Events in Scottish History
August
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	1		August		1545		Andrew Melville born Baldovie.  Scholar, theologian and religious reformer, his reputation brought scholars from the Europe to study at Glasgow and St Andrews.
	1		August		1714		Death of Queen Anne; George I, Elector of Hanover becomes King.
	1		August		1747		Act of Proscription of Tartan that followed the 1745 Rising.
	2		August		1696		Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, who had taken part in the Massacre of Glencoe,  died in poverty in Bruges.
	2		August		1922		Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, died in Nova Scotia.
	3		August		1460		James II killed by an exploding cannon at the siege of Roxburgh Castle.
	3		August		1573		Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange executed, after defending Edinburgh Castle on behalf of Mary Queen of Scots from May 1568 to May 1573.
	4		August		1900		Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, born.
	4		August		1914		Britain declared war on Germany. His Majesty's Government informed the German Government on August 4th, 1914, that, unless a satisfactory reply to the request of His Majesty's Government for an assurance that Germany would respect the neutrality of Belgium was received by midnight of that day, His Majesty's Government would feel bound to take all steps in their power to uphold that neutrality and the observance of a treaty to which Germany was as much a party as Great Britain. The result of this communication having been that His Majesty's Ambassador at Berlin had to ask for his passports, His Majesty's Government have accordingly formally notified the German Government that a state of war exists between the two countries, as from 11 p.m. to-day. The First World War had begun on 28th July 1914 with Austria-Hungary's declaration of war with Serbia.
	5		August		1305		Sir William Wallace betrayed and handed over to the English.
	5		August		1388		Battle of Otterburn in which Scots defeat Henry Percy, (Hotspur) but James, Earl Douglas, died out of sight of his army.   "A dead man won the field".  Sir John Sinclair, Sir Walter Sinclair and Sir James Lindsay took up the dying Douglas's banner and went back into the battle crying "Douglas". Tom Steel, Scotland's Story ISBN 0006370039 p 57 (English sources say the battle was on 19th August: John Sadler, Border Fury, England and Scotland at War 1296-1568 ISBN 1405840226 p 275.)
	6		August		1881		Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, born.
	7		August		1548		The young Mary Queen of Scots sailed from Dumbarton Castle to Roscoff, France, following the Treaty of Haddington, which betrothed her to Francis, the Dauphin of France.
	8		August		1503		James IV married Margaret Tudor, daughter of  Henry VII of England. The marriage was known as the Union of the Thistle and the Rose.
	9		August		1757		Thomas Telford, the civil engineer born in Westerkirk,  near Dumfries.
	10		August		1460		James III crowned at Kelso Abbey.
	11		August		1306		Battle of Dalry.  Robert the Bruce defeated by John MacDougall of Lorne, kinsman of John Comyn.
	11		August		1862		General Sir David Y Henderson, the first Officer Commanding (OC) the Royal Flying Corps, born in Glasgow.
	11		August		1892		Hugh MacDiarmid (Christopher Murray Grieve) born in Langholm in Dumfriesshire.
	12		August		1332		Battle of Dupplin Moor near Perth in which Edward Balliol defeated the Regent, Earl of Mar.
	12		August		1990		Roy Williamson, Scottish folk musician and songwriter, died. A founder member of the folk group, "The Corries", for whom he wrote the song which has since become Scotland's unofficial National Anthem, "Flower of Scotland". The Corries
	13		August		1888		John Logie Baird, inventor of the first television, born in Helensburgh.
	13		August		1907		Sir Basil Spence, architect of Edinburgh University Library, born.
	14		August		1040		Duncan I killed in battle at Pitgaveny leading his army against Macbeth.
	14		August		1863		Sir Colin Campbell  died. Born Colin MacIver, he adopted the surname of his uncle who sponsored his military education.  At the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 as Commander of the Highland Brigade of the 1st Division he lead the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders as the "Thin Red Line" repulsing the Russian Cavalry. He sought and obtained permission to wear the Highland Bonnet instead of the Cocked Hat that went with his appointment.
	15		August		1057		Macbeth killed in battle with Malcolm Canmore at Lumphanan.
	15		August		1645		The Battle of Kilsyth. James Graham, the Marquis of Montrose, defeated General Baillie's Covenanter Army at Colzium, Kilsyth.
	15		August		1771		Sir Walter Scott born to a Walter Scott , a Writer to the Signet, and Anne (née Rutherford).
	15		August		1822		George IV arrived at Leith on board "The Royal George" at the start of his visit to Edinburgh. His visit to Scotland was organised by Sir Walter Scott, and led to a revival of interest in Scotland.
	15		August		1916		Wing Commander Gordon Sinclair, who commander "A" Flight No 310 Squadron, the first Czech Unit formed in the UK, during the Battle of Britain, born. He died in 2005.
	15		August		1945		VJ Day. Victory over Japan. 2015 was the 70th Anniversary, marked by commemorative service in St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square and a Drumhead Service and Wreath-laying ceremony on Horse Guards Parade followed by a reception in the grounds of Westminster Abbey, hosted by The Royal British Legion.
	16		August		1445		Margaret Stewart, daughter of James I  and Lady Joan Beaufort, died in Châlons.  She had married Louis XI son of Charles VII and Maria d'Anjou on 24 June 1436 in Tours Cathedral.
	16		August		1766		Carolina Oliphant, Baroness Nairne, born. Writing as Mrs Bogan of Bogan she adapted Scottish airs, many with Jacobite themes, and amongst her most popular are "Charlie is my darling" and "Will ye no come back again?".
	17		August		1424		Battle of Verneuil sur Avre during the Hundred Years War. French and Scottish forces were defeated by the English with losses of around 9,000 and John Stewart, Earl of Buchan and Sir Archibald Douglas were killed along with many French nobles. In France this is considered by some as important as Agincourt. Les Valois directs Multimap.com Verneuil sur Avre
	17		August		1560		The Scottish Parliament ratifies the 25 Articles of the Scots Confession, leading the way to the Scottish Reformation. 2010 was the 450th Anniversary.
	17		August		1876		James Eric Drummond, 7th Earl of Perth, born. He was a diplomat and the first General Secretary of the League of Nations.
	17		August		2010		Bill Millin, piper to Lord Lovat at D Day, died, aged 88.
	18		August		1746		Arthur Elphinstone, Lord Balmerino, was beheaded at Tower Hill for his part in the '45 Rising.  On the scaffold he said "I am afraid there are some who may think my behaviour bold;" and, speaking to a gentleman near him, added, "Remember, sir, what I tell you; it arises from a confidence in God, and a clear conscience."
	18		August		1864		Elsie Inglis, Scottish Suffragette, born.
	19		August		1560		James Crichton "The Admirable Crichton", scholar, soldier and adventurer, born.
	19		August		1646		Alexander Henderson, Presbyterian theologian, died.  He was instrumental in establishing Presbyterianism as the Church of Scotland and the adoption of the National Covenant.
	19		August		1745		Prince Charles Edward Stuart "The Young Pretender"  raised his Standard at Glenfinnan at the start of the '45 Rising.
	19		August		1808		James Nasmyth, engineer and inventor and builder of the first steam hammer, born.
	20		August		1560		Mary Queen of Scots  lands at Leith.
	21		August		1689		Battle of Dunkeld. The Jacobite Highlanders victory at Killiecrankie was shortlived as they were defeated by the newly formed Cameronians at Dunkeld.
	21		August		1754		William Murdoch (aka Murdock), inventor of coal-gas lighting, born at New Cumnock, Ayr.
	21		August		1930		Princess Margaret, daughter of the future  George VI and Queen Elizabeth, born at Glamis Castle.
	22		August		1138		The Battle of the Standard was fought near Northallerton, Yorkshire. The battle was fought as part of David I's support for Matilda, a claimant of the English throne.
	22		August		1642		Charles I raised his Standard at Nottingham at the start of the Civil War.
	23		August		1305		The execution of Sir William Wallace, hanged, drawn and quartered at Smithfield, London. The site is marked by a memorial on the wall of St Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield.
	23		August		1582		The Ruthven Raid.  James VI was abducted by dissident nobles including the Earls of Gowrie, Mar and Glencairn who wished to remove the king and government from the influence of theDuke of Lennox and James Stuart, the Earl of Arran, by imprisoning him in Ruthven Castle. A Short History of Scotland, by Andrew Lang on Undiscovered Scotland: XXII: Reign of James VI
	24		August		1198		Alexander II born in Haddington, Lothian.
	24		August		1482		Berwick-upon-Tweed was officially declared part of England after changing hands on numerous occasions in the past. It received special mention in government documents along with England and Scotland. In 1856 Britain signed a peace treaty with Russia after the Crimean War but Berwick-on-Tweed was omitted. The town was technically at war with Russia for the next 113 years until peace was declared in 1966.
	24		August		1560		The Scottish Parliament passed a law  establishing the Scottish Reformation and the Church of Scotland, presbyterian in government. 2010 is the 450th Anniversary.
	24		August		1682		John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale, Scottish politician, died. He was Charles II's deputy in Scotland.
	24		August		1947		First Edinburgh International Festival.
	25		August		1330	Teba	The Battle of Teba   This is  the origin of  the real "Braveheart" story. When Robert the Bruce died in 1329 his heart was removed and embalmed.  According to many accounts, starting with 14th Century John Barbour's "The Bruce", and  including that of the  Lockhart family, whose name derives from the subsequent adventure,  as  The Bruce requested, his heart was to be taken to Jerusalem by Sir James Douglas, known as "The Black Douglas" , accompanied by Sir William St Clair of Roslin, Sir Robert and Sir Walter Logan, Sir William Keith, Sir Alan Cathcart and Sir Symon Loccard of Lee, and one other knight unnamed.  A monument in Teba reads "Sir James Douglas most loyal comrade in arms of Robert the Bruce King of Scots while on his way to present the Heart of Bruce at the church of the Most Holy Sepulchre Jerusalem the good Sir James turned aside to support King Alfonso XI capture the strategic Castle of the Stars Teba & was slain in battle August 25 1330"
	25		August		1819		James Watt, developer of the steam engine, died.
	25		August		1875		John Buchan, novelist and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada died.
	25		August		1930		The actor, Sir Sean Connery, was born in the Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh.
	25		August		1942		The Duke of Kent and all but the rear gunner Flt/Sgt Andrew Jack were killed when his Sunderland Flying Boat W4026 crashed into the Eagle's Rock, near Berriedale, Caithness.
	26		August		1612		300  Scottish Mercenaries, in 3 companies of 100 each  led by acting Lieutenant Colonel (substantive Captain) Alexander Ramsay were ambushed and defeated by Norwegian Militia at Kringen.  For a long time the Norwegian's believed one of the company commanders from Caithness, George Sinclair, killed there, had been the leader and the battle has long been associated with Sinclair.  Of the 134 who survived the battle, only 18 were taken to Oslo, and 4 officers sent to Copenhagen, 4 repatriated, and 1 junior officer was later sent home. Initial Norwegian reports said there were 550 Scots and 450 Norwegians present.  By the 19th century the  Scots number had inflated to 900.  2012 marked the 400th Anniversary.
	26		August		1875		John Buchan, novelist and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada born in Perth.
	27		August		1472		Pope Sixtus IV's Bull erected the See of St. Andrews into an archbishopric, and its cathedral into the metropolitan church for the whole of Scotland.
	27		August		1748		James Thomson, Poet and author of "Rule Britannia" died.
	27		August		1784		James Tytler made the first hot air balloon flight in Britain, ascending some 300 feet from Comely Garden and landing in Restalrig Road.
	28		August		1296		Edward I of England held a "parliament" at Berwick and required all prominent  Scots to swear allegiance to him. Their names were recorded in the "Ragman Roll",  so called, it is believed, from the tangle of seals attached thereto. (There was an earlier "Ragman Roll" in 1291.)
	28		August		1640		The Battle of Newburn on Tyne. An experienced Scots Army under Alexander Leslie, the Earl of Leven defeated a smaller and less experienced English force, during the Second Bishops' War, as a result of Charles I's attempt to impose the Anglican  Prayer Book in Scotland.
	29		August		1797		12 demonstrators against Militia recruitment are killed by the Cinque Ports Dragoons at Tranent.
	29		August		1930		The last 36 inhabitants leave St Kilda.
	30		August		1856		Sir John Ross, Scots Arctic Explorer died.
	31		August		1805		Dr James Currie, biographer of Robert Burns, died.