1 February 1692: Troops are moved south from Fort William and billeted with the MacDonalds in Glencoe. This act of “hospitality” was a deceptive front for the massacre that would follow just days later.
3 February 1686: Sir Robert Gordon, known as the Wizard of Gordonstoun, is elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. While he was a man of science, local legends claim he was a warlock who sold his soul to the Devil. Consequently, his legacy remains a strange mix of enlightenment and dark folklore.
5 February 1829: William Hare is released from prison after testifying against his partner in crime, William Burke. Although he was equally responsible for the West Port murders, he escaped the gallows by turning King’s evidence. He vanished into the shadows of history, leaving a trail of unanswered questions behind him.
7 February 1592: The Bonnie Earl of Moray is brutally murdered at Donibristle by the Earl of Huntly. This violent act of rivalry was immortalised in a famous ballad that laments his untimely death. Therefore, the “Bonnie Earl” remains a symbol of tragic beauty and political treachery.
8 February 1587: Mary Queen of Scots is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England. Her execution ended years of captivity and political plotting that threatened the throne of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Even in death, Mary remains one of Scotland’s most haunting and debated historical figures.
10 February 1306: Robert the Bruce murders John III Comyn, the Red Comyn, in a church in Dumfries. This sacrilegious act removed his only major rival for the Scottish throne. However, the murder also forced Bruce into a desperate war for survival and independence.
10 February 1495: Pope Alexander VI signs a papal bull allowing the formation of the University of Aberdeen. It becomes Scotland’s third university and the fifth oldest in the English-speaking world.
10 February 1567: Lord Darnley is murdered while staying at the Provost’s House on the edge of Edinburgh. An explosion levelled the building, but his body was found in the garden with no marks of fire. Consequently, suspicions of a conspiracy involving Mary Queen of Scots began to circulate immediately.
13 February 1692: The Glencoe Massacre is carried out by government troops under the command of Captain Robert Campbell. They turned on their hosts in the early morning, killing thirty-eight MacDonalds in their beds. This “murder under trust” remains one of the most infamous stains on Scottish history.
14 February: Saint Valentine’s Day is celebrated, but few know of the Saint’s surprising connection to Glasgow. A portion of his relics is kept in the Church of Blessed John Duns Scotus in the Gorbals. Thus, the city of Glasgow holds a unique and sacred link to the patron saint of lovers. If you are looking for a romantic tale today, you might want to read about Mary Leslie or Helen Dunbar.
17th February 2026: Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day and time to read the Tale of the Wee Bannock.
24 February 1303: The Battle of Roslin takes place south of Edinburgh, resulting in a significant Scottish victory. Scottish forces reportedly defeated three separate English detachments in a single day of intense fighting. This triumph provided a much-needed boost to the morale of the Scottish resistance.
25 February 1822: Sir Thomas Bouch is born, the engineer who would later design the ill-fated Tay Rail Bridge. The bridge collapsed during a storm in 1879, claiming seventy-five lives and ruining Bouch’s reputation. His name is now forever linked to one of the greatest engineering disasters in history.
28 February 1638: The National Covenant is signed by thousands of Scots at Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. This document sought to protect Scottish religious practices against the interference of King Charles I. Consequently, it sparked a period of intense conflict known as the Wars of the Covenant.
29 February 1528: Patrick Hamilton is burned at the stake in St Andrews after being found guilty of heresy. He was the first of eleven Protestant martyrs to die for their faith in Scotland. His slow and agonising death served to inspire many others to join the cause of the Reformation.
February 840: Kenneth MacAlpin, traditionally regarded as the first King of Scots, dies of a tumour. His reign marked the unification of the Scots and the Picts into a single kingdom. Because of his pivotal role, his death was a significant moment in the birth of the Scottish nation.
