Scotland's History - The Top 10

The Panel

Chair: Tom Devine

Tom Devine is Sir William Fraser Chair of Scottish History and Palaeography at the University of Edinburgh, having previously been Glucksman Research Chair of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen and Director of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Centre in Irish and Scottish Studies (Aberdeen, Trinity College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast) between 1999 and 2005. He has won all three major prizes for Scottish historical research (Hume Brown Senior Prize, Saltire Prize and Henry Duncan Prize and Lectureship), is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, an Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy (limited to 25 scholars world-wide in the Humanities and Social Sciences) and a Fellow of the British Academy, one of only five Scottish historianselected FBA in the last hundred years. In 2001, with the Nobel Laureate, Sir James Black, inventor of beta-blockers, he was awarded the Royal Gold Medal, Scotland's highest academic accolade, by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy. He was appointed OBE in the New Year Honours list 2005 for services to Scottish History.

Wallace and Bruce: Edward J. Cowan

Edward J. Cowan taught at the Universities of Edinburgh, Guelph (Ontario) and Glasgow before taking up his present position as Director of the University of Glasgow's Crichton Campus. Professor of Scottish History at Glasgow and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he is much in demand as a speaker, journalist and broadcaster. He has published widely on various aspects of Scottish History and has been a Visiting Professor in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. His most recent publication is For Freedom Alive; The Declaration of Arbroath 1320.

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Treaty of Union: Christopher Whatley

Christopher Whatley is Professor of Scottish History, University Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Dundee. His books include the recently published The Scots and the Union, The Scottish Salt Industry (1987), The Industrial Revolution in Scotland (1997), Scottish Society, 1707-1830 (2000) and Bought and Sold for English Gold? Explaining the Union of 1707 (2001). A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, he is currently co-editor of the four-volume History of Everyday Life in Scotland series to be published in 2008.

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Mary Queen of Scots: Joyce McMillan

Joyce McMillan is theatre critic of The Scotsman, and also writes a political/social commentary column for the paper. She has also written on politics and theatre for The Herald, Scotland on Sunday and The Guardian. She is involved in Scottish and European campaigns for democracy and human rights.

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The Scottish City: Charles McKean

Charles McKean is Professor of Architectural History at the University of Dundee. He has written books on Edinburgh and twentieth century architecture and architectural guides to modern London, Cambridge and many parts of Scotland. His 2006 book Battle for the North documented the nineteenth century railway wars and the building of the Forth and Tay bridges. He was twice architectural critic of The Times, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and an honorary Fellow of both architectural and geographical institutes.

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Robert Burns: Owen Dudley Edwards

Owen Dudley Edwards taught at the University of Edinburgh for over 35 years and is now an Honorary Fellow. He is also a visiting staff member at three American universities. His publications include biographical studies of Thomas Babbington, Eamon de Valera, P.G. Wodehouse, Arthur Conan Doyle, James Connolly, Burke and Hare and Connolly. Selected political writing; Scotland, Europe and the American Revolution, A claim of right for Scotland and The making of constitutions and the development of National Identity. A recognised expert on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, he is the general editor of The Oxford Sherlock Holmes. He has had two plays performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; Hare and Burke in 1995 and The Three Students in 2006, adapted from a Conan Doyle short story. He was a regular guest on BBC Radio 4's Round Britain quiz.

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