Mary Queen of Scots & the Jacobites
Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587)
Mary Stuart is the most tragic figure in Scottish history. Queen at six days old, sent to France at five, returning at 18 to a religiously torn Scotland. Three marriages (the second ended with the murder of her husband, the third with the alleged murderer), forced abdication, 19 years of imprisonment in England, and finally execution by her cousin Elizabeth I. in 1587. Her life reads like a Shakespearean drama — only it was real. In Edinburgh, you can visit the rooms in the Palace of Holyroodhouse where the drama unfolded.
The Jacobite Risings (1689–1746)
After the Union of the Crowns (1603) and the Act of Union (1707), which united Scotland and England into the United Kingdom, the Jacobites wanted to restore the Stuart dynasty to the throne. The last and most famous attempt was Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart), who landed in the Highlands in 1745, raised an army, and advanced as far as Derby in England.
The dream ended on the Battlefield of Culloden on April 16, 1746 — the last land battle on British soil. In just 40 minutes, the English army destroyed the Jacobite forces. This was followed by the Highland Clearances: the systematic destruction of Highland culture — clan system, tartan, bagpipes, and Gaelic were banned, tens of thousands were displaced. The battlefield near Inverness is now a poignant memorial.
