The city of Perth in central Scotland can trace its history back to the Romans. As the lowest crossing point for the River Tay, the settlement has been much fought over through the centuries, earning the city the title ‘Gateway to the Highlands’. Established as a royal burgh, Perth is often stated to have been the capital of Scotland. It has been frequently besieged over the years, including during the Wars of Independence with England and in clan wars. King James I was assassinated in the...

When the Romans invaded Scotland they constructed a fort in Cramond, a suburb of modern Edinburgh, near their frontier, the Antonine Wall. When the Romans retreated, the area was much fought over by the Angles of Northumbria and the Picts, with Edinburgh held by the Kingdom of Northumbria until the tenth century, before it was passed back to the Scots. The site of Edinburgh Castle is believed to have housed a military fort since the Roman invasion. By the twelfth century a defensive Royal ...

Dundee is rightly proud of its industrial heritage and today can lay claim to being at the forefront of developments in many areas of scientific research and technology. The eighteenth century saw the city’s population grow rapidly with the expansion of the whaling industry and the development of the jute trade. Dundee was dominated by its jute industry throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and at its peak some 50,000 people in the city worked in sixty-two mills, often in appa...

The ancient royal burgh of Dunfermline has a long and proud heritage. This erstwhile capital of Scotland had strong royal connections until James VI relocated the Scottish Crown to London following the Union of Crowns in 1603. The Reformation in the mid-sixteenth century had already seen a loss of the town’s ecclesiastical importance. These two events set in train a period of decline in Dunfermline’s fortunes until the introduction of the linen industry in the eighteenth century, and thoug...

Despite its relatively small size, the city of St Andrews boasts more than its fair share of pubs. With most contained within the boundaries of the medieval town centre, each offers its own long and unique history. Discover the tales behind the names, explore the town’s best ‘19th holes’, where golf legends of the past and present have enjoyed a drink, or relax in the basement bar where Prince William and Kate Middleton famously courted. From the traditional pub, such as the Central, a lon...

Known as a major industrial centre, the city of Dundee has a long and eventful history. Following the development of a small trading port in the eleventh century, by the fourteenth century Dundee had grown to be one of the most important towns in Scotland. The city was also a significant religious centre, with the distinctive Dominican monks – known as the Black Friars due to their robes – choosing to mingle with the people of Dundee to share their preaching, despite the danger this could ...

Stirling is associated with two of the most notable names and battles in Scottish history: William Wallace and the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and Robert the Bruce and the Battle of Bannockburn. Stirling’s military history, however, stretches back to when the Romans invaded Scotland and formed a line of fortresses as their first boundary just north of Stirling. A Roman road cuts through the town, and it became a road used by every military force to invade Scotland. A castle has existed in S...

Stirling may be one of the smallest cities in Scotland, but in terms of historical significance it is one of the most important. Originally a small settlement around the lowest crossing point for the River Forth, the nearby rocky outcrop offered an ideal position to construct a fort to defend the crossing. Stirling Castle is first documented around 1100 and by c. 1120 Stirling was granted a royal charter, creating the town. In the following centuries, due to its strategic position, Stirlin...

The town of St Andrews in Fife has much to celebrate. Its cathedral was the largest church built in Scotland and the bishops, and later archbishops, played an important role in ruling medieval Scotland. Scotland’s first university was established in St Andrews, which began teaching religious studies in 1410. The university has been the choice for many famous people and is also responsible for many of the town’s traditions. The town was a favourite of Mary, Queen of Scots, who owned a home ...

St Andrews is famous the world over as being the home of golf but although golf clubs are still designed and manufactured here, there’s a lot more to the town than drivers and putters. The university, the third oldest in the English-speaking world, was founded in 1413 as a seat of religious learning and has grown to be a major local employer and world-renowned centre of excellence for research and teaching. The town used to be home to numerous breweries, and although these all closed down ...

Although known worldwide as the ‘Home of Golf’, St Andrews was also the ecclesiastical powerhouse in Scotland for centuries prior to the Reformation. Author Gregor Stewart takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the town’s past, unearthing tales of double crossing and infighting while introducing the reader to the nefarious characters who were jostling for power. He reveals connections between St Andrews and the order of the Knights of St John, who owned buildings in the town, an...

The city of Inverness sits at the northerly end of the Great Glen, a fault line in the earth’s crust that runs from one side of Scotland to the other. The current city’s origins date back to Pictish times; however there is evidence of the area being habited long before then, with the Clava Cairns, which sit just a short distance from the city, dating back to between 1500 and 200 BC, giving it a long and often forgotten history. Inverness has connections with several major figures in early ...