Seventeenth Century Scottish History Chronology of Events

• 1600 James is seized in the Gowrie Conspiracy
• 1603 The Union of the Crowns. Mary's son James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England
• 1603 Elizabeth of England dies. James also becomes James I of England 
• 1603 Union of the Crowns. James VI of Scotland also becomes James I of England on the death of Elizabeth
• 1603 The Union of the Crowns. James becomes James I of England and VI of Scotland.
• 1603 Surrender of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, after rebellion at Kinsale
• 1605 Guy Fawkes captured as the Gunpowder Plot is foiled
• 1606 James holds talks with leading Kirk ministers in Lo
• 1606 new Union Flag, similar to present day Union Jack, is agreed
• 1606 The new plantation under James VI begins
• 1607 Treaty of Union passed by Scottish parliament but rejected by the English
• 1608 Scots begin to settle area around Derry
• 1609 James orders Andrew Knox to strike a deal with the clans
• 1610 James increases the number of Scottish bishops to 11 and creates two new archbishops
• 1611 Authorised version of the Bible first published
• 1612 Mary's body is moved to Westminster Abbey
• 1612 Birth of James Graham, Earl of Montrose
• 1617 James visits Scotland for the final time
• 1618 Five Articles of Perth passed through the Kirk's General Assembly
• 1618 Ascent of Mount Keene by John Taylor, The 'Water Poet' of London.(He was a waterman on the Thames, hence his pen-name.) This pamphleteer, from London, passed over this mountain on his way from Glenmark to Braemar, in July or August, 1618. In his amusing description of the walk he verified the wetting ability of 'Scottish Miste', as well as commenting on the temperature difference between valley and top.
• 1621 Scottish parliament reluctantly approves the Five Articles
• 1625 James VI dies of old age
• 1625 Charles passes Act of Revocation
• 1625 Charles succeeds James VI as king of Scotland and England
• 1625 James I dies, to be succeeded by Charles I, who keeps the settlement policy going
• 1633 Coronation of Charles in Edinburgh
• 1636 Glasgow's population estimated at less than 10,000
• 1637 New service book introduced. Riots in St Giles Cathedral
• 1638 National Covenant signed in Edinburgh
• 1638 General Assembly meets in Glasgow
• 1639 Parliament House, seat of the Scottish parliament, completed
• 1639 Royalist forces beaten at Battle of Brig O'Dee. Truce agreed
• 1640 Covenantor army re-forms
• 1641 Major Gaelic rebellion in attempt to get lands returned
• 1642 English civil war begins
• 1642 Start of the English civil war
• 1643 Solemn League and Covenant signed
• 1644 Montrose captures Dumfries
• 1645 Montrose's forces beat Argyll at Inverlochy
• 1645 Victory turns to disaster at Philiphaugh
• 1646 Charles I surrenders to the Scottish Army near Newark in Nottinghamshire
• 1648 Charles tried
• 1649 Charles I executed. Oliver Cromwell invades Ireland
• 1649 Charles I executed outside Whitehall
• 1650 Scots population in Ulster estimated to be 50,000
• 1650 Montrose executed in Edinburgh
• 1650 Charles II returns to Scotland
• 1650 Scots forces defeated at battle of Dunbar
• 1651 Charles II crowned King of Scots
• 1651 Forces of Charles defeated at battle of Worcester
• 1653 Earl of Glencairn begins attempted rising against Cromwell
• 1658 Cromwell dies
• 1659 General Monck marches south to offer Charles II his kingdom back
• 1660 Charles II restored
• 1660 Charles II restored to the thrones of Scotland and England
• 1661 Earl of Lauderdale recalls the Scottish Estates
• 1662 Covenant declared illegal
• 1662 New quay for shipping built at the Broomielaw
• 1665 Open air Conventicles grow in popularity
• 1666 Battle at Rullion Green near Edinburgh
• 1669 Lauderdale softens the Kirk's parish appointments policy
• 1670 Glasgow becomes second Scottish burgh to Edinburgh in terms of size of assessed revenue
• 1671 Rob Roy born
• 1674 First consignment of Virginia tobacco reaches city
• 1679 Archbishop James Sharp of St Andrews murdered
• 1680 The Killing Time
• 1681 Scottish Privy Council discusses idea of a colony
• 1681 Robert Sibbald founds the College of Physicians in Edinburgh
• 1685 Charles II dies, to be replaced by James VII and II
• 1687 James issues a Declaration of Indulgence allowing greater religious toleration
• 1689 James deposed as king. William and Mary take the Scottish throne as well as that of England
• 1689 Viscount Dundee's rising quelled
• 1689 James flees to France with his exiled court after being deposed
• 1690 Battle of the Boyne. William of Orange defeats James II
• 1690 Scots adopt the Westminster Confession of faith
• 1690 William takes the Scottish throne along with his wife, Queen Mary
• 1691 William demands oath of loyalty from Highland clan chiefs
• 1692 Deadline for taking of the oath runs out
• 1692 McIain arrives to take the oath, to find the local sheriff is on holiday
• 1692 Oath is finally taken
• 1692 The King's orders for the massacre are issued
• 1692 Troops are sent to Glencoe and are billeted with the MacDonalds
• 1692 Massacre takes place in the early morning
• 1693 Scottish parliament passes act to encourage trade
• 1694 Queen Mary dies
• 1695 Government inquiry places most of the blame on Dalrymple. The affair is then officially forgotten
• 1695 MacGregor clan proscribed
• 1695 Bank of Scotland founded
• 1695 series of bad harvests caused by early frosts and wet summers bring famine to Scotland
• 1695 Scottish Africa and India Company founded
• 1697 ships made ready for first Darien expedition
• 1698 first four ships leave Leith for Darien
• 1699 first expedition flees Darien. Second expedition arrives