Scottish History Archives - Edinburgh University Press Blog

A rainy urban street scene in Glasgow, Scotland, viewed from street level. Wet asphalt reflects headlights and traffic signals, with historic stone buildings and modern storefronts lining both sides. A city bus travels down the road, pedestrians walk along the pavements, and a pedestrian bridge spans the street in the distance. Overcast, atmospheric weather.

‘Lawless’ Glasgow: Urban Declinism and the Radical Right in Scotland

The conversation around Scotland’s urban decline has become more than a question of neglected streets, with the radical right turning everyday frustrations into something darker...

Edinburgh University Press
September 4, 2026

Looking out through the window of a former industrial building in Glasgow’s East End, we see large areas of derelict ex-industrial land in need of reclamation for development, and in the distance, other formerly industrial buildings.

The Scottish Office and the ‘Glasgow Problem’

In Spring 1997, civil servants in Edinburgh, in the pre-devolution Scottish Office (SO), faced ‘the Glasgow Problem’.

Edinburgh University Press
July 15, 2026

Low-angle view of a dark bronze memorial sculpture featuring three offshore oil workers standing back-to-back against a cloudy sky, silhouetted by sunlight breaking through the clouds.

5 things the Piper Alpha disaster tells us about how the media covers anniversaries

Richard Jones on how journalism can reinterpret the meaning of historic events, helping them to retain a place in society’s shared consciousness.

Edinburgh University Press
June 9, 2026

How did the revenue men once invest in slavery?

John Parnell introduces his new research article.

Edinburgh University Press
June 4, 2026

A black-and-white photo of a large neoclassical stone building with tall fluted columns, a triangular pediment, and ornate detailing along the roofline. The structure has a monumental, temple-like appearance, with dark shadows emphasizing the architectural features. Bushes and smaller adjoining sections of the building are visible in the foreground and left side.

Lessons from Scottish Schools

Lindsay Paterson discusses Scotland’s educational decline and the social inequality of attainment.

Edinburgh University Press
May 14, 2026

A sepia-toned 18th-century printed broadside titled “TRANSPORTED FOR SEDITION.” The design features ornate borders and three oval engravings of men in period clothing holding papers. Text around the portraits names individuals convicted of sedition and sentenced to transportation (penal exile), including references to courts and dates in the early 1800s. The overall style is decorative and historical, resembling a political or legal proclamation from Britain.

The Scottish Martyrs and the antagonisms between Scots Law and British penal practice

Editors introduce their article on the Scottish Martyrs, which was the runner up in the SHR’s inaugural Early Career Researcher prize (Published in the journal’s December 2025 issue)