Timeline of Scottish history

This is a timeline of Scottish history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Scotland and its predecessor states. See also Timeline of prehistoric Scotland.
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To read about the background to many of these events, see History of Scotland. More information can also be found in the list of Scottish monarchs, list of British monarchs, list of first ministers of Scotland, and list of years in Scotland.David Ross, Chronology of Scottish History (2002) has details for every year.
 Centuries: 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th19th20th21st
== 1st century ==
Year	Date	Event
97 	 	Romans defeat Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius.
== 2nd century ==
Year	Date	Event
122 	 	Romans construct Hadrian's Wall.
143 	 	Romans construct Antonine Wall.
163 	 	Romans withdraw south to Trimontium and Hadrian's Wall.
== 3rd century ==
Year	Date	Event
300 	 	The term Pict is first recorded in describing the federated tribes invaded by Constantius Chlorus.
== 4th century ==
Year	Date	Event
397 	 	Traditional date at which Saint Ninian establishes a Christian mission at Whithorn.
== 5th century ==
Year	Date	Event
470 	 	Votadini peoples form the kingdom of Gododdin in the region north of the River Tweed.
== 6th century ==
Year	Date	Event
547 	 	Angles capture the Northumbrian fortress at Bamburgh and found the kingdom of Bernicia.
563 	 	Saint Columba founds a monastery at Iona and begins his mission to the northern Picts.
574 	 	Áedán mac Gabráin begins reign over the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata.
575 	 	Western Scotland is granted independence from the Irish Dalriada, after a convention at Drum Ceatt near Derry.
580 	 	Riderch I of Alt Clut rules region later known as the kingdom of Strathclyde.
584 	 	Bruide, son of Maelchon, dies.
== 7th century ==
Year	Date	Event
604 	 	Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria.
638 	 	Northumbrians capture Edinburgh from Gododdin.
680 	 	Trumwine Bishop of Abercorn.
681 	 	Bruide mac Bili, King of Fortriu, campaigns against Orkney.
685 	 	Pictish King Bruide mac Bili defeats Ecgfrith of Northumbria at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, halting the northern expansion of Northumbria.
693 	 	Bruide mac Bili dies.
697 	 	Bruide mac Der-Ilei among the signatories of the Cáin Adomnáin.
== 8th century ==
Year	Date	Event
717 	 	Nechtan mac Der-Ilei expels Ionan clergy from Pictland and adopts Roman usages with the aid of Bishop Curetán; masons sent by Abbot Ceolfrid of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory help build stone churches at Restenneth, Rosemarkie and elsewhere in eastern Scotland.
724 	 	Drust and Nechtan mac Der-Ilei fight civil war (to 729).
732 	 	Death of Nechtan mac Der-Ilei; Óengus mac Fergusa becomes King of the Picts.
735 	 	Óengus mac Fergusa, King of the Picts, campaigns against Dál Riata, and seizes and burns the royal centre of Dunadd.
736 	 	Battle of Cnoc Coirpi between Fortriu and Dál Riata.
741 	 	Battle of Druimm Cathmail between Fortriu and Dál Riata; the "smiting of Dál Riata", in which Dál Riata is subdued by Óengus mac Fergusa.
747 	 	St Andrews founded by this time, death of Abbot Túathalán.
750 	 	Picts defeated by Britons at the Battle of Catohic.
756 	 	Óengus mac Fergusa allied with the English of Northumbria attacks the Britons; the English army is destroyed.
761 	 	Death of Óengus mac Fergusa.
763 	 	Battle takes place in Fortriu between Ciniod and Áed Find; result unknown.
778 	 	Death of Áed Find, King of Dál Riata.
794 	 	Annals of Ulster report the "wasting" of "all the islands of Britain by gentiles [Vikings]".
== 9th century ==
Year	Date	Event
802 	 	Iona burned by Vikings.
806 	 	The monasteries under Iona are attacked by Vikings, killing 68 monks.
820 	 	Death of Caustantín mac Fergusa.
829 	 	Abbot Diarmait, abbot of Iona, goes to Alba with relics of St Columba.
831 	 	Diarmait of Iona goes to Ireland with relics of St Columba.
839 	 	Eóganan mac Óengusa and his brother Bran killed in battle with Vikings, end of dominance of Fortriu.
858 	 	Death of Kenneth mac Alpin, King of the Picts; "union of Picts and Scots" traditionally dated from his reign.
870 	 	Alt Clut—Dumbarton Rock — captured by the Norse-Gael or Viking leaders Amlaíb Conung and Ímar after a six-month of siege.
878 	 	Kenneth mac Alpin's son Áed killed; Giric becomes king.
889 	 	Death of Giric; Domnall mac Causantín, grandson of Kenneth, becomes king.
890 	 	The Strathclyde Britons are exiled to the Gwynedd in Wales.
== 10th century ==
Year	Date	Event
900 	 	Causantín mac Áeda succeeds Domnall mac Causantín.
937 	 	Battle of Brunanburh English victory in 937 by the army of Æthelstan, King of England, and his brother Edmund over the combined armies of Olaf III Guthfrithson, the Norse-Gael King of Dublin, Constantine II, King of Scots, and Owen I, King of Strathclyde.
940 	 	Saint Catroe of Metz leaves Scotland.
943 	 	Causantín mac Áeda abdicates to become a culdee at St Andrews.
952 	 	Death of Causantín mac Áeda.
954 	 	Indulf captures Edinburgh from Northumbria.
== 11th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1058	 	After defeating Mac Bethad and Lulach, Máel Coluim III is proclaimed king.
1012	 	Battle of Cruden Bay
== 12th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1124	 	David I becomes king and introduces the feudal system of landholding to much of Scotland.
1128	 	David I founds Holyrood Abbey at Edinburgh.
1136	 	Glasgow Cathedral (St Kentigern's, begun 1123) consecrated in the presence of David I.
1153	 	Somerled sacks Glasgow and its vicinity.
1156	 	Somerled defeats the Norse King of Mann and the Isles, establishing his own semi-independent rule as ri Innse Gall-King of the Hebrides.
1164	 	Somerled is defeated by Malcolm IV in the Battle of Renfrew.
1174	 	William I signs the Treaty of Falaise in which he swears allegiance to Henry II of England.
== 13th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1234	 	Galloway's independent existence ends with the death of Alan, Lord of Galloway.
1237	 	Southern border of Scotland established in the Treaty of York.
1263	 	Scots defeat Norwegians in the Battle of Largs.
1266	 	Norway cedes the Hebrides and Isle of Man to Scotland in the Treaty of Perth.
1292	 	Edward I of England intervenes in Scottish affairs and grants the Scottish throne to John Balliol.
1297	 	Andrew de Moravia and William Wallace lead the Scots to victory over England at Stirling Bridge.
== 14th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1305	 	William Wallace is executed in London.
1314	 	Robert the Bruce defeats the English at Bannockburn.
1320	 	Nobles assert Scottish independence in the Declaration of Arbroath.
1328	 	Treaty of Northampton. England recognises Scottish independence.
1329	 	Death of Robert the Bruce. His 5-year-old son, David II succeeds him.
1371	 	Robert II becomes first Stewart king.
== 15th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1402	 	English defeat Scots in the Battle of Nesbit Moor and the Battle of Humbleton Hill.
1413	 	Foundation of the University of St Andrews.
1451	 	Establishment of the University of Glasgow.
1468	 	Denmark cedes Orkney and Shetland from Norway to Scotland.
1488	 	James IV crowned after death of his father James III of Scotland in/after a rebellion—the Battle of Sauchieburn.
1493	 	Lordship of the Isles abolished. In 1540 the title was reserved to the crown.
1495	 	Creation of the University of Aberdeen (King's College).
1496	 	Education Act 1496 makes education compulsory for barons and wealthy landowners.
== 16th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1513	 	James IV and thousands of Scots are killed at Battle of Flodden.
1532	 	Creation of the College of Justice and the Court of Session.
1542	 	Death of James V.
1547	 	Battle of Pinkie during the War of the Rough Wooing.
1559	 	John Knox returns to Scotland from Geneva to promote Calvinism.
1560	 	Parliament legislates Protestant Reformation of the Church of Scotland.
1561	 	Mary, Queen of Scots returns from France.
1566	 	Baptism of James VI at Stirling
1568	 	Mary, Queen of Scots flees to England following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Langside.
1579	 	James VI takes over government from his regent, James Douglas.
1582	 	Establishment of the University of Edinburgh by royal charter.
1587	 	Mary is beheaded by the order of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
1589	 	James VI marries Anne of Denmark in Oslo.
1590	 	Entry and coronation of Anne of Denmark in Edinburgh
1592	 	James VI enacts the "Golden Act" recognising the power of Presbyterianism within the Scottish church.
1594	 	Masque at the baptism of Prince Henry in Stirling
== 17th century ==
Year	Date 	Event
1603	 	The Union of the Crowns: James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.
1614	 	John Napier invents logarithms and publishes a book promoting their use in mathematics.
1618	 	James VI forces episcopacy on the Church of Scotland through the Five Articles of Perth.
1625	 	Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned.
1633	 	Education Act 1633 ordains a school in every parish (partially successful).
1638	 	Scottish Covenanters rebel against Charles I.
1639	 	The First Bishops' War.
1640	 	The Second Bishops' War.
1642	 	The First English Civil War started.
1643	 	The Solemn League and Covenant promises Scots army to aid English parliamentarians against the king.
1646	 	The First English Civil War ended.
1648	 	The Second English Civil War started.
1649	 	The Second English Civil War ended. Charles I is executed—ending the monarchy until 1660.
1649	 	The Third English Civil War started.
1650	 	Southern Scotland occupied by the English Commonwealth's New Model Army following Scottish defeats at the Battle of Dunbar 1650 and the Battle of Hamilton during the Third English Civil War
1651	 	Battle of Worcester was a victory for New Model Army over the last major Royalist field army. Most of the Royalist officers and men who fought at Worcester were Scottish. For the next ten years, apart from some mopping up operations and a few insurrections, (all of which were easily suppressed) there was not further military resistance to rule from London.
1651	 	The Third English Civil War ended.
1654	5 May 	Oliver Cromwell issued a proclamation at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh. Oliver Cromwell was the Protector of England Ireland and Scotland, that Scotland was united with the Commonwealth of England (Tender of Union) and there was a general pardon with some exceptions for the people of Scotland for any actions taken during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (Cromwell's Act of Grace).
1660	14 May 	The monarchy is restored in Scotland and Scotland resumes its status as a separate kingdom.
1661	May 	Four men were executed for high treason for their actions against the Crown during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll, James Guthrie, William Govan were all executed in May 1661 (the fourth Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston fled abroad but returned to Scotland and was executed on 22 July 1663).
1661	6 September	The restoration of the Episcopacy was proclaimed by the Privy Council of Scotland.
1662	 	During the parliamentary session the Church of Scotland was restored as the national Church and all office-holders were required to renounced the Covenant.
1662	9 September	The Scottish parliament passed the Act of indemnity and oblivion. It was a general pardon for most types of crime that may have been committed by Scots, between 1 January 1637 and before 1 September 1660, during what the Act called "the late troubles" (the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Interregnum).
1679	 	James, Duke of Monmouth defeats Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Brig.
1689	 	Jacobite rising of 1689 Highlanders defeat army of William III at Killiecrankie, but are halted at Battle of Dunkeld.
1689	 	The Claim of Right and the re-establishment of Presbyterianism.
1692	 	The Massacre of Glencoe.
1695	 	The Bank of Scotland is created by an Act of the Parliament.
1696	 	Education Act 1696 ordains a school in every parish (successful; act governs education until the 1872 act).
1698	 	The Darien scheme was an unsuccessful attempt by the Kingdom of Scotland to establish a colony called "New Caledonia" on the Isthmus of Panama in the 1690s
== 18th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1707	 	The Union of the Parliaments: the Acts of Union are passed by both the Scottish and English parliaments.
1715	 	Jacobite rising of 1715.
1745	 	Jacobite rising of 1745.
1746	 	The Battle of Culloden ends the last Jacobite rising.
1748	 	David Hume publishes An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
1754	 	Joseph Black discovers "fixed air" (carbon dioxide).
1768	 	The Encyclopædia Britannica First Edition commences publication.
1769	 	James Watt patents idea for separate condensing chamber in the steam engine.
1775	 	Passage of the Colliers and Salters (Scotland) Act 1775 commences the removal of life bondage of coal and salt workers.
1776	 	Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations.
== 19th century ==
Year	Date	Event
1802	 	John Playfair publishes summary of James Hutton's theories of geology.
1805	 	The Glasgow Herald newspaper first published.
1817	 	The Scotsman newspaper first published.
1820	 	The "Radical War".
1822	 	Visit of King George IV to Scotland organized by Sir Walter Scott.
1832	 	The Reform Act enlarges the franchise.
1843	 	The Disruption in the Church of Scotland (over the issue of patronage).
1846	 	Beginning of the ten-year Highland Potato Famine.
1847	 	The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland is established.
1864	 	James Clerk Maxwell presents equations describing electromagnetic fields.
1874	 	Patronage abolished in the Church of Scotland.
1878	 	Collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank.
1879	 	William Ewart Gladstone conducts the Midlothian campaign as part of a political comeback.
1879	 	The Tay Bridge disaster.
1885	 	Creation of the Scottish Office and the post of Secretary for Scotland, later Secretary of State for Scotland.
1890	 	Opening of the Forth Railway Bridge.
1896	 	Opening of the Glasgow Subway.
== 20th century ==
Year	Date 	Event
1919	31 January	The Battle of George Square
1929	 	The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland unite.
1934	 	Scottish National Party founded.
1938	 	The Empire Exhibition, Scotland is held at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow.
1941	 	The Clydebank Blitz (13–15 March).
1943	 	Creation of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to bring electricity to all parts of the Highlands and Islands.
1945	 	First Scottish Nationalist MP is elected.
1947	 	Nationalisation of the railways – the Scottish Region of British Railways is created.
1947	 	The first Edinburgh International Festival is held.
1950	 	The Stone of Destiny is removed from Westminster Abbey.
1957	 	Scottish Television starts broadcasting.
1968	 	The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland permits the ordination of women as ministers.
1975	 	Local government reorganisation (replacing Counties and Burghs for administrative purposes with Regions and Districts).
1978	 	Launch of BBC Radio Scotland.
1979	 	Referendum to create a Scottish Assembly wins a majority but fails to win 40% of electorate. Act is therefore repealed without being put into effect.
1988	 	Terrorists blow up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 lives, including 11 residents of the town.
1995	 	Local government reorganisation (replacing the Regions and Districts with single-tier councils).
1996	 	The Stone of Destiny is permanently returned to Scotland, to be housed in Edinburgh Castle.
1997	 	Newly elected Labour UK Government under the leadership of Scots-born Prime Minister Tony Blair legislates for a referendum on a devolved Scottish Parliament which is passed by a large majority.
1999	 	A Scottish Parliament sits for the first time in 272 years. Donald Dewar of the Scottish Labour Party elected as First Minister and forms Scottish Executive in coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
== 21st century ==
Year	Date 	Event
2004	9 October 	Opening of the new Scottish Parliament Building.
2007	 	The Scottish National Party become the largest party in the Scottish Parliament and forms a minority government. Alex Salmond becomes the First Minister of Scotland, the first nationalist politician to serve as first minister.
2011	 	The Scottish National Party under Alex Salmond gain an overall majority of the Scottish Parliament.
2013	 	The Church of Scotland's ruling General Assembly votes to allow actively gay men and women to become ministers.
2014	18 September	Scotland has a referendum on regaining national independence. The result is to remain a country of the UK, by 55% to 45%.
2014	19 September	Alex Salmond announces his resignation as first minister following defeat in the independence referendum the day prior.
2014	20 November 	Nicola Sturgeon becomes first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), becoming the first female politician to serve as first minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP.
2015	 	The Scottish National Party wins 4.7% of the popular vote in the UK General Election, securing 56 out of the 59 seats in Scotland out of 650 seats in total across the UK.
2022	8 September 	The longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, dies at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire.
2023	15 February 	Nicola Sturgeon announces resignation as First Minister of Scotland and leadership of the Scottish National Party.
2023	28 March 	Humza Yousaf is elected as the First Minister of Scotland and new leader of Scottish National Party in the first contested leadership election in the SNP in nearly twenty years.
2024	4 July 	The Scottish Labour Party wins 40% of the popular vote in Scotland in the UK General Election and became the largest party in the UK Parliament in terms of Scottish seats.
2025	23 January 	The Scottish Government send an emergency alert to the public ahead of Storm Éowyn. The alert was sent to the mobile phones of around 4.5 million people. The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) is activated by first minister John Swinney to co-ordinate the governments response to the approaching storm.
2025	24 January 	Storm Éowyn hits the country. The Met Office had issued a rare Red weather warning for strong winds. Winds in excess of 100mph were recorded around the country, and was described at the "worst storm to hit Scotland in 13 years".
== See also ==
*Kings of Scotland family tree
* Timeline of British history
*Timeline of prehistoric Scotland
== Notes ==