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111-575: The Ordinary Grade (commonly known as the " O-Grade ") of the Scottish Certificate of Education is a now-discontinued qualification which was studied for as part of the Scottish secondary education system . It could be considered broadly equivalent to the old English O-Level qualification and is the predecessor to the Standard Grade. Along with its more advanced sibling, the ' Higher Grade ',

222-494: A Protestant Reformation that created a predominantly Calvinist national Kirk, which became Presbyterian in outlook and severely reduced the powers of bishops. In the earlier part of the century, the teachings of first Martin Luther and then John Calvin began to influence Scotland, particularly through Scottish scholars, often training for the priesthood, who had visited Continental universities. The Lutheran preacher Patrick Hamilton

333-581: A barony. His reign saw what has been characterised as a " Davidian Revolution ", by which Anglo-Norman followers of King David were granted lands and titles and intermixed their institutions with those of Scots intermarrying with the existing aristocracy, underpinning the development of later Medieval Scotland. David's Anglo-Norman followers joined the Scottish aristocracy and he introduced a system of feudal land tenure, which produced knight service , castles and an available body of heavily armed cavalry. He created

444-539: A climate warmer than today's, and early humans may have made their way to Scotland, with the possible discovery of pre- Ice Age axes on Orkney and mainland Scotland. Glaciers then scoured their way across most of Britain, and only after the ice retreated did Scotland again become habitable, around 9600 BC. Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherer encampments formed the first known settlements, and archaeologists have dated an encampment near Biggar to around 12000 BC. Numerous other sites found around Scotland build up

555-549: A cultural and economic renaissance, fuelled in part by the proceeds of North Sea oil and gas. Since the 1950s, nationalism has become a strong political topic, with serious debates on Scottish independence , and a referendum in 2014 about leaving the British Union. People lived in Scotland for at least 8,500 years before Britain's recorded history . At times during the last interglacial period (130,000–70,000 BC) Europe had

666-446: A male issue in the early 11th century and the kingdom passed through his daughter's son to the House of Dunkeld or Canmore. The last Dunkeld king, Alexander III , died in 1286. He left only his infant granddaughter, Margaret , as heir, who died herself four years later. England, under Edward I , would take advantage of this questioned succession to launch a series of conquests, resulting in

777-616: A meeting of the General Assembly in Glasgow the Scottish bishops were formally expelled from the Church, which was then established on a full Presbyterian basis. Charles gathered a military force; but as neither side wished to push the matter to a full military conflict, a temporary settlement was concluded at Pacification of Berwick . Matters remained unresolved until 1640 when, in a renewal of hostilities, Charles's northern forces were defeated by

888-633: A picture of highly mobile boat-using people making tools from bone, stone and antlers. The oldest house for which there is evidence in Britain is the oval structure of wooden posts found at South Queensferry near the Firth of Forth , dating from the Mesolithic period, about 8240 BC. The earliest stone structures are probably the three hearths found at Jura , dated to about 6000 BC. Neolithic farming brought permanent settlements. Evidence of these includes

999-506: A position to impose reform on the Scottish church. A confession of faith, rejecting papal jurisdiction and the mass, was adopted by Parliament in 1560 , while the young Mary, Queen of Scots, was still in France. Knox, having escaped the galleys and spent time in Geneva as a follower of Calvin, emerged as the most significant figure of the period. The Calvinism of the reformers led by Knox resulted in

1110-452: A pretender to the throne and he seized power. His murder within a few months saw Domnall restored with one of Máel Coluim sons by his second marriage, Edmund , as his heir. The two ruled Scotland until two of Edmund's younger brothers returned from exile in England, again with English military backing. Victorious, Edgar , the oldest of the three, became king in 1097. Shortly afterwards Edgar and

1221-500: A process of settlement by Scots in what was historically the most troublesome area of the kingdom in Ulster , with perhaps 50,000 Scots settling in the province by the mid-17th century. James adopted a different approach to impose his authority in the western Highlands and Islands. The additional military resource that was now available, particularly the English navy, resulted in the enactment of

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1332-458: A pupil's time at secondary school . They were available in a wide range of subjects. A good pass at O-Grade would normally enable a pupil to take the same subject at Higher Grade in his or her fifth (or possibly sixth) year, if so desired. This did not always follow however, particularly as many more pupils left school at the end of their fourth year than is the case nowadays. Over time, the O-Grade

1443-493: A remonstrance to the Pope from the nobles of Scotland, helped convince Pope John XXII to overturn the earlier excommunication and nullify the various acts of submission by Scottish kings to English ones so that Scotland's sovereignty could be recognised by the major European dynasties. The Declaration has also been seen as one of the most important documents in the development of a Scottish national identity. In 1326, what may have been

1554-586: A series of forts and towers were established along the Gask Ridge , which marked the boundary between the Lowland and Highland zones, probably forming the first Roman limes or frontier in Scotland. Agricola's successors were unable or unwilling to further subdue the far north. By the year 87, the occupation was limited to the Southern Uplands and by the end of the first century the northern limit of Roman expansion

1665-484: A settlement that adopted a Presbyterian system and rejected most of the elaborate trappings of the medieval church. The reformed Kirk gave considerable power to local lairds, who often had control over the appointment of the clergy. There were widespread, but generally orderly outbreaks of iconoclasm . At this point the majority of the population was probably still Catholic in persuasion and the Kirk found it difficult to penetrate

1776-454: A short time Wallace ruled Scotland in the name of John Balliol as Guardian of the realm. Edward came north in person and defeated Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. Wallace escaped but probably resigned as Guardian of Scotland. In 1305, he fell into the hands of the English, who executed him for treason despite the fact that he owed no allegiance to England. Rivals John Comyn and Robert

1887-412: A style of court closer to that of the rest of Western Europe, introduced the office of justicar to oversee justice, and local offices of sheriffs to administer localities. He established the first royal burghs in Scotland, granting rights to particular villages and towns, which led to the development of the first true Scottish cities and helped facilitate economic development as did the introduction of

1998-419: Is a sward -covered wall made of turf around 20 feet (6 m) high, with nineteen forts. It extended for 37 miles (60 km). Having taken twelve years to build, the wall was overrun and abandoned soon after 160. The Romans retreated to the line of Hadrian's Wall. Roman troops penetrated far into the north of modern Scotland several more times, with at least four major campaigns. The most notable invasion

2109-473: Is now Scotland. In the year 78, Gnaeus Julius Agricola arrived in Britain to take up his appointment as the new governor and began a series of major incursions. He is said to have pushed his armies to the estuary of the "River Taus" (usually assumed to be the River Tay ) and established forts there, including a legionary fortress at Inchtuthil . After his victory over the northern tribes at Mons Graupius in 84,

2220-515: Is often regarded as the key to formation of the Kingdom of Alba. He was later credited with bringing Scottish Christianity into conformity with the Catholic Church. After fighting many battles, his defeat at Brunanburh was followed by his retirement as a Culdee monk at St. Andrews. The period between the accession of his successor Máel Coluim I (Malcolm I) and Máel Coluim mac Cináeda (Malcolm II)

2331-414: The Battle of Langside in 1568, she took refuge in England, leaving her young son in the hands of regents. In Scotland the regents fought a civil war on behalf of James VI against his mother's supporters. In England, Mary became a focal point for Catholic conspirators and was eventually tried for treason and executed on the orders of her kinswoman Elizabeth I. During the 16th century, Scotland underwent

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2442-494: The Battle of Solway Moss (1542). James died a short time later, a demise blamed by contemporaries on "a broken heart". The day before his death, he was brought news of the birth of an heir: a daughter, who would become Mary, Queen of Scots . Once again, Scotland was in the hands of a regent. Within two years, the Rough Wooing began, Henry VIII's military attempt to force a marriage between Mary and his son, Edward . This took

2553-679: The British monarchs of the houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Windsor) has been due to their descent from James VI and I of the House of Stuart. During the Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution , Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Later, its industrial decline following the Second World War was particularly acute. In recent decades Scotland has enjoyed something of

2664-657: The Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by members of the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot, on the grounds that they had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs. The closing decade of the 17th century saw the generally favourable economic conditions that had dominated since the Restoration come to an end. There was a slump in trade with the Baltic and France from 1689 to 1691, caused by French protectionism and changes in

2775-705: The Dunkeld dynasty that ruled Scotland for the following two centuries. Particularly important was his second marriage to the Anglo-Hungarian princess Margaret . This marriage, and raids on northern England, prompted William the Conqueror to invade and Máel Coluim submitted to his authority, opening up Scotland to later claims of sovereignty by English kings. When Malcolm died in 1093, his brother Domnall III (Donald III) succeeded him. However, William II of England backed Máel Coluim's son by his first marriage, Donnchad , as

2886-624: The Earl of Bothwell , who was implicated in Darnley's murder. Mary and Bothwell confronted the lords at Carberry Hill and after their forces melted away, he fled and she was captured by Bothwell's rivals. Mary was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle , and in July 1567, was forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son James VI . Mary eventually escaped and attempted to regain the throne by force. After her defeat at

2997-688: The English Civil War . This series of civil wars that engulfed England, Ireland and Scotland in the 1640s and 1650s is known to modern historians as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms . The Covenanters meanwhile, were left governing Scotland, where they raised a large army of their own and tried to impose their religious settlement on Episcopalians and Roman Catholics in the north of the country. In England his religious policies caused similar resentment and he ruled without recourse to parliament from 1629. As

3108-720: The Hebudes ( The Hebrides ), Dumna (probably the Outer Hebrides ), the Caledonian Forest and the people of the Caledonii , from whom the Romans named the region north of their control Caledonia . Ptolemy , possibly drawing on earlier sources of information as well as more contemporary accounts from the Agricolan invasion, identified 18 tribes in Scotland in his Geography , but many of

3219-674: The Lord of the Isles , bringing the Western Isles under effective Royal control for the first time. In 1503, he married Margaret Tudor , daughter of Henry VII of England , thus laying the foundation for the 17th-century Union of the Crowns . Scotland advanced markedly in educational terms during the 15th century with the founding of the University of St Andrews in 1413, the University of Glasgow in 1450 and

3330-657: The Neolithic Era about 4000 BC, the Bronze Age about 2000 BC, and the Iron Age around 700 BC. The Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata was founded on the west coast of Scotland in the 6th century . In the following century, Irish missionaries introduced the previously pagan Picts to Celtic Christianity . Following England 's Gregorian mission , the Pictish king Nechtan chose to abolish most Celtic practices in favour of

3441-702: The Roman rite , restricting Gaelic influence on his kingdom and avoiding war with Anglian Northumbria . Towards the end of the 8th century, the Viking invasions began, forcing the Picts and Gaels to cease their historic hostility to each other and to unite in the 9th century , forming the Kingdom of Scotland . The Kingdom of Scotland was united under the House of Alpin , whose members fought among each other during frequent disputed successions. The last Alpin king, Malcolm II , died without

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3552-584: The Scottish Borders , from around 1000 BC, which accommodated several hundred houses on a fortified hilltop. From the Early and Middle Bronze Age there is evidence of cellular round houses of stone, as at Jarlshof and Sumburgh in Shetland. There is also evidence of the occupation of crannogs , roundhouses partially or entirely built on artificial islands, usually in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters. In

3663-798: The Statutes of Iona which compelled integration of Hebridean clan leaders with the rest of Scottish society. Attempts to found a Scottish colony in North America in Nova Scotia were largely unsuccessful without sufficient funds or willing colonists. Although James had tried to get the Scottish Church to accept some of the High Church Anglicanism of his southern kingdom, he met with limited success. His son and successor, Charles I , took matters further, introducing an English-style Prayer Book into

3774-638: The University of Aberdeen in 1495, and with the passing of the Education Act 1496 , which decreed that all sons of barons and freeholders of substance should attend grammar schools. James IV's reign is often considered to have seen a flowering of Scottish culture under the influence of the European Renaissance . In 1512, the Auld Alliance was renewed and under its terms, when the French were attacked by

3885-404: The Wars of Scottish Independence , as Scotland passed back and forth between the House of Balliol and the House of Bruce through the late Middle Ages . Scotland's ultimate victory confirmed Scotland as a fully independent and sovereign kingdom. When King David II died in 1371 without issue, his nephew Robert II established the House of Stuart , which would rule Scotland uncontested for

3996-655: The arrival of the Roman Empire in the 1st century , when the province of Britannia reached as far north as the Antonine Wall . North of this was Caledonia , inhabited by the Picti , whose uprisings forced Rome's legions back to Hadrian's Wall . As Rome finally withdrew from Britain , a Gaelic tribe from Ireland called the Scoti began colonising Western Scotland and Wales. Before Roman times, prehistoric Scotland entered

4107-454: The 5th century, the Picts had emerged as the dominant force in northern Scotland, with the various Brythonic tribes the Romans had first encountered there occupying the southern half of the country. Roman influence on Scottish culture and history was not enduring. In the centuries after the departure of the Romans from Britain, there were four groups within the borders of what is now Scotland. In

4218-459: The Albany family were executed; but he succeeded in centralising control in the hands of the crown, at the cost of increasing unpopularity, and was assassinated in 1437. His son James II (reigned 1437–1460), when he came of age in 1449, continued his father's policy of weakening the great noble families, most notably taking on the powerful Black Douglas family that had come to prominence at the time of

4329-588: The Bruce , grandson of the claimant, were appointed as joint guardians in his place. On 10 February 1306, Bruce participated in the murder of Comyn, at Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries . Less than seven weeks later, on 25 March, Bruce was crowned as King. However, Edward's forces overran the country after defeating Bruce's small army at the Battle of Methven . Despite the excommunication of Bruce and his followers by Pope Clement V , his support slowly strengthened; and by 1314 with

4440-537: The Bruce. In 1468, the last significant acquisition of Scottish territory occurred when James III was engaged to Margaret of Denmark , receiving the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands in payment of her dowry. Berwick upon Tweed was captured by England in 1482 . With the death of James III in 1488 at the Battle of Sauchieburn , his successor James IV successfully ended the quasi-independent rule of

4551-529: The Bruce. However, four years after Robert's death in 1329, England once more invaded on the pretext of restoring Edward Balliol , son of John Balliol, to the Scottish throne, thus starting the Second War of Independence. Despite victories at Dupplin Moor and Halidon Hill , in the face of tough Scottish resistance led by Sir Andrew Murray , the son of Wallace's comrade in arms, successive attempts to secure Balliol on

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4662-642: The Caledonians, who were then known as Picts by the Romans. This was defeated by the comes Theodosius , however, Roman military government was withdrawn from the island altogether by the early 5th century, resulting in the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain and the immigration of the Saxons to southeastern Scotland and the rest of eastern Great Britain. By the close of the Roman occupation of southern and central Britain in

4773-519: The English under Henry VIII , James IV invaded England in support. The invasion was stopped decisively at the Battle of Flodden Field during which the King, many of his nobles, and a large number of ordinary troops were killed, commemorated by the song Flowers of the Forest . Once again Scotland's government lay in the hands of regents in the name of the infant James V . James V finally managed to escape from

4884-575: The French and creating martyrs for the Protestant cause. Limited toleration and the influence of exiled Scots and Protestants in other countries, led to the expansion of Protestantism, with a group of lairds declaring themselves Lords of the Congregation in 1557 and representing their interests politically. The collapse of the French alliance and English intervention in 1560 meant that a relatively small, but highly influential, group of Protestants were in

4995-413: The French throne. Her mother, Marie de Guise, stayed in Scotland to look after the interests of Mary – and of France – although the Earl of Arran acted officially as regent. Guise responded by calling on French troops, who helped stiffen resistance to the English occupation. By 1550, after a change of regent in England, the English withdrew from Scotland completely. From 1554 on, Marie de Guise took over

5106-455: The Highlands and Islands, but began a gradual process of conversion and consolidation that, compared with reformations elsewhere, was conducted with relatively little persecution. Women shared in the religiosity of the day. The egalitarian and emotional aspects of Calvinism appealed to men and women alike. Historian Alasdair Raffe finds that, "Men and women were thought equally likely to be among

5217-413: The Indies" received a charter to raise capital through public subscription. With the dream of building a lucrative overseas colony for Scotland, the Company of Scotland invested in the Darien scheme , an ambitious plan devised by William Paterson to establish a colony on the Isthmus of Panama in the hope of establishing trade with the Far East. The Darién scheme won widespread support in Scotland as

5328-429: The King of Norway, Magnus Barefoot concluded a treaty recognising Norwegian authority over the Western Isles. In practice Norse control of the Isles was loose, with local chiefs enjoying a high degree of independence. He was succeeded by his brother Alexander , who reigned 1107–1124. When Alexander died in 1124, the crown passed to Margaret's fourth son David I , who had spent part of his life in England where he held

5439-425: The Kingdom of Bernicia , in the south-east. The first English king in the historical record is Ida , who is said to have obtained the throne and the kingdom about 547. Ida's grandson, Æthelfrith, united his kingdom with Deira to the south to form Northumbria around the year 604. There were changes of dynasty, and the kingdom was divided, but it was re-united under Æthelfrith's son Oswald (r. 634–642). Scotland

5550-422: The North of England for some time. However, not all Scots supported the Covenanter's taking arms against their King. In 1644, James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose attempted to raise the Highlands for the King. Few Scots would follow him, but, aided by 1,000 Irish, Highland and Islesmen troops sent by the Irish Confederates under Alasdair MacDonald (MacColla) , and an instinctive genius for mobile warfare, he

5661-427: The O-Grade was the bedrock of the Scottish educational system for many years. Its name refers to one of the two levels at which the Scottish Certificate of Education was awarded, the Higher Grade being the other. The term "O-Grade" can also be used to refer to a pass in a subject at that level, e.g. "He has seven O-Grades". Courses were studied over two years, taking place during the third and fourth years (age 13-16) of

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5772-434: The Scots at the Battle of Newburn to the west of Newcastle. During the course of these Bishops' Wars Charles tried to raise an army of Irish Catholics, but was forced to back down after a storm of protest in Scotland and England. The backlash from this venture provoked a rebellion in Ireland and Charles was forced to appeal to the English Parliament for funds. Parliament's demands for reform in England eventually resulted in

5883-408: The Scots promised military aid in return for the King's agreement to implement Presbyterianism in England on a three-year trial basis. The Duke of Hamilton led an invasion of England to free the King, but he was defeated by Oliver Cromwell in August 1648 at the Battle of Preston. The execution of Charles I in 1649 was carried out in the face of objections by the Covenanter government and his son

5994-399: The Scottish cattle trade, followed by four years of failed harvests (1695, 1696 and 1698–1699), an era known as the "seven ill years". The result was severe famine and depopulation, particularly in the north. The Parliament of Scotland of 1695 enacted proposals to help the desperate economic situation, including setting up the Bank of Scotland . The "Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and

6105-401: The Scottish church in 1637. This resulted in anger and widespread rioting. (The story goes that it was initiated by a certain Jenny Geddes who threw a stool in St Giles Cathedral .) Representatives of various sections of Scottish society drew up the National Covenant in 1638, objecting to the King's liturgical innovations. In November of the same year matters were taken even further, when at

6216-411: The Stewart kings, came to the throne in 1371. He was followed in 1390 by his ailing son John, who took the regnal name Robert III . During Robert III's reign (1390–1406), actual power rested largely in the hands of his brother, Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany . After the suspicious death (possibly on the orders of the Duke of Albany) of his elder son, David, Duke of Rothesay in 1402, Robert, fearful for

6327-456: The almost bloodless " Glorious Revolution ". The Estates issued a Claim of Right that suggested that James had forfeited the crown by his actions (in contrast to England, which relied on the legal fiction of an abdication) and offered it to William and Mary, which William accepted, along with limitations on royal power. The final settlement restored Presbyterianism and abolished the bishops who had generally supported James. However, William, who

6438-413: The application of knowledge within tests. The now-obsolete Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (a qualification taken by many in their final year after passing the subject at Higher Grade) was not a part of the Scottish Certificate of Education. However, both were awarded by the Scottish Examination Board (and its successor, the Scottish Qualifications Authority ). The Scottish Certificate of Education

6549-461: The change from the O-Grade system to the latter systems (Standard Grade & National 4/5 qualifications) was a major shake-up in the Scottish education system and involved excessive bureaucracy. This Scottish history -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article relating to education in Scotland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Scottish Certificate of Education The SCE

6660-406: The civil wars developed, the English Parliamentarians appealed to the Scots Covenanters for military aid against the King. A Solemn League and Covenant was entered into, guaranteeing the Scottish Church settlement and promising further reform in England. Scottish troops played a major part in the defeat of Charles I, notably at the battle of Marston Moor . An army under the Earl of Leven occupied

6771-506: The council and forced through religious toleration to Roman Catholics, alienating his Protestant subjects. It was believed that the king would be succeeded by his daughter Mary, a Protestant and the wife of William of Orange , Stadtholder of the Netherlands, but when in 1688, James produced a male heir, James Francis Edward Stuart , it was clear that his policies would outlive him. An invitation by seven leading Englishmen led William to land in England with 40,000 men, and James fled, leading to

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6882-475: The crown managed parliament), bishops and a king who did not visit the country. He ruled largely without reference to Parliament, through a series of commissioners. These began with John, Earl of Middleton and ended with the king's brother and heir, James, Duke of York (known in Scotland as the Duke of Albany). The English Navigation Acts prevented the Scots engaging in what would have been lucrative trading with England's colonies. The restoration of episcopacy

6993-399: The crown now passing down the main line of descent through primogeniture, leading to the first of a series of minorities. The benefits of greater authority were reaped by William's son Alexander II and his son Alexander III , who pursued a policy of peace with England to expand their authority in the Highlands and Islands. By the reign of Alexander III, the Scots were in a position to annexe

7104-442: The custody of the regents in 1528. He continued his father's policy of subduing the rebellious Highlands , Western and Northern isles and the troublesome borders. He also continued the French alliance, marrying first the French noblewoman Madeleine of Valois and then after her death Marie of Guise . James V's domestic and foreign policy successes were overshadowed by another disastrous campaign against England that led to defeat at

7215-485: The early Iron Age , from the seventh century BC, cellular houses began to be replaced on the northern isles by simple Atlantic roundhouses , substantial circular buildings with a dry stone construction. From about 400 BC, more complex Atlantic roundhouses began to be built, as at Howe, Orkney and Crosskirk , Caithness. The most massive constructions that date from this era are the circular broch towers, probably dating from about 200 BC. This period also saw

7326-399: The early 1680s a more intense phase of persecution began, later to be called " the Killing Time ". When Charles died in 1685 and his brother, a Roman Catholic, succeeded him as James VII of Scotland (and II of England) , matters came to a head. James put Catholics in key positions in the government and attendance at conventicles was made punishable by death. He disregarded parliament, purged

7437-409: The east were the Picts, with kingdoms between the river Forth and Shetland. In the late 6th century the dominant force was the Kingdom of Fortriu , whose lands were centred on Strathearn and Menteith and who raided along the eastern coast into modern England. In the west were the Gaelic ( Goidelic )-speaking people of Dál Riata with their royal fortress at Dunadd in Argyll, with close links with

7548-468: The elect....Godly men valued the prayers and conversation of their female co-religionists, and this reciprocity made for loving marriages and close friendships between men and women." Furthermore, there was an increasingly intense relationship in the pious bonds between minister and his women parishioners. For the first time, laywomen gained numerous new religious roles and took a prominent place in prayer societies. In 1603, James VI King of Scots inherited

7659-482: The first wheelhouses , a roundhouse with a characteristic outer wall, within which was a circle of stone piers (bearing a resemblance to the spokes of a wheel), but these would flourish most in the era of Roman occupation. There is evidence for about 1,000 Iron Age hill forts in Scotland , most located below the Clyde-Forth line, which have suggested to some archaeologists the emergence of a society of petty rulers and warrior elites recognisable from Roman accounts. Of

7770-415: The first full Parliament of Scotland met. The parliament had evolved from an earlier council of nobility and clergy, the colloquium , constituted around 1235, but perhaps in 1326 representatives of the burghs – the burgh commissioners – joined them to form the Three Estates . In 1328, Edward III signed the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton acknowledging Scottish independence under the rule of Robert

7881-410: The first recorded Scottish coinage. He continued a process begun by his mother and brothers helping to establish foundations that brought reform to Scottish monasticism based on those at Cluny and he played a part in organising diocese on lines closer to those in the rest of Western Europe. These reforms were pursued under his successors and grandchildren Malcolm IV of Scotland and William I , with

7992-468: The form of tonsure and the method of calculating Easter , although most of these issues had been resolved by the mid-7th century. Conversion to Christianity may have sped a long-term process of gaelicisation of the Pictish kingdoms, which adopted Gaelic language and customs. There was also a merger of the Gaelic and Pictish crowns, although historians debate whether it was a Pictish takeover of Dál Riata, or

8103-460: The form of border skirmishing and several English campaigns into Scotland. In 1547, after the death of Henry VIII, forces under the English regent Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset were victorious at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh , the climax of the Rough Wooing, and followed up by the occupation of Haddington . Mary was then sent to France at the age of five, as the intended bride of the heir to

8214-449: The government. Despite her private religion, she did not attempt to re-impose Catholicism on her largely Protestant subjects, thus angering the chief Catholic nobles. Her six-year personal reign was marred by a series of crises, largely caused by the intrigues and rivalries of the leading nobles. The murder of her secretary, David Riccio , was followed by that of her unpopular second husband Lord Darnley , and her abduction by and marriage to

8325-475: The help of leading nobles such as Sir James Douglas and Thomas Randolph only the castles at Bothwell and Stirling remained under English control. Edward I had died in 1307. His heir Edward II moved an army north to break the siege of Stirling Castle and reassert control. Robert defeated that army at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, securing de facto independence. In 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath ,

8436-606: The idea: involved in the War of the Grand Alliance from 1689 to 1697 against France, it did not want to offend Spain, which claimed the territory as part of New Granada . The English investors withdrew. Returning to Edinburgh, the Company raised 400,000 pounds in a few weeks. Three small fleets with a total of 3,000 men eventually set out for Panama in 1698. The exercise proved a disaster. Poorly equipped; beset by incessant rain; under attack by

8547-466: The independence of Scotland. In 1295, John, on the urgings of his chief councillors, entered into an alliance with France, known as the Auld Alliance . In 1296, Edward invaded Scotland, deposing King John. The following year William Wallace and Andrew de Moray raised forces to resist the occupation and under their joint leadership an English army was defeated at the Battle of Stirling Bridge . For

8658-568: The island of Ireland, from whom comes the name Scots. In the south was the British (Brythonic) Kingdom of Strathclyde , descendants of the peoples of the Roman-influenced kingdoms of " Hen Ogledd " (Old north), often named Alt Clut, the Brythonic name for their capital at Dumbarton Rock . Finally, there were the English or "Angles", Germanic invaders who had overrun much of southern Britain and held

8769-477: The landed gentry and the merchant class were in agreement in seeing overseas trade and colonialism as routes to upgrade Scotland's economy. Since the capital resources of the Edinburgh merchants and landholder elite were insufficient, the company appealed to middling social ranks, who responded with patriotic fervour to the call for money; the lower classes volunteered as colonists. But the English government opposed

8880-471: The names are obscure and the geography becomes less reliable in the north and west, suggesting early Roman knowledge of these areas was confined to observations from the sea. The Roman invasion of Britain began in earnest in AD ;43, leading to the establishment of the Roman province of Britannia in the south. By the year 71, the Roman governor Quintus Petillius Cerialis had launched an invasion of what

8991-481: The new National 3, 4 and 5 qualifications, revised Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications as part of the Curriculum for Excellence. This article relating to education in Scotland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Scottish history -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . History of Scotland The recorded history of Scotland begins with

9102-499: The new combined Pictish and Gaelic kingdom almost encircled. When he died as king of the combined kingdom in 900, Domnall II (Donald II) was the first man to be called rí Alban (i.e. King of Alba ). The term Scotia was increasingly used to describe the kingdom between North of the Forth and Clyde and eventually the entire area controlled by its kings was referred to as Scotland. The long reign (900–942/3) of Causantín (Constantine II)

9213-455: The next three centuries. James VI , Stuart king of Scotland, also inherited the throne of England in 1603, becoming James I of England, and this Union of the Crowns of the two independent kingdoms lasted until the Acts of Union in 1707 merged the two kingdoms into a new state, the Kingdom of Great Britain . Ruling until 1714, Queen Anne was the last Stuart monarch. Since 1714, the succession of

9324-504: The other way around. This culminated in the rise of Cínaed mac Ailpín (Kenneth MacAlpin) in the 840s, which brought to power the House of Alpin . In 867 AD the Vikings seized the southern half of Northumbria, forming the Kingdom of York ; three years later they stormed the Britons' fortress of Dumbarton and subsequently conquered much of England except for a reduced Kingdom of Wessex, leaving

9435-409: The realm of Scotland was held as a feudal dependency to the throne of England before choosing John Balliol , the man with the strongest claim, who became king in 1292. Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale , the next strongest claimant, accepted this outcome with reluctance. Over the next few years Edward I used the concessions he had gained to systematically undermine both the authority of King John and

9546-453: The regency and continued to advance French interests in Scotland. French cultural influence resulted in a large influx of French vocabulary into Scots . But anti-French sentiment also grew, particularly among Protestants , who saw the English as their natural allies. This led to armed conflict at the siege of Leith . Marie de Guise died in June 1560, and soon after the Auld Alliance also ended, with

9657-520: The remainder of the western seaboard, which they did following Haakon Haakonarson 's ill-fated invasion and the stalemate of the Battle of Largs with the Treaty of Perth in 1266. The death of King Alexander III in 1286, and the death of his granddaughter and heir, Margaret, Maid of Norway , in 1290, left 14 rivals for succession. To prevent civil war the Scottish magnates asked Edward I of England to arbitrate, for which he extracted legal recognition that

9768-499: The safety of his younger son, the future James I , sent him to France in 1406. However, the English captured him en route and he spent the next 18 years as a prisoner held for ransom. As a result, after the death of Robert III, regents ruled Scotland: first, the Duke of Albany; and later his son Murdoch . When Scotland finally paid the ransom in 1424, James, aged 32, returned with his English bride determined to assert his authority. Several of

9879-725: The signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh , which provided for the removal of French and English troops from Scotland. The Scottish Reformation took place only days later when the Scottish Parliament abolished the Roman Catholic religion and outlawed the Mass . Meanwhile, Queen Mary had been raised as a Catholic in France, and married to the Dauphin , who became king as Francis II in 1559, making her queen consort of France. When Francis died in 1560, Mary, now 19, returned to Scotland to take up

9990-597: The surviving pre-Roman accounts of Scotland, the first written reference to Scotland was the Greek Pytheas of Massalia , who may have circumnavigated the British Isles of Albion ( Britain ) and Ierne (Ireland) sometime around 325 BC. The most northerly point of Britain was called Orcas (Orkney). By the time of Pliny the Elder , who died in AD 79, Roman knowledge of the geography of Scotland had extended to

10101-463: The tallest of which is 16 feet (5 m) in height. These were part of a pattern that developed in many regions across Europe at about the same time. The creation of cairns and Megalithic monuments continued into the Bronze Age , which began in Scotland about 2000 BC. As elsewhere in Europe, hill forts were first introduced in this period, including the occupation of Eildon Hill near Melrose in

10212-461: The throne failed. Edward III lost interest in the fate of his protégé after the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War with France. In 1341, David II , King Robert's son and heir, was able to return from temporary exile in France. Balliol finally resigned his claim to the throne to Edward in 1356, before retiring to Yorkshire, where he died in 1364. After David II's death, Robert II , the first of

10323-512: The throne of the Kingdom of England and became King James I of England, leaving Edinburgh for London and uniting England with Scotland under one monarch. The Union was a personal or dynastic union , with the Crowns remaining both distinct and separate—despite James's best efforts to create a new "imperial" throne of "Great Britain". The acquisition of the Irish crown along with the English facilitated

10434-472: The well-preserved stone house at Knap of Howar on Papa Westray , dating from around 3500 BC and the village of similar houses at Skara Brae on West Mainland , Orkney from about 500 years later. The settlers introduced chambered cairn tombs from around 3500 BC, as at Maeshowe , and from about 3000 BC the many standing stones and circles such as those at Stenness on the mainland of Orkney, which date from about 3100 BC, of four stones,

10545-548: Was a line drawn between the Tyne and Solway Firth . The Romans eventually withdrew to a line in what is now northern England, building the fortification known as Hadrian's Wall from coast to coast. Around 141, the Romans undertook a reoccupation of southern Scotland, moving up to construct a new limes between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde , which became the Antonine Wall . The largest Roman construction inside Scotland, it

10656-409: Was a source of trouble, particularly in the south-west of the country, an area with strong Presbyterian sympathies. Abandoning the official church, many of the inhabitants began to attend illegal field assemblies, known as conventicles . Official attempts to suppress these led to a rising in 1679, defeated by James, Duke of Monmouth , the King's illegitimate son, at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge . In

10767-547: Was defeated at the Battle of Philiphaugh . Escaping to the north, Montrose attempted to continue the struggle with fresh troops; but in July 1646 his army was disbanded after the King surrendered to the Scots army at Newark, and the civil war came to an end. The following year Charles, while he was being held captive in Carisbrooke Castle, entered into an agreement with moderate Scots Presbyterians. In this secret ' Engagement ',

10878-498: Was delayed by Cromwell's problems with his various parliaments and the union did not become the subject of an act until 1657 (see Tender of Union ). Following the death of Cromwell and the regime's collapse, Charles II was restored in 1660 and Scotland again became an independent kingdom. Scotland regained its system of law, parliament and kirk, but also the Lords of the Articles (by which

10989-648: Was executed for heresy in St. Andrews in 1528. The execution of others, especially the Zwingli -influenced George Wishart , who was burnt at the stake on the orders of Cardinal Beaton in 1546, angered Protestants. Wishart's supporters assassinated Beaton soon after and seized St. Andrews Castle, which they held for a year before they were defeated with the help of French forces. The survivors, including chaplain John Knox , were condemned to be galley slaves in France, stoking resentment of

11100-522: Was gradually phased out and replaced by other educational assessments. Its replacement, the Standard Grade, focused more closely on coursework and the application of knowledge. The Standard Grade has eventually been replaced by the National 4/5 qualifications, as part of the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence. According to the BBC, Learning Minister Dr. Alasdair Allan and teachers in general claim that

11211-399: Was immediately proclaimed as King Charles II in Edinburgh. Oliver Cromwell led an invasion of Scotland in 1650 , and defeated the Scottish army at Dunbar . One year later, a Scottish invasion of England was again defeated by Cromwell at Worcester . Cromwell emerged as the leading figure in the English government and Scotland was occupied by an English force under George Monck . The country

11322-458: Was in 209 when the emperor Septimius Severus led a major force north. After the death of Severus in 210 they withdrew south to Hadrian's Wall, which would be Roman frontier until it collapsed in the 5th century. The Great Conspiracy constituted a seemingly coordinated invasion against Roman rule in Britain in the later 4th century, which included the participation of the Gaelic Scoti and

11433-514: Was incorporated into the Puritan-governed Commonwealth and lost its independent church government, parliament and legal system, but gained access to English markets. Various attempts were made to legitimise the union, calling representatives from the Scottish burghs and shires to negotiations and to various English parliaments, where they were always under-represented and had little opportunity for dissent. However, final ratification

11544-565: Was intended to cater for the increased range of subjects available to pupils since the raising of the school leaving age from 14 to 15. It initially included examinations and awards at both Ordinary Grade ('O-Grade') and Higher Grade ('Higher'). The Ordinary Grade award was replaced with the Standard Grade award, and the Higher Grade award was revised, during second half of the 1980s. These changes placed increased emphasis on coursework and

11655-565: Was largely converted to Christianity by Irish-Scots missions associated with figures such as St Columba , from the fifth to the seventh centuries. These missions tended to found monastic institutions and collegiate churches that served large areas. Partly as a result of these factors, some scholars have identified a distinctive form of Celtic Christianity , in which abbots were more significant than bishops, attitudes to clerical celibacy were more relaxed and there were some significant differences in practice with Roman Christianity, particularly

11766-532: Was led by John Graham, Viscount Dundee . His forces, almost all Highlanders, defeated William's forces at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, but they took heavy losses and Dundee was slain in the fighting. Without his leadership the Jacobite army was soon defeated at the Battle of Dunkeld . In the aftermath of the Jacobite defeat on 13 February 1692, in an incident since known as the Massacre of Glencoe , 38 members of

11877-536: Was marked by good relations with the Wessex rulers of England , intense internal dynastic disunity and relatively successful expansionary policies. In 945, Máel Coluim I annexed Strathclyde as part of a deal with King Edmund of England , where the kings of Alba had probably exercised some authority since the later 9th century, an event offset somewhat by loss of control in Moray. The reign of King Donnchad I (Duncan I) from 1034

11988-504: Was marred by failed military adventures, and he was defeated and killed by MacBeth , the mormaer of Moray , who became king in 1040. MacBeth ruled for seventeen years before he was overthrown by Máel Coluim , the son of Donnchad, who some months later defeated MacBeth's step-son and successor Lulach to become King Máel Coluim III (Malcolm III). It was Máel Coluim III, who acquired the nickname "Canmore" ( Cenn Mór , "Great Chief"), which he passed to his successors and who did most to create

12099-569: Was more tolerant than the Kirk tended to be, passed acts restoring the Episcopalian clergy excluded after the Revolution. Although William's supporters dominated the government, there remained a significant following for James, particularly in the Highlands. His cause, which became known as Jacobitism , from the Latin (Jacobus) for James, led to a series of risings. An initial Jacobite military attempt

12210-733: Was replaced by the Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) which was first issued from January 2000, after the last examinations of the Scottish Certificate of Education in 1999. The SQC also incorporated the CSYS (although this was in the final stages of being replaced with the Advanced Higher ) and the Record of Education and Training (RET). The SQC certifies the new qualifications that were introduced in 2014. These include

12321-575: Was stunningly successful. A Scottish Civil War began in September 1644 with his victory at battle of Tippermuir . After a series of victories over poorly trained Covenanter militias, the lowlands were at his mercy. However, at this high point, his army was reduced in size, as MacColla and the Highlanders preferred to continue the war in the north against the Campbells. Shortly after, what was left of his force

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