Natural Scotland

These resources celebrate the countryside and built environments of Scotland, its incredible beauty, diverse landscapes and abundance of natural resources.

Keeping the Wolf from the Door

Wolves used to roam freely across Scotland. The Scottish Partliament had to pass legislation to ensure the protection of local people. This resource is based on an act authorised by King James II.

The Loch Ness Monster

A government file from the 1930s demonstrates how ministers have handled the issue of the Loch Ness Monster.

The Enormous Benefit of Turnips

A plan, a drawing and an 18th century recipe illustrating agricultural changes in Scotland during the 18th century.

All Shook Up: the Inverness Earthquake, 1816

Earthquakes in the British Isles are infrequent but do happen. In 1816 an earthquake in Inverness led to damage to the newly completed tolbooth steeple.

The Cudbear Manufactory

In the eighteenth century, Cuthbert Gordon, an entrepreneurial Scottish chemist, developed a process for creating a reddish purple dye from lichens. His product was called Cudbear.

The Eyemouth Fishing Disaster, 1881

Scotland is frequently hit by windstorms during the autumn and winter. A particularly severe storm struck the southern coast of Scotland on 14th October 1881, leading to the Eyemouth fishing disaster.