Timeline of Scottish history

This is a timeline of Scottish history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Scotland and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Scotland. See also the list of Scottish monarchs, list of British monarchs, list of First Ministers of Scotland, and list of years in Scotland.[1]

Centuries: 1st · 2nd · 3rd · 4th · 5th · 6th · 7th · 8th · 9th · 10th · 11th · 12th · 13th · 14th · 15th · 16th · 17th · 18th · 19th · 20th · 21st

1st century

Year	Date	Event
97		Romans defeat Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius.

2nd century

Year	Date	Event
122		Romans construct Hadrian's Wall.
143		Romans construct Antonine Wall.
163		Romans withdraw south to Trimontium and Hadrian's Wall.

3rd century

Year	Date	Event
300		The term Pict is first recorded in describing the federated tribes invaded by Constantius Chlorus.

4th century

Year	Date	Event
397		Traditional date at which Saint Ninian establishes a Christian mission at Whithorn.

5th century

Year	Date	Event
470		Votadini peoples form the kingdom of Gododdin in the region north of the River Tweed.

6th century

Year	Date	Event
547		Angles capture the Northumbrian 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.
574		Áedán mac Gabráin begins reign over the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata.
575		Western Scotland is granted independence from the Irish Dalriada, after a convention at Drum Ceatt near Derry.
580		Riderch I of Alt Clut rules region later known as the kingdom of Strathclyde.
584		Bruide, son of Maelchon, dies.

7th century

Year	Date	Event
604		Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria.
638		Northumbrians capture Edinburgh from Gododdin.
680		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 Dun Nechtain, 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

Year	Date	Event
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		Drust and Nechtan mac Der-Ilei fight civil war (to 729).
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

Year	Date	Event
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 a six-month 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.
890		The Strathclyde Britons are exiled to the Gwynedd in Wales.

10th century

Year	Date	Event
900		Causantín mac Áeda succeeds Domnall mac Causantín.
937		Battle of Brunanburh English victory in 937 by the army of Æthelstan, King of England, and his brother Edmund over the combined armies of Olaf III Guthfrithson, the Norse-Gael King of Dublin, Constantine II, King of Scots, and Owen I, King of Strathclyde.
940		Saint Catroe of Metz leaves Scotland.
943		Causantín mac Áeda abdicates to become a culdee at St Andrews.
952		Death of Causantín mac Áeda.
954		Indulf captures Edinburgh from Northumbria.

11th century

Year	Date	Event
1058		After defeating Mac Bethad and Lulach, Máel Coluim III is proclaimed king.
1012		Battle of Cruden Bay

12th century

Year	Date	Event
1124		David I becomes king and introduces the feudal system of landholding to much of Scotland.
1128		David I founds Holyrood Abbey at Edinburgh.
1136		Glasgow Cathedral (St Kentigern's, begun 1123) consecrated in the presence of David I.
1153		Somerled sacks Glasgow and its vicinity.
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 Malcolm IV in the Battle of Renfrew.
1174		William I signs the Treaty of Falaise in which he swears allegiance to Henry II of England.

13th century

Year	Date	Event
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 in the Battle of Largs.
1266		Norway cedes the Hebrides and Isle of Man 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

Year	Date	Event
1305		William Wallace is executed in London.
1314		Robert the Bruce defeats the English at Bannockburn.
1320		Nobles assert Scottish independence in the Declaration of Arbroath.
1328		Treaty of Northampton. England recognises Scottish independence.
1329		Death of Robert the Bruce. His 5-year-old son, David II succeeds him.
1371		Robert II becomes first Stewart king.

15th century

Year	Date	Event
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 from Norway to Scotland.
1488		James IV crowned after death of his father James III of Scotland in/after a rebellion—the Battle of Sauchieburn.
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

Year	Date	Event
1513		James IV and thousands of Scots are killed at Flodden.
1532		Creation of the College of Justice and the Court of Session.
1542		Death of James V.
1559		John Knox returns to Scotland from Geneva to promote Calvinism.
1560		Parliament legislates Protestant Reformation of the Church of Scotland.
1561		Mary, Queen of Scots returns from France.
1568		Mary, Queen of Scots flees to England following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Langside.
1579		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.
1589		James VI marries Anne of Denmark in Oslo.
1592		James VI enacts the "Golden Act" recognising the power of Presbyterianism within the Scottish church.

17th century

Year	Date	Event
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.
1625		Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned.
1633		Education Act of 1633 ordains a school in every parish (partially successful).
1638		Scottish Covenanters rebel against Charles I.
1639		The First Bishops' War.
1640		The Second Bishops' War.
1642		The First English Civil War started.
1643		The Solemn League and Covenant promises Scots army to aid English parliamentarians against the king.
1646		The First English Civil War ended.
1648		The Second English Civil War started.
1649		The Second English Civil War ended. Charles I is executed—ending the monarchy until 1660.
1649		The Third English Civil War started.
1650		Southern Scotland occupied by the English Commonwealth's New Model Army following Scottish defeats at the Battle of Dunbar 1650 and the Battle of Hamilton during the Third English Civil War
1651	3 September	Battle of Worcester was a victory for New Model Army over the last major Royalist field army. Most of the Royalist officers and men who fought at Worcester were Scottish. For the next ten years, apart from some mopping up operations and a few insurrections, (all of which were easily suppressed) there was not further military resistance to rule from London.
1651		The Third English Civil War ended.
1654	5 May	Oliver Cromwell issued a proclamation at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh. Oliver Cromwell was the Protector of England Ireland and Scotland, that Scotland was united with the Commonwealth of England (Tender of Union) and there was a general pardon with some exceptions for the people of Scotland for any actions taken during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (Cromwell's Act of Grace).
1660	14 May	The monarchy is restored in Scotland and Scotland resumes its status as a separate kingdom.
1661	May	Four men were executed for high treason for their actions against the Crown during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll, James Guthrie, William Govan were all executed in May 1661 (the fourth Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston fled abroad but returned to Scotland and was executed on 22 July 1663).
1661	6 September	The restoration of the Episcopacy was proclaimed by the Privy Council of Scotland.
1662		During the parliamentary session the Church of Scotland was restored as the national Church and all office-holders were required to renounced the Covenant.
1662	9 September	The Scottish parliament passed the Act of indemnity and oblivion. It was a general pardon for most types of crime that may have been committed by Scots, between 1 January 1637 and before 1 September 1660, during what the Act called "the late troubles" (the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Interregnum).
1679		James, Duke of Monmouth defeats Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Brig.
1689		Jacobite rising of 1689 Highlanders defeat army of William III at Killiecrankie, but are halted at Battle of Dunkeld.
1689		The Claim of Right and the re-establishment of Presbyterianism.
1692		The Massacre of Glencoe.
1695		The Bank of Scotland is created by an Act of the Parliament.
1696		Education Act of 1696 ordains a school in every parish (successful; act governs education until the 1872 act).

18th century

Year	Event
1707	The Union of the Parliaments: the Acts of Union are passed by both the Scottish and English parliaments.
1715	Jacobite rising of 1715.
1745	A momentous victory for the Jacobite army defeating the red coats at the Battle of Prestonpans.	-	1745	Jacobite rising of 1745.
1746	The Battle of Culloden ends the last Jacobite rising.
1748	David Hume publishes An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
1754	Joseph Black discovers "fixed air" (carbon dioxide).
1768	The Encyclopædia Britannica First Edition commences publication.
1769	James Watt patents idea for separate condensing chamber in the steam engine.
1775	Passage of the Colliers and Salters (Scotland) Act 1775 commences the removal of life bondage of coal and salt workers.[2]
1776	Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations.

19th century

Year	Date	Event
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 Ewart 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

Year	Date	Event
1929		The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland unite.
1934		Scottish National Party founded.
1938		The Empire Exhibition, Scotland is held at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow.
1941		The Clydebank Blitz (13–15 March).
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 wins a majority but fails to win 40% of electorate. Act is therefore repealed without being put into effect.
1988		Terrorists blow up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 lives, including 11 residents of the town.
1995		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		Newly elected Labour UK Government under the leadership of Scots-born Prime Minister Tony Blair legislates for a referendum on a devolved Scottish Parliament which is passed by a large majority.
1999		A Scottish Parliament sits for the first time in 272 years. Donald Dewar of the Scottish Labour Party elected as First Minister and forms Scottish Executive in coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2004	9 October	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.
2011		The Scottish National Party under Alex Salmond gain an overall majority of the Scottish Parliament.
2013		The Church of Scotland's ruling General Assembly votes to allow actively gay men and women to become ministers.
2014	18 September	Scotland has a referendum on national independence. Result is to remain part of the UK, by 55% to 45%.
2015		The Scottish National Party wins 50% of the popular vote in the UK General Election, securing 56 out of the 59 seats in Scotland.

Notes

David Ross, Chronology of Scottish History (2002) has details for every year.
Mantoux, Paul (1964). The Industrial Revolution in the Eighteenth Century. Jonathan Cape. p. 74. ISBN 9781136585593.

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[1] David Ross, Chronology of Scottish History (2002) has details for every year.

[2] Mantoux, Paul (1964). The Industrial Revolution in the Eighteenth Century. Jonathan Cape. p. 74. ISBN 9781136585593.

Years in Scotland (843–present)
11th century	1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100
12th century	1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1124 1125 1126 1127 1128 1129 1130 1131 1132 1133 1134 1135 1136 1137 1138 1139 1140 1141 1142 1143 1144 1145 1146 1147 1148 1149 1150 1151 1152 1153 1154 1155 1156 1157 1158 1159 1160 1161 1162 1163 1164 1165 1166 1167 1168 1169 1170 1171 1172 1173 1174 1175 1176 1177 1178 1179 1180 1181 1182 1183 1184 1185 1186 1187 1188 1189 1190 1191 1192 1193 1194 1195 1196 1197 1198 1199 1200
13th century	1201 1202 1203 1204 1205 1206 1207 1208 1209 1210 1211 1212 1213 1214 1215 1216 1217 1218 1219 1220 1221 1222 1223 1224 1225 1226 1227 1228 1229 1230 1231 1232 1233 1234 1235 1236 1237 1238 1239 1240 1241 1242 1243 1244 1245 1246 1247 1248 1249 1250 1251 1252 1253 1254 1255 1256 1257 1258 1259 1260 1261 1262 1263 1264 1265 1266 1267 1268 1269 1270 1271 1272 1273 1274 1275 1276 1277 1278 1279 1280 1281 1282 1283 1284 1285 1286 1287 1288 1289 1290 1291 1292 1293 1294 1295 1296 1297 1298 1299 1300
14th century	1301 1302 1303 1304 1305 1306 1307 1308 1309 1310 1311 1312 1313 1314 1315 1316 1317 1318 1319 1320 1321 1322 1323 1324 1325 1326 1327 1328 1329 1330 1331 1332 1333 1334 1335 1336 1337 1338 1339 1340 1341 1342 1343 1344 1345 1346 1347 1348 1349 1350 1351 1352 1353 1354 1355 1356 1357 1358 1359 1360 1361 1362 1363 1364 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369 1370 1371 1372 1373 1374 1375 1376 1377 1378 1379 1380 1381 1382 1383 1384 1385 1386 1387 1388 1389 1390 1391 1392 1393 1394 1395 1396 1397 1398 1399 1400
15th century	1401 1402 1403 1404 1405 1406 1407 1408 1409 1410 1411 1412 1413 1414 1415 1416 1417 1418 1419 1420 1421 1422 1423 1424 1425 1426 1427 1428 1429 1430 1431 1432 1433 1434 1435 1436 1437 1438 1439 1440 1441 1442 1443 1444 1445 1446 1447 1448 1449 1450 1451 1452 1453 1454 1455 1456 1457 1458 1459 1460 1461 1462 1463 1464 1465 1466 1467 1468 1469 1470 1471 1472 1473 1474 1475 1476 1477 1478 1479 1480 1481 1482 1483 1484 1485 1486 1487 1488 1489 1490 1491 1492 1493 1494 1495 1496 1497 1498 1499 1500
16th century	1501 1502 1503 1504 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509 1510 1511 1512 1513 1514 1515 1516 1517 1518 1519 1520 1521 1522 1523 1524 1525 1526 1527 1528 1529 1530 1531 1532 1533 1534 1535 1536 1537 1538 1539 1540 1541 1542 1543 1544 1545 1546 1547 1548 1549 1550 1551 1552 1553 1554 1555 1556 1557 1558 1559 1560 1561 1562 1563 1564 1565 1566 1567 1568 1569 1570 1571 1572 1573 1574 1575 1576 1577 1578 1579 1580 1581 1582 1583 1584 1585 1586 1587 1588 1589 1590 1591 1592 1593 1594 1595 1596 1597 1598 1599 1600
17th century	1601 1602 1603 1604 1605 1606 1607 1608 1609 1610 1611 1612 1613 1614 1615 1616 1617 1618 1619 1620 1621 1622 1623 1624 1625 1626 1627 1628 1629 1630 1631 1632 1633 1634 1635 1636 1637 1638 1639 1640 1641 1642 1643 1644 1645 1646 1647 1648 1649 1650 1651 1652 1653 1654 1655 1656 1657 1658 1659 1660 1661 1662 1663 1664 1665 1666 1667 1668 1669 1670 1671 1672 1673 1674 1675 1676 1677 1678 1679 1680 1681 1682 1683 1684 1685 1686 1687 1688 1689 1690 1691 1692 1693 1694 1695 1696 1697 1698 1699 1700
18th century	1701 1702 1703 1704 1705 1706 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711 1712 1713 1714 1715 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 1724 1725 1726 1727 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1736 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 1752 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800
19th century	1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900
20th century	1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
21st century	2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019