Scots Checklist

The following list, though not exhaustive, is intended as a quick and handy reference guide to various ‘firsts’ and developments in the Scots language.

c.600 - Arrival of Anglo-Saxon speakers in Lothian and the Borders.
c.750 - Earliest Anglo-Saxon text attested in Scotland is the ‘Dream of the Rood’. It is carved on the Ruthwell Cross in Dumfriesshire.
c.1300 - Fragment of verse about the death of Alexander III is earliest surviving in Scots (it survives as quotes in later manuscripts).
1312 - Scone Charter has earliest substantial collection of Scots words, which were added as 50 glosses to a Latin text, probably during the 1340’s.
1375 - John Barbour’s ‘The Brus’ earliest surviving literary text in Scots (it survives in a 1487 copy).
1380 - Lindsay of Glenesk writ is earliest surviving original administrative document in Scots.
1386 - Billymire Truce (made with England) is first diplomatic act in Scots.
1387 - First document issued in Scots by Edinburgh council is a contract with masons to repair St Giles Church.
1390 - First document issued in Scots at Perth (decree by a jury).
1392 - First document issued in Scots at Stirling (indenture by earl of Lennox).
1393 - Plea by Thomas of Erskine is earliest parliamentary record in Scots.
1394 - Wadset (mortgage) granted by Duncan Campbell of Edderling, at Innernodyn in Strachur, is earliest known Scots document issued by a landowner within Gaeldom.
1397 - Act of Council at Stirling is earliest official domestic enactment in Scots.
1397 - Contract in name of Robert III is earliest document issued by a monarch in Scots.
1399 - First document issued in Scots by Aberdeen council is a contract with masons to repair the town.
1406 - Earliest document in Scots issued at Ayr (charter by John of Crawford).
1418 - First document in Scots issued at Dundee is a testificate by Nichol Kynman.
c.1420 - Andrew of Wynton’s ‘Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland’ is the first history of Scotland written in Scots (in rhyming metre).
1422 - First document in Scots issued at Glasgow is a wadset (mortgage) by George Campbell.
c.1424 - James I’s ‘Kingis Quair’ is first literary work in Scots written by a king.
1424 - James I begins to keep regular parliamentary records in Scots.
1433 - Earliest document in Scots issued in Orkney.
1434 - Aberdeen is first burgh to begin keeping regular minutes in Scots.
1435 - Earliest document issued in Scots at St Andrews (by the prior).
1438 - The ‘Buik of Alexander’ is the oldest dateable Romance in Scots.
1439 - Earliest writ in Scots issued by a Lord of the Isles (from Inverness).
1456 - Gilbert Hay’s ‘The Buke of the Law of Armys’ is earliest dated work in Scots to be translated from another vernacular language (in this case French).
c.1470 - Blind Hary’s ‘Schir William Wallace’.
c.1490 - Death of the makar Robert Henryson.
1494 - Adam Loutfut is the first known to use the name ‘Scottis’ for the language.
1508 - ‘The Complaint of the Black Knight’ is the earliest dated work published in Scots (by Chepman and Myllar of Edinburgh).
c.1513 - Death of the court makar William Dunbar.
1522 - Death of the makar Gavin Douglas.
1525 - Earliest document to be issued in Scots in Shetland.
c.1530 - Murdoch Nisbet makes first Scots translation of New Testament.
1536 - John Bellenden’s ‘Chroniklis of Scotland’ is first prose history of Scotland to be published in Scots (translated from Hector Boece).
1545 - Earliest document in Scots issued in Ulster (by Donald of the Isles).
1552 - First performance of Sir David Lindsay’s ‘Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis’ and the earliest surviving play in Scots.
1584 - James VI publishes ‘Reulis and Cautelis’ of writing poetry in Scots.
1597 - Death of Alexander Montgomerie master poet at court of James VI.
1603 - The earliest text of ‘Philotus’ the oldest comedy in Scots.
1603 - James VI of Scotland also becomes king of England and moves royal court to London.
1641 - Publication of first collection of ‘Scottish Proverbs’ (collected by David Fergusson who died in 1598).
1649 - Death of Charles I, technically the last monarch able to speak Scots.
1707 - Treaty of Union ends Scottish independence. Scots-speaking politicians must now sit in the British parliament in London and are mocked because of their language.
1722 - William Starrat is earliest known Ulster poet writing in Scots.
1724 - Allan Ramsay’s ‘Tea Table Miscellany’ sparks revival of interest among the Scottish elite in poetry and songs in Scots.
c.1750 - Rise of the Moderate Party in the Church of Scotland leads to decline of preaching in Scots in favour of English.
1768 - First publication of poems and songs by Alexander Ross of Lochlee, Glen Esk, Angus.
1774 - Death of poet Robert Fergusson.
1786 - Robert Burns publishes ‘Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect’.
1796 - Death of Robert Burns.
1808 - First Burns Supper held (at Alloway in Ayrshire).
1808 - John Jamieson’s ‘An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language’ is the first Scots language dictionary.
1845 - Appointment of first HM Inspector of Schools in Scotland marks beginning official attempt to discourage (and ban) Scots speaking in education.
1855 - Repeal of Stamp Act leads to growth in popular press and encourages article writing in Scots in local newspapers.
1871 - P. Hately Waddell’s ‘The Psalms: Frae Hebrew Intil Scots’ is published.
1872 - Education (Scotland) Act ignores Scots language and confirms earlier moves towards English-only education in Scotland.
1873 - James Murray’s ‘The Dialect of the Southern Counties of Scotland’ is published. Having mapped out the dialects of Scots for the first time, and a
chronology, Murray founded the modern study of Scots.
1901 - William Wye Smith’s ‘New Testament in Braid Scots’ published.
1922 - First of Hugh MacDiarmid’s poems in Scots published.
1931 - First part of ‘Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue’ published.
1948 - Makars’ spelling style sheet introduced.
1971 - First conference on the Scots Language is held by the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.
1972 - The Lallans Society (later renamed the Scots Language Society) is founded.
1973 - Lallans journal begins to be published.
1983 - W.L. Lorimer’s ‘New Testament in Scots’ published.
1985 - The ‘Concise Scots Dictionary’ published.
1991 - Scottish Education Department announces wish for Scots to be included in the school curriculum.
1992 - The Ulster-Scots Language Society is founded.
1993 - Scots Tung and Glesca Scots Speikers’ Curn are first campaigning Scots language groups founded to lobby the political world.
1993 - Scots Language Resource Centre (later renamed Scots Language Centre) is founded with support from Perth Council.
1993 - The European Bureau of Lesser Used Languages recognises Scots as a minority European Language.
1995 - Scots first goes on the internet (pages of Aiberdeen Univairsitie Scots Leid Quorum , closely followed by Clive Young).
1995 - Campaign for a Scots question on the census gets underway.
1996 - The Scottish National Party become the first political party to adopt a policy on the Scots language.
1996 - Both ‘The Kist’ and ‘Scots School Dictionary’ are published.
1996 - General Register Office for Scotland Report estimates 1.5 million Scots speakers in Scotland or 30% of Scottish population.
1997 - Publication of David Purves’s ‘A Scots Grammar’.
1997 - The DUP in Ulster is the first party to publish a political manifesto in Scots.
1998 - Royal Mile Demo in Edinburgh is first public demonstration held on behalf of rights for Scots speakers.
2000 - Scottish Parliament allows speeches and oath-taking in Scots as long as they are accompanied by an English text translation.
2000 - The Boord O Ulster Scotch is founded.
2001 - Foundation of Cross-Party Group on Scots in the Scottish Parliament.
2001 - The UK Government ratifies the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages on behalf of Scots (under the provisions of Part II).
2002 - Publication of L Colin Wilson’s ‘Luath Scots Language Learner’.
2002 - The Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue and Scottish National Dictionary Association merge to form the new Scottish Language Dictionaries.
2008 - Scottish Government commissions the first ever government audit of provision for the Scots language.