How long has Scotland been British?
A look across over 2,000 years of history referencing archaeology, etymology, place names and historical records to address this question...
National identities are, by their nature, often politicised but in an era where some claim they are #ScottishNotBritish there is a case for a historical examination...
The very word 'British' comes from the Brythonic term 'Pritani' or painted / tattooed people, and was described the tribes in Scotland who had been here from around 800BC
The earlies written reference to the British Isles comes from the ancient Greek Pytheas of Massalia in the 4th Century BC, describing the whole island of GB including #Scotland
The very first named person in Scottish history was a Briton: Calgacus, the Chief of the Caledonian Confederacy in 83AD
The Romans on Hadrian's wall called the local tribes 'Britunculi' - or the wretched little British! 😂
After the Romans left, there were various Briton kingdoms stretching from Breton in France up to the Firth of Forth. The Capital of Strathclyde was Dumbarton: (Gaelic 'Dùn Breatann' - meaning "The Hillfort of the Britons"
When the Scoti tribe invaded here in early medieval times from Ulster, as recorded in the Declaration of Arbroath, they fought the natives they found here 'Britonibus et Pictus' = the British and the Picts
The founder of the Royal Scottish Dynasty, Malcolm III married an English princess, and his daughter became Queen of England - Matilda!
Robert De Brus could be considered a British icon: he was of both Celtic and Norman descent, born in Essex with lands in Tottenham, Yorkshire, Carlisle & Scotland and, interestingly for #PlattyJoobs #platiniumjubilee #QueenElizabethII is his direct descendant still on the throne!
In the centuries before the union of the crowns, or the act of Union, the leading Scottish thinkers of the 'Scottish Renaissance' such as principal of @UofGlasgow and @univofstandrews called to unite North and South Britain
The two British Kingdoms were united when the Scottish King inherited the English throne, uniting the crowns in personal union to become 'king of Great Britain'
It was Scotland, through the Scottish Parliament, that first proposed Union, suggesting it in 1689, opening negotiations which failed in 1695 at the house of Lords.
A second Scottish proposal for union failed in 1700 when it wasn't passed in the English Commons.
It was finally in 1707 under Queen Anne that the Scottish Parliament, House of Commons, House of Lords & crown all agreed the two acts of union, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
That Scotland was British was recognised by our most famous poet Rabbie Burns, who called for British unity when he wrote "Be Britain still to Britain true, amang ourselves United" in 1795 to rally his Dumfries troops.
Scotland benefited heavily from the 'British' empire, with Glasgow being the second city of Empire'.
It's estimated 1 in 3 colonial governers in the Empire were Scottish: leading to some referring to "Scotland's Empire"
How long has Scotland been British? Over 2,000 years!
We've been British longer than Scottish- as reflected in our history, Placenames and our History.
The very word British describes our prehistoric tribes: like TV and penicillin Being British is a Scottish invention!
We shouldn't obsess over national labels -the world has one cosmopolitan global human race: but we should strive to know and understand our history.
Sadly, interference driven by identity-politics is re-writing history, often inaccurately.
I hope you've found this interesting, Try this 'history test' -
If you know someone educated under our nationalist government, ask them how long they think Scotland has been British; ...then show them this timeline and see if they were taught any of this in school. /end
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