History, Tradition and Roots

Bagpipes, Braveheart and the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. Think you know everything there is to know about Scotland's history, tradition and roots? Think again. . . .

"It is in the nature of great things: they are very often misunderstood." Sir Walter Scott was talking about his Waverley novels, but he could just as easily have been describing the country which inspired them: Scotland, a place where, for every dusty cliché, there is the opposing, exhilarating reality.

Every section here contains twists and surprises; click on the links to find rich, hidden seams of history unearthed and traditions explained, unravelled and updated, as we reveal the roots of a nation, roots which burrow down into history, stretching back almost a millennium. . . .

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  • Sitting in the Logan Botanic Gardens, Rhinns of Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway

    March 2010

    Seeds of Revolution  Scottish botanists braved tempests and conflicts to discover new flowers and fauna. Read about the hardy adventures of our most celebrated botanists.

  • January 2010

    The Language of Burns Lives On  The Scots language still flows from the mouths of children and adults alike, kept alive in no small way by Burns, and many other Scottish media icons.

  • January 2010

    Global Commemorations of Scotland's National Poet, Robert Burns  After Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus, Robert Burns has more statues dedicated to him around the world than any other non-religious figure.

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