Description
Book SynopsisFor a country with a relatively small population, Scotland has had a massive impact on the world. This intriguing miscellany uncovers the culture surrounding its shores, and celebrates the many characters, legends, firsts and inventions that have shaped the country's rich and majestic history.
This eye opening collection of trivia will enlighten you on many of the myths surrounding Scotland. Bagpipes, tartan and haggis are all archetypal images of Scotland, and yet none of them likely originated here. Clan wars, family feuds, invasions and battles are just some of the historical subjects divulged in this fascinating miscellany. Scots have also helped to create modern life, with innovators ushering in the Industrial Revolution, medical breakthroughs, not forgetting the Scottish engineers famed across the globe. Along the way you will also find entries on the food, the sporting heritage and darker tales of murder most foul. Brief, accessible and entertaining pieces on a wide variety of subjects makes it the perfect book to dip in to. The amazing and extraordinary facts series presents interesting, surprising and little-known facts and stories about a wide range of topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and entertain in equal measure.
Table of Contents1 Introduction 8
2 Culture 10
3 We are Family 10
4 An Instrument of War 12
5 Battle of the Clans 15
6 The Best Plaid Schemes 18
7 The Tartan Conmen 20
8 Minding their Language 23
9 On the Trail 26
10 Makers of History 28
11 Snakes and Monsters 28
12 What Bloody Man is that? 29
13 The King Who Helped Create Scotland 31
14 The Guardian of Scotland 34
15 The Man Who Would Be King 36
16 A Royal Dynasty 40
17 Her End Was Her Beginning 43
18 The Monstrous Regiment 46
19 Crowning Achievement 46
20 Courage and Fidelity 49
21 The Woman with Star Power 51
22 Queen of the Comstock 53
23 Fighting the Pestilence of the Free Winds 54
24 Woman with a mission 56
25 Food and Drink 58
26 The Selkirk Grace 58
27 The Water of Life 59
28 Great Chieftan 'o the Puddin Race 62
29 Squared Away 64
30 Ale that was sweeter than honey 67
31 Scotland at War 70
32 The Lost Legion 70
33 The Deaths That Caused a Crisis 72
34 Death of a King 74
35 The Not-So-English Civil War 75
36 Royal Blood, Holy Wars 79
37 Castle Commando 81
38 The Bandit Masquerading as a Scottish Officer 83
39 Here We Go Round the Mulberry 85
40 Building a Country 87
41 The Northeast Passage 87
42 Big Wheel Keep on Rollin' 90
43 The Road to Peace 91
44 Planes, Trains - and trains That Are Planes 93
45 Rocket Science 94
46 The Men Who Made the Hollow Mountain 97
47 Bridges over the River Forth 100
48 The Sporting Life 103
49 War Games 103
50 An Unprofitable Sport 105
51 Sticking it to the Warriors 108
52 The Not So Beautiful Game 109
53 Sport on the Slide 111
54 The Eglinton Tournament 113
55 Just not Cricket 117
56 The first World Cup 119
57 Tales from the Dark Side 122
58 The Family from Hell 122
59 The Glen of Weeping 124
60 Bloody Deeds and Bloody Shirts 126
61 The Judge's Wife 128
62 The Ripper Connection 130
63 Index 132
