History

The bubonic plague, or Black Death, was responsible for killing almost half of the Medieval world population.

Doctors in the Middle Ages did not have access to the advanced knowledge that we do. So what did they know?

The Renaissance saw the new availability of older wisdom lead to a period of innovation in science and medicine.

The work of some individual doctors and scholars has helped to advance medical practice.

Cholera is a water-borne disease that was responsible for killing thousands of people during the 19th century Europe. Find out how it was eradicated.

In the 19th century, the dead bodies of criminals were often used by doctors to practice dissection. Find out about the grisly role played by the body snatchers.

During the 19th century, governments decided that the health of the nation could not be left solely to individuals.

Many medical advances of the 20th Century were developed through the treatment of soldiers during World War One and World War Two.

Learn about the background to the witch hunts that took place in Scotland and across Europe in 15th to 17th Centuries.

What powers were witches thought to have and what harm did people fear from them?

Anyone could be accused of being a witch, but some people were more likely to be accused than others.

Find out about the treatment and punishment anyone accused of witchcraft might face.

Find out how King James VI became involved in one of Scotland's biggest witch hunts.

Learn about the social, religious and legal changes that brought an end to witch hunts in Scotland and across Europe in the 17th and 18th Century.

Find out about modern attitudes to witches and witchcraft. How do we view the Scottish witch trials now?

The arrival of the Industrial Revolution brought massive changes to work practices and everyday life. Find out more.

Steam-powered locomotives and the building of the rail network led to huge changes in Scotland during the Industrial Revolution. Find out why.

Coal was the fuel that powered the Industrial Revolution, but working conditions in coal mines were often terrible. Find out more.

The invention of new technologies during the Industrial Revolution allowed the textile industry to expand and make new cloth products.

Living and working conditions during Industrial Revolution could be tough. Find out about political and social reforms designed to make life easier and fairer.

Explore the rivalries and tensions that led to the outbreak of World War One.

During World War One, the sea became a new battleground. Find out about the biggest naval clash of the war - the Battle of Jutland, 1916.

The trench changed the nature of combat during World War One. Find out why they were important, and what it like to live and fight in them.

The Battle of Loos is referred to as the Scottish Battle, due to the sheer scale of Scots involvement. Find out about this major WW1 battle.

The Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodies encounters of WW1. Find out about the role played by Scottish soldiers.

World War Two changed the world and changed history like no other event in the modern era. From phoney beginnings to global devastation, the course of history was transformed.

The Holocaust is the most infamous genocide in history. It came close to wiping out the entire Jewish population of Europe but questions remain over who has a share in the responsibility for it.

The full devastation of Kristallnacht and the loss of hope in the Jewish community.