May 17 in Scottish History

On 17 May 1870 David Octavius Hill, pioneering Scottish photographer, died. Born in 1802, Hill is often credited with being the first person to use photography as an aid to painting. Together with Robert Adamson he produced more than 1,500 photo-portraits of Scotland's great and good. A founding member of the Royal Scottish Academy, he served as its Secretary for nearly 50 years.

On this day in 1810 Robert Tannahill drowned himself in a Paisley canal. A compassionate poet, he explored themes of love, friendship and empathy, and often used his surroundings as inspiration, taking long walks in the country around his home. The folly of war affected him deeply, and he often wrote about soldiers. He was prone to bouts of melancholy - when his 1810 manuscript was rejected by an Edinburgh publisher, he "consigned to the flames" as many of his writings as he could. His body was found in a side tunnel of the Candren Burn.

« 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