Scottish History through the Ages

Early history of Scotland

 

Human inhabitation in Scotland dates back to prehistoric times since the end of the ice ages. The country had been home to humans all through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age with civilizations growing up. Though few written records of the period exist many artifacts are available of the times.

 

The recorded Scottish history dates back to the times of the establishment of the Roman Empire in England. The Romans were then occupying the present day England and Wales then referred to as Britannia, a Roman province. The Scotland region lied on the periphery of the civilizations flourishing centering on the Mediterranean region not only owing to its location but also on the cultural front.  

 

The lore of the ancient Druid tradition that prevailed in Scotland in pre-Christian times got forgotten and lost over time because of several reasons. War, famine, proscriptions of later Christian missionaries- all took their toll in erasing the relics of the culture.

 

The development of Scotland

 

The fifth century saw the coming in of the Celtic immigrants from Ireland and settling north of the Clyde. These are the people referred to as the Scots. In the ninth century Kenneth Mac Alpine the king of the Scots added the kingdom of the Pict people to his own. Around the tenth century the land came to be called Scotland.

 

Many Anglo Saxons from England arrived and settled in the Lowlands of Scotland subsequent to the Norman conquest of England (1066). This resulted in the Scots gradually adopting the English ways. There was the establishment of feudalism with the chiefs of the clans becoming nobles. The towns began to grow and with increase in trading activities Scotland began to prosper.

 

The seaways had played an important part in Scottish history. Scotland, owing to its geographic positioning, greatly relied on trade routes by sea. Thus, it developed close connections in the south and east with the Baltic countries. It also held links with France and other parts of Europe via Ireland.

 

Modern Scottish history

 

Later, in the eighteenth century, following the Act of Union and the subsequent Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution Scotland went on to become a prime center of commercial, intellectual and industrial activities of Europe.

 

After the Second World War a period of industrial decline ensued in Scotland. This became a particularly acute problem and uncertainly prevailed. However, recent decades have witnessed something akin to a renaissance in cultural and economic fields.