Scotland has long punched above its weight when it comes to inventions - from TV and telephones to Grand Theft Auto and deep fried Mars Bars.
It’s then a surprise to find that some things that seem intrinsically Scottish were actually invented elsewhere - haggis was first cooked up by the Romans and Vikings, the bagpipes are thought to have originated in ancient Egypt, and even the modern kilt was designed by 18th-century industrialist English Thomas Rawlinson.
Thankfully, many of the things we associate with Scotland were indeed invented here - although some have a more complicated origin story than we may realise.
We asked the readers of The Scotsman for their favourite Scottish inventions and hundreds had their say.
Here are the 13 most mentioned.
9. The steam engine
Scottish engineer and chemist James Watt is often credited as the inventor of the steam engine, but it is more accurate to say he invented the 'Watt steam engine' in 1764. Before then English inventor Thomas Savery created the first commercial steam powered device in 1698, which was turned into a more useful machine by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. It was, however, James Watt who made improvements required to allow it to power the Industrial Revolution, used for the first time in paddle steamers and steam locomotives. | Canva/Getty Images
10. Square sausage
No other country seems to want to take credit for the Lorne, or square, sausage - it's Scotland's very own gift to the world of breakfast meats. There's an urban myth that it was created by Glasgow comedian Tommy Lorne, but it dates further back to the late 19th sausage, when it was created as an inexpensive skinless sausage made by pressing ground meat into a tin then slicing it. The name most likely comes from the now-defunct region of Scotland called Lorne, which stretched from Loch Leven to Loch Awe. Billy Connolly famously praised the ingredient, saying: "Go to Glasgow at least once in your life and have a roll and square sliced sausage and a cup of tea. When you feel the tea coursing over your spice-singed tongue, you'll know what I mean when I say: It's good to be alive". | Canva/Getty Images
11. The raincoat
Given the weather in Scotland it's perhaps no surprise that it was a Scot who invented the Mackintosh raincoat, providing proper protection from the elements for the first time. It was dreamed up by Glaswegian Charles Macintosh (the spelling of his invention oddly doesn't follow his name) whose experiments led to the invention of waterproof rubberised fabric. | Canva/Getty Images
12. Shortbread
Shortbread is a biscuit that has evolved, rather by being invented by a single person - but there's no doubt that its history is completely Scottish. Originally a fairly tasteless 12th century twice-baked 'biscuit bread', the court bakers of Mary, Queen of Scots are credited with transforming it into a luxury snack by adding lashings of expensive butter and sugar in the 16th century. It's not changed much more in the last 500 years. | Canva/Getty Images