What do penicillin, the telephone and television all have in common? While it sounds like the setup for an odd joke the answer is that they were all invented by Scottish people and it is often said that “Scots invented the modern world”.
Certainly, Scotland has been at the forefront of all sorts of revolutionary change from our architecture to our religion, arts, politics, literature and more. To explore and celebrate this rich heritage, we asked our Scotsman readers who their “most influential Scot of all time” was and in response we received hundreds of fascinating nominations.
Now, in this list condensed to seventeen nominations, let’s explore these Scottish icons and unpack their legacies which earned them the respect of being thought of as the ‘most influential Scots’ of all time.
5. Robert the Bruce
Robert the Bruce was the King of Scots between 1306 and 1329. He is famously remembered as the defender of Scotland against England during the vicious Wars of Independence. He is considered one of the greatest warriors in Scottish history and is perhaps best known for defeating the English army of Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Photo: via WikiCommons and Creazilla
6. Sir Alexander Fleming
Fleming is the Scottish physician who is credited with discovering penicillin. After isolating a mould and noting it belonged to the Penicillium genus, he collected a mould extract and named the active agent “penicillin”. This led to the discovery of its antibacterial properties against gram-positive pathogens. Many estimate that penicillin has saved at least 200 million lives since it was first used in medicine in the 1940s. Photo: via WikiCommons
7. Elsie Inglis
Elsie Inglis is revered for her work in medical care for women in Edinburgh, and overseas. Inglis founded a maternity hospital for poor women in 1899 which later became known as ‘the Hospice’. She became famous during the First World War after she found the inspiration for the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Service which sent hospital units to France, Russia, Corsica, Greece and Serbia (where she became the first woman to receive the Order of the White Eagle, Serbia’s highest honour for heroism.) After her death, remaining funds from the service were used to build a hospital in her name; the Elsie Inglis Memorial Maternity Hospital. Photo: via WikiCommons
8. Donnie Munro
Donnie Munro is a Scottish Gaelic speaker and the former lead singer of the hugely popular band Runrig. The Scottish folk rock band was founded in 1973 in the Isle of Skye and was popular for its fusion of Gaelic lyrics with a modern rock sound. As an endangered native language of Scotland with little mainstream representation this offered Runrig’s music a uniquely authentic edge. Nowadays, he is working as the Director of Development at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture.) Photo: CO1867 on Flickr