2 September 1724: The unsuccessful execution of Maggie Dickson takes place in Edinburgh. Convicted of killing her newborn baby, she was hanged but later woke up in her coffin on the way to the graveyard. As a result, she became a local legend known as “Half-Hangit Maggie” and lived for many years after her “death.”
3 September 1535: Alison Rough is executed in Edinburgh for the murder of her son-in-law. Her case was a sensation in its time, involving family betrayal and a violent end. Therefore, her story remains a grim reminder of domestic tragedy in the 16th century.
4 September 1241: The birth of the future King Alexander III occurs. His reign is often remembered as a golden age for Scotland, yet it would end in a tragic accident that plunged the nation into chaos. Even so, his birth was a moment of great hope for the medieval kingdom.
4 September 1561: Mary Queen of Scots meets John Knox at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. She attempts to resolve their deep religious differences, but the meeting fails to find common ground. Consequently, the tension between the Catholic Queen and the Protestant reformer continues to simmer.
4 September 1745: The Jacobite army takes Perth during the early stages of the final rising. This victory provides a significant boost to Charles Edward Stuart’s campaign. Therefore, the momentum of the Jacobite cause begins to build as they move south.
5 and 7 September 1564: Mary, Queen of Scots, returns to Dunnottar Castle for a second royal visit. These stays cement the bond between the crown and the Earls Marischal who held the fortress. Consequently, the castle’s history is forever linked to the tragic story of the Stuart queen.
6 September 1661: King Charles II restores episcopal government to Scotland by royal decree. In response, Presbyterian “conventicles” spring up in the open air to bypass the new laws. However, these alternative services are soon made illegal, leading to a period of intense religious persecution.
8 September 1057: Lulach mac Gilla Comgáin, the stepson of Macbeth, is crowned King of Scots. His reign was brief and troubled, as he struggled to maintain the authority his stepfather had built. As a result, he is often remembered as “Lulach the Unfortunate.”
9 September 1543: Mary is crowned Queen of Scots at Stirling Castle at the age of only nine months. The ceremony took place in the Chapel Royal, placing the weight of a kingdom on an infant’s shoulders. Consequently, Scotland entered a long and difficult regency.
11 September 1297: William Wallace and Andrew Murray comprehensively defeat the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. This stunning victory proved that the English were not invincible on Scottish soil. However, Murray later died of wounds suffered during the fight, leaving Wallace to lead alone.
15 September 1860: Marischal College and King’s College in Aberdeen merge to form a single University of Aberdeen. This union brought together two distinct academic traditions under one banner. Therefore, the city’s intellectual landscape was permanently reshaped.
16 September 1745: The Jacobites take Edinburgh without a fight. The city gates were opened, allowing the Highland army to march into the capital of Scotland. Consequently, Bonnie Prince Charlie held court at Holyroodhouse in a brief moment of triumph.
20 September 1746: Bonnie Prince Charlie sails for France from Loch nan Uamh. He leaves from a spot very close to where he first landed, marking the end of his failed rebellion. As a result, the Prince’s Cairn now stands as a lonely monument to his departure.
23 September 704: Adomnán of Iona, the author of the Life of Columba, dies. He was a hugely influential abbot who promoted the Law of Adomnán to protect non-combatants during war. Even so, his hagiography of Columba remains his most famous contribution to Scottish history.
23 September 1954: A frenzy erupts in Glasgow over the “Gorbals’ Vampire.” Hundreds of children armed with sharpened sticks swarmed the Southern Necropolis, hunting a fanged monster they believed had killed two local boys. Consequently, the event remains one of Scotland’s strangest modern urban legends.
26 September 1290: Margaret, the Maid of Norway, dies at St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney. Only seven years old, her death on the voyage to Scotland left the throne vacant and the succession in doubt. Therefore, her passing triggered the Great Cause and the subsequent Wars of Independence.
September 1651: Cromwell’s forces begin the siege of Dunnottar Castle. Governor Ogilvy and his garrison of 69 men hold firm against the English troops for many months. Therefore, the castle becomes the last major stronghold in Scotland to resist the Cromwellian conquest.
