Timeline of Scottish History

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c.84: Romans defeat Caledonians at the Battle of Mons Graupius.
c.143: Romans construct the Antonine Wall.
c.163: Romans withdraw south to Trimontium and Hadrian's Wall.
c.300: The term Pict is first recorded in describing the federated tribes invaded by Constantius Chlorus.
c.397: Saint Ninian establishes a Christian mission at Whithorn.
c.470: Votadini peoples form the kingdom of Gododdin in the region north of the River Tweed.
c.547: Angles capture the British fortress at Bamburgh and found the kingdom of Bernicia.
563: Saint Columba founds a monastery at Iona and begins his mission to the northern Picts.
c.574: Áedán mac Gabráin begins reign over the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata.
c.580: Riderch I of Alt Clut rules region later known as the kingdom of Strathclyde.
c.584: Bruide son of Maelchon dies.
604: Æthelfrith unites Bernicia and Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria.
638: Northumbrians capture Edinburgh from Gododdin.
680s: Trumwine Bishop of Abercorn.
685: Pictish King Bruide mac Bili defeats Ecgfrith of Northumbria at the Battle of Dunnichen, halting the northern expansion of Northumbria.
697: Bruide mac Der-Ilei among the signatories of the Cáin Adomnáin.
717: Nechtan mac Der-Ilei expels Ionan clergy from Pictland and adopts Roman usages with the aid of Bishop Curetán; masons sent by Abbot Ceolfrid of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory help build stone churches at Restenneth, Rosemarkie and elsewhere in eastern Scotland.
732: Death of Nechtan mac Der-Ilei; Óengus mac Fergusa becomes King of the Picts.
747: St Andrews founded by this time, death of Abbot Tuathalán.
761: Death of Óengus mac Fergusa.
820: Death of Caustantín mac Fergusa.
839: Eóganan mac Óengusa and his brother Bran killed in battle with Vikings, end of dominance of Fortriu.
858: Death of Kenneth mac Alpin, King of the Picts; "union of Picts and Scots" traditionally dated from his reign.
870: Alt Clut—Dumbarton Rock— captured by the Norse-Gael or Viking leaders Amlaíb Conung and Ímar after six month's of siege
878: Kenneth mac Alpin's son Áed killed; Giric becomes king.
889: Death of Giric; Domnall mac Causantín, grandson of Kenneth, becomes king.
c.890: Exodus of the Strathclyde Britons to Gwynedd (in Wales).

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10th century - 13th century
900: Causantín mac Áeda succeeds Domnall mac Causantín.
943: Causantín mac Áeda abdicates to become a culdee at St Andrews.
c.940: Saint Catroe of Metz leaves Scotland.
952: Death of Causantín mac Áeda.
954: Indulf captures Edinburgh from Northumbria.
1058: After defeating Mac Bethad and Lulach, Máel Coluim III is proclaimed king.
1124: David I becomes king and introduces the feudal system of landholding to much of Scotland.
1156: Somerled defeats the Norse King of Man, establishing his own semi-independent rule as ri Innse Gall-King of the Hebrides.
1164: Somerled is defeated by the Scottish crown in the Battle of Renfrew.
1234: Galloway's independent existence ends with the death of Alan, Lord of Galloway.
1237: Southern border of Scotland established in the Treaty of York.
1263: Scots defeat Norwegians at Largs.
1266: Norway cedes the Western Isles to Scotland.
1292: Edward I of England intervenes in Scottish affairs and grants the Scottish throne to John Balliol.

1296 The massacres of Berwick of 1296, in the wording of the past known as the Sack of Berwick
1297: Andrew de Moravia and William Wallace lead the Scots to victory over England at Stirling Bridge.

14th century - 16th century
1314: Robert the Bruce defeats the English at Bannockburn. The Story of the Battle of Bannockburn
1328: Treaty of Edinburgh. England recognises Scottish independence.
1371: Robert II becomes first Stewart king.
1402: English defeat Scots in the Battle of Nesbit Moor and the Battle of Humbleton Hill.
1413: Foundation of the University of St Andrews.
1451: Establishment of the University of Glasgow.
1468: Denmark cedes Orkney and Shetland to Scotland.
1493: Lordship of the Isles abolished. In 1540 the title was reserved to the crown.
1495: Creation of the University of Aberdeen (King's College).
1513: James IV and thousands of Scots are killed at Flodden.
1532: Creation of the College of Justice and the Court of Session.
1559: John Knox returns to Scotland from Geneva to promote Calvinism.
1560: Parliament legislates protestant reformation of the Church of Scotland.
1568: Mary, Queen of Scots flees to England following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Langside..
1578: James VI takes over government from his regent, James Douglas.
1582: Establishment of the University of Edinburgh by Royal Charter.
1587: Mary is beheaded by the order of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
1592: Presbyterianism becomes the established form of church government in Scotland by Act of Parliament. A few years later King James successfully reintroduced Episcopacy.

17th century - 18th century
1603: The Union of the Crowns: James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.
1638: Scottish Covenanters rebel against Charles I.
1643: The Solemn League and Covenant promises Scots army to aid English parliamentarians against the king.

Royalist armies slaughtered many innocents in the Civil War in Scotland.
1651-1660: Scotland incorporated into the English Commonwealth and Protectorate.
1660: The monarchy is restored and Scotland resumes its status as a separate kingdom.
1679: Duke of Monmouth defeats Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Brig.
1689: Jacobite highlanders defeats army of William III at Killiecrankie, but are halted at Dunkeld.
1689: The Claim of Right and the re-establishment of Presbyterianism.
1692: Massacre of Glencoe.
1695: The Bank of Scotland is created by Act of Parliament.
1707: The Union of the Parliaments: the Act of Union between England and Scotland is passed.
1715: First Jacobite rising.
1745: Second Jacobite rising.
1746: The Battle of Culloden ends the second Jacobite rising.
1748: David Hume publishes An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
1762: Land tenure reform leads to the Highland Clearances and massive emigration for several decades.
1769: James Watt patents idea for separate condensing chamber in the Steam engine.
1776: Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations.

19th century
1802: John Playfair publishes summary of James Hutton's theories of Geology.
1817: The Scotsman newspaper first published.
1820: The "Radical War".
1822: Visit of King George IV to Scotland organized by Sir Walter Scott.
1832: The Reform Act enlarges the franchise.
1843: The Disruption in the Church of Scotland (over the issue of patronage).
1846: Beginning of the ten-year Highland Potato Famine. The Highland Clearances got into full swing at the start and mid of the 19th Century
1847: The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland is established.
1864: James Clerk Maxwell presents equations describing electromagnetic fields.
1874: Patronage abolished in the Church of Scotland.
1878: Collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank
1879: Gladstone's Midlothian campaign.
1879: The Tay Bridge Disaster.
1885: Creation of the Scottish Office and the post of Secretary for Scotland, later Secretary of State for Scotland.
1890: Opening of the Forth Railway Bridge.
1896: Opening of the Glasgow Subway.

20th century
1908: Introduction of the Old Age Pension.
1918: Votes in Parliamentary elections for women over 30 introduced.
1926: General Strike.
1928: Equal franchise for all men and women over 21 introduced.
1929: The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland unite.
1934: Scottish National Party founded.
1938: The Empire Exhibition, Scotland 1938 is held at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow.
1941: The Clydebank Blitz (13-15 May).
1943: Creation of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to bring electricity to all parts of the Highlands and Islands.
1945: First Scottish Nationalist MP is elected.
1947: Nationalisation of the railways - the Scottish Region of British Railways is created.
1947: The first Edinburgh International Festival is held.
1948: Start of the National Health Service.
1950: The Stone of Destiny is removed from Westminster Abbey.
1957: Scottish Television starts broadcasting.
1964: Opening of the Forth Road Bridge.
1966: Opening of the Tay Road Bridge.
1968: The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland permits the ordination of women as ministers.
1975: Local government reorganisation (replacing Counties and Burghs for administrative purposes with Regions and Districts).
1978: Launch of BBC Radio Scotland.
1979: Referendum to create a Scottish Assembly fails to meet the required majority, though getting more votes for than against.
1988: Terrorists blow up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 lives, including 11 residents of the town.
1994: Local government reorganisation (replacing the Regions and Districts with single-tier councils).
1996: The Stone of Destiny is permanently returned to Scotland, to be housed in Edinburgh Castle.
1997: A referendum on a devolved Scottish Parliament is passed by a massive majority.
1999: The Scottish parliament sits for the first time under the new constitutional arrangements. with Labour, SNP, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Scottish Socialist Party members. Labour wins the hold of government by winning most seats in the first 2 elections.