On this day, 29th July, the infant King James VI of Scotland was crowned in the Church of the Holy Rude, Stirling, in a ceremony unlike any previous Scottish coronation. Just five days earlier his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, had been forced to abdicate the throne in favour of her 13-month-old son, James. With…
As part of our week-long tour, our group were exploring Edinburgh today, and one of our stops was the historic St Giles’ Cathedral. And our visit fell on the anniversary of one of the most significant events in Scotland’s Reformation and Covenanter history. On 23 July 1637, worshippers gathered in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, where…
On this day, 5 May 1646, King Charles I surrendered to the Scottish Covenanters at the Saracen’s Head Inn, Southwell, in Nottinghamshire — an inn originally known as The King’s Head. Only the day before, Charles had slipped out of Oxford in disguise as the New Model Army closed in. For him, the Civil War…
Yesterday marked another landmark anniversary in Scotland’s church history. It was the day the National Covenant was begun. By the late 1630s, tensions were boiling over. Scottish Presbyterians believed their faith was under attack, provoked by fierce disputes around the bishops, the Book of Canons, and the Book of Common Prayer. If these changes took…
On 17th February 1688, in the Grassmarket of Edinburgh, a young minister—only twenty-six years old—walked calmly toward the gallows. He was the last of Scotland’s Covenanter ministers to be martyred. His name was James Renwick. Those who stood near him that morning heard something astonishing. Instead of trembling, instead of pleading, Renwick declared: “I am…
ON THIS DAY (27 January 1544) Helen Stirk was drowned in the River Tay for her faith. On 25 January 1544, six people were arrested in Perth: Robert Lamb, William Anderson, James Hunter, James Finlayson, James Ronaldson, and his wife, Helen Stirk. Their chief crime was reading the Bible in their own language—an act considered…
On this day, 23 January 1570, James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, Regent of Scotland, was shot and killed in Linlithgow—a dramatic moment in the turbulent years after the Scottish Reformation. Moray was the half-brother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a committed Protestant who played a leading role in defending Scotland’s Reformed settlement. After…
Some 17th century portraits are so good that with only slight adjustments, modern technology can give us a much better idea of what these historic figures actually looked like. One example is the man pictured here, George Gillespie, who was born on this day, 21st January 1613. A man who isn’t as well known in…
This quiet spot at Blairgowrie and Rattray marks the birthplace of Rev. Donald Cargill — one of the great figures of the Scottish Covenanters. Educated at the University of St Andrews, he immersed himself in the writings of John Knox and Andrew Melville, but it was his tutor, Samuel Rutherford, who most deeply shaped his…
November 24th 1572 On this day, the last day of his life, the Scottish Reformer John Knox could barely stand, barely see, and barely speak. Yet his mind and heart were still anchored where they had always been—on the Word of God. As he lay dying, his friends gathered around him and read Scripture at…
