in Britain

The house of commons passed the bill abolishing the death penalty for murder

1967 The last of the great clyde-built passenger liners was launched in Clydebank, The Queen Elisabeth II (QE2).

Under the Road Safety Act the breath tests for motorists who were suspected of drinking and driving was introduced

1968 Glasgow and the west of Scotland was hit by winds of over 100mph resulting in over 250,000 homes being damaged, 1,700 people homeless and 20 people being killed.

1971 The worst football disaster seen in Scotland occurred killing 66 people. Part of the stadium collapsed at Ranger’s ground following a match agaist Celtic.

Sole remaining gas street lamps in Glasgow were lit for the last time.

An explosion at Clarkston Toll shopping centre resulted in the death of 12 people

1975 The first oil was piped ashore from Peterhead in the North Sea

1982 Pope John Paul II visits Glasgow

1988 The worst terrorist incident to affect Scotland took place when a bomb, which was on a Boeing 747 air liner going from Frankfurt to New York exploded. The plane crashed in Lockerbie in Dunfriesshire killing everyone on the place a number of people on the ground. A total of 275 people lost their lives that day.

1990 Scotland won against England to win the Rugby Grand Slam

1995 A 33 year old mother, Alison Hargreave, who came from Spean Bridge became the first woman to climb Mount Everest solo without oxygen.

1996 In Dunblane in Perthshire, a gunman kills 16 five-year-old children and their teacher before killing himself in the primary school. This is the worst tragedt of its type in the UK.

The Coronation Stone, is returned from London to Edinburgh Caste, 700 years after first being stolen by Edward I.

The first deaths from E-coli outbreak in Lanarkshire, Scotland

1999 Scottish Parliament was re-instated after its 292 year absence, following the devolution of powers from London through the Scotland Act, 1977.

2002 The all Scottish curling team won Gold at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and was watched by over 5 million TV viewers in the small hours of the morning.

With the best of intention all of the above information is true, correct and given in good faith, however, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions contained within the above.

Equally we recommend that should you need or want to find out more you should conduct more detailed independant research.