February 1 in Scottish History

On 1 February 1919, tanks and soldiers patrolled the streets of Glasgow after "Bloody Friday" when 20,000 strikers gathered in George Square. By the time the strike ended in early February, up to 10,000 troops had been sent to the city. No Scots troops were deployed, as the government feared they would join the workers if a revolutionary situation had developed in Glasgow. The strike had been called to demand a 40-hour week. After it ended, strikers in the shipbuilding industry negotiated a 47-hour week settlement.

On this day in 1918, the author Muriel Spark was born. She is most well known as the author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, written in 1961, a touching and funny portrait of an individual and eccentric Edinburgh teacher during the inter-war period, and the effect she has on her pupils.

« Previous

Scottish Gifts

We offer a gift wrapping and card service, so you can send a Scottish Gift to a loved one and we do all the hard work. Nothing beats a gift from the place where your heart is ... Scotland.

Shopping Today