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View of the town of Gurro, Italy. Source: Alessandro Vecchi/CC BY-SA 3.0

Why Is There a Scottish Village in Italy? (Video)

Nestled amidst the rugged terrain of the Italian Alps lies Gurro, a village with a surprising heritage. Legend has it that Gurro is populated by the descendants of Scottish soldiers who sought refuge...
Detail of the Wallace sword on display inside William Wallace monument. Source: Public Domain

Was the Wallace Sword Truly Wielded by the Famous Scottish ‘Braveheart’?

Many times, evidence of fantastic finds vanishes, leaving behind only legends (think the Tulli Papyrus or Robin Hood’s Hideout). However, sometimes, fabulous artifacts from history manage to survive...
The Book of Deer contains notes in the margin which are the first written examples of Scottish Gaelic and hinted at the location of the monastery where they were written. Source: The Book of Deer Project

Lost Monastery Tied to Oldest Scottish Text “Book of Deer” Unearthed

A monastery, where the earliest surviving Scots Gaelic text was once noted within the margins of a significant Scottish manuscript called the Book of Deer , disappeared from the pages of history...
The crowning ceremony of the Clan Buchannan chief was laced with recreated artifacts and symbols from ancient Scottish history. Source: The Clan Buchanan Society International

Scottish Clan Has a First New Chief Since 1681

The ancient Scottish Clan Buchannan has been without a leader since the 17th century. Now, the rightful heir to the clan has been crowned chief in a ceremony dripping with archetypes from Scottish...
Robert the Bruce’s heart was found in 1921 and lost again until 1996. Now this King of Scots (Bust of Robert the Bruce at the National Wallace Monument) rests in peace, knowing his final wishes were granted. Source: Left: tussik / Adobe Stock; Right: Otter / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Long Road Taken By Robert the Bruce’s Heart

Robert the Bruce is one of the most, if not the most famous Scotsmen to have ever lived. Infamous for the 14th-century reign that saw him taking on England’s much bigger and better-equipped army and...
Scottish Crannog Fire Wipes Out Recreated Iron Age House in Minutes

Scottish Crannog Fire Wipes Out Recreated Iron Age House in Minutes

Overnight, 5,000 years of design skills that were invested in a recreated Iron Age house at the Scottish Crannog Centre in Perthshire, Scotland, have been engulfed in a fire. One onlooker said the...
The magnitude of the Storegga tsunami would have wiped out many modern Scottish cities. Source: Kevin Carden / Adobe Stock

8,000 Years Ago The Storegga Tsunami Shattered Scotland

The three Storegga Slides are amongst the largest known submarine landslides in history. They occurred under water, at the edge of Norway's continental shelf in the Norwegian Sea, approximately 6225–...
Prehistoric standing stone on Machrie Moor, Isle of Arran. A prehistoric temple has also been discovered recently on the island.

5000-Year-Old Prehistoric Temple Discovered On Scottish Island

An ancient “cursus monument” was discovered at the Tormore site on the Isle of Arran. The archaeologists working at the site think it is likely that people traveled from all over what is today...
Scottish Metal Detectorist Unearths Rare Medieval Knife

Metal Detectorist In Scotland Unearths Rare Medieval Knife

Metal detectorists dream of finding something of real historic value. One lucky detectorist in Scotland has made an astonishing find. He has found a very rare and beautifuly decorated early medieval...
Representation of a seer or prophetess.

The 17th Century Seer, Janet Douglas: Being A Gifted Child Isn’t Always A Good Thing

Janet Douglas was a 17th century Scottish teenager reputed to have a paranormal gift known as ‘Second Sight.’ She should not be confused was another well-known Janet Douglas, a Scottish noblewoman...
Clan Campbell seal matrix of Sir John Campbell of Cawdor.    Source: Sarah Lambert-Gates & Darko Maricevic ̌ / Antiquity Publications Ltd

Lost Clan Campbell Seal Reveals Clues to Scottish Feud

Archaeologists in Scotland excavating a castle on the western isles have discovered a seal matrix forged in a time of great struggle between the clan Campbell and clan MacDonald. In the early 17th-...
Storms In Scotland Unearth Viking Skeletons

Storms In Scotland Unearth Viking Skeletons

Fierce storms ravaging Orkney, an island group in the far north of Scotland famous for its Neolithic standing stone circles and burial tombs, have unearthed hundreds of ancient human bones in what is...
Left: Archaeologists at the Pictish King's Seat Hillfort last year. Right top: A fragment of Anglo-Saxon drinking vessel. Right bottom: A decorated spindle whorl, which was used in textile production.       Source: AOC Archaeology Ltd / Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust

Ancient Pictish Hillfort Unearthed In Scotland Helps Kill Dogma

Archaeologists digging at an ancient Pictish hillfort, near Dunkeld in Scotland , prove it was an important power center for an elite class. The 7th to 9th century King's Seat Hillfort, “ the Fort Of...
Representative image of highlander sword.   Source: Marko Stamatovic/ Adobe Stock

Highlander Sword Found in a Garage is Sold for a Fortune

Most of us when we are cleaning out our garage only find garbage, perhaps some old, forgotten items, but nothing ancient. One lucky man in Britain found a highlander sword which is up to 600 years...
The Paisley Abbey alien gargoyle (image had been cropped). Source: Colin / CC BY-SA 2.0

Enigma of Alien Gargoyle Atop Ancient Scottish Church Now Solved

An ‘alien’ gargoyle carved on the exterior of a 12th-century Scottish abbey is causing waves on social media. Believed to have been founded as a holy site in the 7th century by Saint Mirin (or Saint...
St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.          Source: karenm9071 / Adobe Stock.

Edinburgh’s First Inhabitants Revealed in 3D Digital Reconstructions

Two of 111 skeletons recovered from burial sites within a Scottish cathedral are being brought back to life with 3D reconstructions. A new science project is reconstructing faces from some of 111...
Memorial to Stanley and Livingstone, Burundi 	Source: Poffer, D / CC BY 2.0

The Livingstone – Stanley Monument and The Famous Tale of Two Explorers in Africa

Without a doubt, European explorers in 19 th century Africa changed history. Two of the most famous are Dr David Livingstone, and the journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley , who opened central...
The grave holding one of the skeletons and the four skulls. (FAS Heritage / Fair UseThe reconstructed face of the clansman who was killed in the 15th century.

Scientists Unravel Mystery of 15th Century Six-Headed Burial

Scientists have begun unravelling the mystery of an ancient Scotsman found in a mysterious “six-headed” burial and now believe his death was connected to a violent period of Highland clan warfare...
Modern Scots Share DNA With Dark Age Picts. Source: Peter Atkins / Adobe Stock.

Modern Scots Share DNA With Dark Age Picts

Scientists reveal modern Scots have strong genetic links with their Dark Age ancestors. “ We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns” (We are all Jock Tamson’s children) is an old Scottish phrase meaning all...
Excavations at the Ness of Brodgar. Source: Ruth_W / CC BY-SA 2.0.

Human Bone Found at Orkney’s Neolithic Cathedral, Ness of Brodgar

Archaeologists excavating a vast Neolithic cathedral at Ness of Brodgar on the Scottish island of Orkney have made the rare discovery of a human arm bone . While the discovery of a single bone might...
The newly discovered medieval chess piece, one of the Lewis Chessmen, had been missing for almost 200 years. Source: Courtesy of Sotheby's .

Lewis Chessman Bought for £5 Sells at Auction for £735,000

In the early 1800s, an ancient treasure washed up on the Isle of Lewis in westernmost Scotland – 78 ornately-carved chess pieces made from walrus ivory dating back to the 12 th century. The Lewis...
Prehistoric well and steps recently uncovered at Mither Tap Hillfort, Scotland Source: Northern Picts /University of Aberdeen

Prehistoric Well Uncovered At Ancient Hillfort Might Be A Time Capsule Of Archaeological Gold

An ancient fresh water well with elaborate spiraling stone steps has been re-discovered on one of Scotland’s most mythologized mountain peaks near Aberdeen, and archaeologists were keen to peer into...
Peel Castle, Isle of Man. Source: vulcan57 / Adobe

Peel Castle: Centuries of History, a Mysterious Pagan Lady, and a Phantom Dog

The Isle of Man is a small island in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England and is a Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom. Because the island was settled approximately 8000 years ago, it has a...
John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan, the new Chief of Clan Buchanan.

After Life-Long Search, Detective Finds Lost Chief of Scottish Clan: ‘The Buchanan’ is its First Chief in 337 Years

After over three centuries without ancestral leadership, the Clan Buchanan welcomes John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan, 60, who owns Cambusmore Estate near Callander, as the official head of the...

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