Telling Scotland's Story: Why I Wrote the 'A History of Scotland' Trilogy

Back more years than I care to think, I decided to learn about the history of Scotland. I knew some of it, sure, but what did I not know? And of the snatches of stories and of legends I did know, which were true? (Scottish history, it turns out, has more than its fair share of myth.) I wanted to know, and read all the books I could get my hands on. 

A little light reading: 

As I got into deeper waters, it became clear that I needed to know some English history too, so I started reading that. But that wasn’t enough. A discouraging truth materialised, like a barren anchorage out of the mist instead of a hoped-for harbour. England was just the start: to properly understand Scottish history and how it sat in the wider world, I also needed to know what was going on in France. And not just France and England, but Rome, Norway, Ireland, India, North America, Germany… Eventually, everything in the world became connected: popes and crusades, merchants and empires, American railroads and James Watt out for a walk on Glasgow Green. I thought I was just going to be discovering who the MacDonalds were fighting in fifteen-oatcake! 

There were things I didn’t expect. The song Scotland Will Flourish wisely recommends we forget the old battles, but for much of Scottish history, they are hard to avoid. I learned of the famous battles, but also discovered how often Scottish armies made unprovoked attacks on England; and just how complicated the loyalties were of the nobility during the Wars of Independence.

Some old stereotypes, I was surprised to find out, were partially justified; the old Scottish Parliament for example, unlike the modern one, really grudged granting tax, and Scottish merchants took it as their moral duty to avoid paying tax whenever they could.

By the point I'd gathered over a million words in notes I realised there was a book in what I’d learned, an accessible, yet complete and up-to-date Scottish history that busts some myths and tells some other tales that are as delightful as they are unexpected. So it was time to cut back the horizon-scanning and refocus on the original goal: Scotland’s story. 

The first book, Foundation, covers up to the year 1542, and the events that led, against the odds, to the enduring existence of a place called Scotland.

The second book, Covenant, covers the years from 1542 to 1815, and the pivotal moments of the Protestant Reformation, Union, Empire, and the titanic showdown with Napoleonic France.  

The final book, Citizen, covers from 1815 to 2014, when the Scots made their mark abroad in increasing numbers, while ordinary people fought for dignity and representation at home. 

I’m not a professional historian. But the resources to check the facts are all there, both in online archives and at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. I’m no George RR Martin either, but have you ever heard any Scottish history? It’s hard to tell a dull story when the raw material is so good. 

Foundation and Covenant are already on sale, and the final touches are being made to Citizen, which will be available to purchase in early December. I'll be telling you a bit more about the fascinating history of Scotland in the lead up to the launch of Citizen, so stay tuned!