6 Famous Scottish Women from History You Should Know

A quick scan of any list of well-known Scots will frequently reveal a strong bias in favor of men. Given that these lists are frequently based on old history books that were written at a time when women’s accomplishments were foolishly disregarded in favor of white men who all seem to have large moustaches, this is somewhat unsurprising. Here, we present a few fascinating Scottish women who deserve more recognition.

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Lady Agnes Campbell

dispense with William Wallace! A noblewoman from the 16th century named Lady Agnes Campbell was highly educated and unafraid to put her education to use. She was brought up on political scheming and intrigue and spoke several languages, including Latin. Her first marriage ended when the Irish prisoner she was married to passed away. Later, Agnes married the son of the Irish chief who had kidnapped her first husband, bringing with her an army of 1,200 Clansmen and taking direct command of them on the battlefield. She led her troops in battle against the English, and she did it admirably, winning both friends and foes’ respect.

6 Famous Scottish Women from History You Should Know Travel Pixy — Castle Campbell, the Likely Birthplace of Agnes | © 4652 Places/Flickr

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Victoria Drummond

James Watt to John Logie Baird are just a few of the notable engineers in modern Scottish history, but Victoria Drummond deserves more recognition. Drummond, who was raised at home and was given the name Queen Victoria after her godmother, decided she wanted to pursue a career in marine engineering. She sailed to numerous countries and worked tirelessly to perfect her craft before becoming the first female marine engineer in the UK. She spent some time on land, but when the Second World War started, she tried to go back to sea but found it nearly impossible because she was a woman. She eventually got a job, encountered enemy fire several times, and always performed her duties heroically and above the call of duty — for which she was given an MBE.

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The Edinburgh Seven

At a British university, these seven women were the first of their kind to graduate. They had a monumental task ahead of them as they began their medical studies in Edinburgh because some people at the university and even in the larger community were against them. Certain male professors whipped up hostility, and, in 1870, matters reached a physical head when the seven turned up for an anatomy exam, only to find their way blocked by a jeering and abusive crowd who threw rubbish and mud at them. In what became known as The Surgeon’s Hall Riot, they stood their ground, but eventually they were informed that they could not graduate despite receiving support from other students, the press, and someone named Charles Darwin. Even today, many people continue to be inspired by their perseverance and good nature under duress. As an illustration, consider the fact that Edith Pechey, one of the seven, is honored on the Twitter page of the Medical Teaching Organization of the University of Edinburgh’s Medical School. The others were Isabel Thorne, Helen Evans, Sophia Jex-Blake, Matilda Chaplin, Mary Anderson, Emily Bovell, and Emily Bovell.

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St Margaret of Scotland

Princess Margaret of England was raised in exile at the Hungarian court. Since her father had a claim to the throne, Margaret, a devout woman from an early age, returned to England in 1057. Sadly, he passed away soon after arriving, but Margaret remained at court, where her brother was also considered a potential king. Margaret and her family ultimately made the decision to emigrate to the continent following the Norman invasion in 1066. However, a storm engulfed their ship, which was then propelled toward Scotland. She met King Malcolm III of Scotland there, whom she later married. They had two daughters, one of whom married Henry the First of England, and six sons, three of whom rose to become kings of Scotland. Because of Margaret’s devotion to God and her work to reform the Scottish church, she was declared Saint Margaret and canonized 157 years after her passing. Margaret’s pious head was famously used by Mary, Queen of Scots, to assist in giving birth.

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Flora MacDonald

The lyrics of the Skye Boat Song, whose tune is featured in Outlander, are well-known to many people worldwide, but Flora MacDonald’s daring scheme to save Bonnie Prince Charlie from capture and her adventurous life afterward are probably less well-known. Following his defeat at Culloden, MacDonald fled the Scottish mainland in 1746. After dressing the Prince as a maid, the pair was rowed from the tiny island of Benbecula to Skye. Unfortunately, the oarsmen told others about this adventure, and Flora was taken prisoner by the English and held there for a while. After being freed, she continued her adventures in colonial America during the War of Independence and sustained injuries during a privateer attack while traveling back to Skye by boat. Today, the North Coast 500 starts and ends at the bronze statue of Flora MacDonald that is located in front of Inverness Castle.

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Elsie Inglis

Elsie Inglis founded her own medical college and later a maternity hospital for the underprivileged of Edinburgh, located on the Royal Mile, after completing her studies at the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women, which was established and run by one of the Edinburgh Seven, Sophia Jex-Blake. Leading the suffragist movement (as opposed to the suffragette movement), Inglis faced persistent male opposition. The War Office told her, “My good lady, go home and sit still,” when she attempted to establish a women’s medical unit to serve the allies during the First World War. Fortunately, Elsie Inglis was unfazed and continued to cultivate close ties with leaders in France, Serbia, and Russia, countries where she and her teams of nurses toiled assiduously. She was once captured and sent back to the UK, but when she came back to the war, she had to leave again because she was dying of cancer. She had a large-scale public funeral in Edinburgh, and in recent years, a Clydesdale Bank £50 note has been issued in her honor.

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Topic: 6 Famous Scottish Women from History You Should Know

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