This Day in Scottish History

Welcome back to "This Day in Scottish History." I’m your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we’ll travel back to October 19, 2011, to explore an incredible discovery that captivated the archaeological world: the announcement of the first fully intact Viking boat burial site ever found on the UK mainland, the Port an Eilean Mhòir boat burial. This remarkable find was unearthed in Ardnamurchan, Scotland—...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today, we look back on a tragic event that occurred on October 18, 1801, at the Laigh Kirk in Kilmarnock. It’s a haunting tale of panic, tragedy, and loss, a reminder of how fragile life can be in moments of chaos. On that fateful Sunday in 1801, the Laigh Kirk, a parish church in the heart of Kilmarnock, East Ayrsh...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today we are diving into a dark chapter in Glasgow’s criminal history—the House of Blood murders. These gruesome killings occurred on October 17, 2004, in Crosshill, Glasgow, and shocked not only the local community but all of Scotland. The chilling nature of the crime left a mark that resonates to this day. It’s a s...

Welcome back to "This Day in Scottish History." I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we delve into one of Scotland's most notorious and chilling murder cases, an event that shook Edinburgh and the nation to its core. It’s the story of the "World's End Murders," which occurred on the 16th of October, 1977. This tragic case involved the brutal deaths of two 17-year-old girls, Christine Eadie and H...

Welcome back to "This Day in Scottish History." I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we delve into one of the most dramatic moments in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots: her trial for treason at Fotheringhay Castle on October 15, 1586. This pivotal event led to her tragic execution, marking the end of her tumultuous and controversial life. Mary was no stranger to conflict and danger. Born on Dece...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I’m your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we delve into the dramatic and turbulent life of Edward Bruce, younger brother of Robert the Bruce, whose death on October 14, 1318, in Ireland, marked the end of a bold, but ill-fated, campaign to extend Scottish power and influence. Edward Bruce, the Earl of Carrick, was a fierce warrior and loyal supporter of h...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I'm your host, Colin MacDonald, and today, we're revisiting a tragic event in Scottish history that took place on October 13, 1863 – the Winchburgh Rail Crash. This accident was Scotland’s first major head-on train collision, and it shook the country to its core. While the crash left 17 people dead and many more injured, it has largely faded from coll...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today we set sail back to October 12th, 1511, to witness the launch of a truly remarkable vessel – the Great Michael . This was no ordinary ship. She was the largest ship afloat at the time, a testament to the ambition and maritime prowess of James IV, King of Scotland. Built as part of his strategy to fortify Scotl...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today we’re rewinding to one of the more infamous moments in Scottish sports history. On October 11, 1995, Duncan Ferguson, the towering 23-year-old striker playing for Everton, was handed a three-month prison sentence for an on-field assault. It was a shocking turn of events that shook the football world, marking t...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today, we journey back to October 10, 1820—a day that saw a bold, violent escape from Dumfries Tolbooth by one of Scotland’s most infamous thieves, David Haggart. David Haggart, born on June 24, 1801, in Golden Acre near Edinburgh, was no stranger to a life of crime. His life was one of adventure, danger, and defian...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today we delve into a maritime tragedy that played a pivotal role in the turbulent Jacobite period: the wreck of HMS Dartmouth on October 9, 1690, in the Sound of Mull. The Dartmouth was a 5th-rate Royal Navy frigate, launched in 1655, built for speed and maneuverability. She measured 80 feet in length with a beam o...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I'm your host, Colin MacDonald, and today, we're diving into the life and legacy of one of Scotland's most remarkable reformers: Reverend Henry Duncan. Born on this day, October 8th, 1774, in Lochrutton, Kirkcudbrightshire, Duncan was a man of profound compassion and vision. He’s best known for founding the world’s first mutual savings bank in 1810, a...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History, I’m your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we’re journeying back to an important milestone in the abolitionist movement that occurred on October 7, 1833. On this day, four major Scottish emancipation societies were formed: the Edinburgh Emancipation Society, the Edinburgh Ladies' Emancipation Society, the Glasgow Emancipation Society, and the Glasgow Ladie...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we remember a tragic and haunting event that unfolded off the western coast of Scotland during the final months of the First World War. On October 6, 1918, HMS Otranto sank after a devastating collision with another troopship, HMS Kashmir, in the turbulent waters of Machir Bay, Islay. The catastrophe claimed the...

Welcome back to "This Day in Scottish History." I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we turn our gaze to a rugged and remote corner of Scotland: Ardnamurchan Point, where on October 5, 1849, the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse was illuminated for the very first time. The Ardnamurchan Peninsula juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, marking the westernmost point of mainland Britain. With its treacherous water...

Welcome back to "This Day in Scottish History." I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we're going back to October 4th, 1883, a day that marked the birth of one of the most enduring youth organizations in the world: The Boys' Brigade . Founded in Glasgow by Sir William Alexander Smith, this organization was created with the mission of combining Christian faith with fun and structured activities fo...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today, we’re taking a journey back to one of the most pivotal moments in Scotland's past. On this day, October 3, 1706, the Scottish Parliament began its debate on the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England. This would ultimately lead to the creation of Great Britain as we know it today. The Treaty of Union, s...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today, we’re going back to the windswept shores of Largs in Ayrshire on October 2, 1263, to explore one of the most pivotal moments in Scotland’s medieval past—the Battle of Largs. This battle, between the forces of King Haakon IV of Norway and the Scots under King Alexander III, marked a decisive turning point in th...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today we’re diving into the story of one of Edinburgh’s most notorious figures. On this day, October 1st, 1788, William Brodie, better known as Deacon Brodie, was hanged at the Old Tolbooth in Edinburgh before a crowd of 40,000 people. But who was this man, and why did his downfall capture the public’s imagination so...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today, we’re stepping into the ring to talk about one of Scotland’s greatest boxers — Jackie Paterson. On this day, September 30, 1939, Paterson claimed the British flyweight title in a thrilling open-air bout in Glasgow, a victory that would catapult him into the annals of Scottish sports history. Born in Springsid...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History , I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we dive into the remarkable life of Captain Bertram Dickson, a pioneer military aviator whose contributions left an indelible mark on the early days of aviation and military history. On this day, 29 September 1913, Captain Dickson tragically passed away near Achnasheen, Scotland, a death stemming from injuries su...

Welcome back to "This Day in Scottish History." I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we're delving into a dramatic and unique chapter in Scottish history, the Battle of the Inch, or the Battle of the Clans, which took place on September 28, 1396, in Perth. This battle was a trial by combat, organized by King Robert III of Scotland to end a long-standing feud between two rival clans, Clan Chattan...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I’m your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we’re heading back to the windswept shores of Fair Isle, Shetland, where, on the 27th of September 1588, a dramatic chapter in the Spanish Armada’s ill-fated campaign came to a tragic end. On this day, the Spanish ship El Gran Grifón , battered and broken by storms, was wrecked on the rocky shores of Fair Isle, ma...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History . I’m your host, Colin MacDonald, and today we turn our attention to the remarkable and tragic story of Major Alexander Gordon Laing, the first European to reach Timbuktu from the north. On September 26, 1826, Laing’s life came to a sudden and violent end, just weeks after accomplishing a feat many had long believed impossible. Born in Edinburgh on Dece...

Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History! I’m your host, Colin MacDonald. On today’s episode, we remember the life and contributions of a remarkable figure in the world of medicine—John Hughes Bennett. Although born in London on August 31, 1812, Bennett's groundbreaking work and career were shaped largely by his time in Scotland. And on this day, September 25, in the year 1875, he passed away,...