I imagine the first question anyone will ask is what is a column called "Scottish Flotsam". I guess we will have to begin with what is "flotsam". Among the definitions of the word are "things washed ashore" or "miscellaneous trifles". Well, we believe you can find some great treasure on the ocean shore. But -- you will never know what you will find or its value. So we decided that is what this column is - flotsam. We wanted a place to put things that didn't fit anywhere else and might be of interest. Each item could be a column itself and might be some day but for now it will be the flotsam, which washes our way.

REGIMENTS

Royal Scots
1633 Hepburn's Regiment
1751 First or Royal Regiment of Foot
1881 Royal Scots

Scots Guards
1662? Regiment of Foot Guards in Scotland
1712 Third Regiment of Foot Guards
1877 Scots Guards

Royal Scots Greys
1668 Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons
1751 Second or North British Dragoons
1877 Second Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys)
1920 Royal Scots Greys
1971 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

Royal Scots Fusiliers
1678 Earl of Mar's Regiment
1751 21st Regiment of Foot
1881 Royal Scots Fusiliers
1959 Linked with Highland Light Infantry to become Royal Highland Fusiliers

King's Own Scottish Borderers
1689 Earl of Leven's Regiment
1751 25th Regiment of Foot
1887 King's Own Scottish Borderers

Cameronians
1689 Earl of Angus's Regiment
1751 26th Regiment of Foot
1881 Linked with 90th Regiment (Perthshire Volunteers) to become Cameronians
1968 Disbanded

Black Watch
1739 Highland Regiment or 43rd Regiment of Foot
1749 Renumbered the 42nd Regiment
1881 Linked with 73rd (Perthshire Regiment) to become Black Watch

Highland Light Infantry
1777 73rd Highland Regiment
1786 Renumbered 71st Highland Regiment of Foot
1881 Linked with 74th Highland Regiment to become Highland Light Infantry
1958 Amalgamated with Royal Scots Fusiliers to become Royal Highland Fusiliers

Seaforth Highlanders
1778 78th Regiment of Foot
1786 Renumbered 72nd Highland Regiment of Foot
1881 Linked with 78th Regiment of Foot to become Seaforth Highlanders
1961 Amalgamated with Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders to become Queen Own Highlanders

Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
1793 79th Regiment of Foot
1881 Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
1961 Amalgamated with Seaforth Highlanders to become Queen's Own Highlanders

Argyll and Southern Highlanders
1794 98th Argyllshire Highlanders Regiment of Foot
1798 Renumbered 91st Argyllshire Highlanders Regiment of Foot
1881 Linked with 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) to become Princess Louise's Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders
1920 ArgylI and Sutherland Highlanders

Gordon Highlanders
1797 100th Regiment of Foot
1798 Renumbered 92nd Highland Regiment of Foot
1881 Linked with 75th Highland Regiment to become Gordon Highlanders

Now lets look at some specific dates:

1488 - February 2
Young Prince James was handed over to rebel forces by the keeper of Stirling Castle while his father, James III, was in the North trying to drum up support.

1931 - February 7
Plans for a university in the Scottish Highlands to serve as a world centre for Celtic culture announced by the American Iona Society.

1624 - February 12
George Heriot - 'Jinglin' Geordie' - founder of the Edinburgh school and hospital bearing him name died aged 61.

1603 - February 22
Marriage of Moray's son to Huntly's daughter helped end a blood feud between the two families which had lasted a decade.

1592 - February 28
Wizard Richard Graham, who had been accused of raising the devil in a backyard off Edinburgh's Canongate, was 'worried and burnt' at the cross. He had been linked to the North Berwick witches.

Source - Scotching the Myths by Jim Hewiston can be found in the History Book Section of Scottish Radiance.

It is time to stop combing the library but we can not quit without some quotes from Quotable Scots another great History bookshelf resident. Let's see what quotes we can find.

Custom, then, the great guide of human life
David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, 1758

Where beats the heart so kindly as beneath a tartan plaid.
William Edmonstoune Aytoun, poet and humorist of Prince Charles Edward Stuart at Versailles, 1849

Chan fhaca mi leithid on a chaidh slat am cḥta - I haven't seen the like since a yard made my coat.

You can find more articles in the archive under Scottish Flotsam.