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On this day in Scottish History

Montrose defeats the Covenanters at Auldearn

On 9 May 1645, a Royalist army commanded by James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, heavily defeats a Scottish Covenanter force under Major-General Sir John Hurry (or Urry) at the Battle of Auldearn, outside Nairn,...

The burning of Edinburgh 1544

7 May 1544: After successfully landing in the Firth of Forth and capturing of the port of Leith, Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, leads an English army into Edinburgh which is burnt and looted...

The death of Sir George Bruce of Carnock

6 May 1625: The death in Culross of industrialist Sir George Bruce of Carnock, best remembered for his innovative off-shore coal mining techniques which attracted the interest of King James VI.

Charles I surrenders himself to the Scots

On 5 May 1646, King Charles I surrenders himself to General David Leslie, commander of the Scottish Covenanter army besieging Newark-on-Trent. They would hold him in Newcastle until he was handed over to the...

Loch Ness Monster sighting

2 May 1933: The first reported modern-day sighting of the Loch Ness Monster appeared in The Inverness Courier. A local couple spotted a creature "rolling and plunging for fully a minute, its body resembling...

The birth of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding

24 April 1882: The birth in Moffat of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, best remembered as commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and for the "Dowding system" - the first...

Siege of Stirling Castle 1304

On 22 April 1304, Edward I of England begins the siege of the strategically important Stirling Castle, held by Sir William Oliphant and 30 men. The siege ended on 24 July after 3 months...