Corbies – serie

Charles Edward Stuart (31 December 1720 - 31 January 1788), was commonly known in Britain during his lifetime as The Young Pretender, and Bonnie Prince Charlie. He was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He was born in Italy and was the eldest son of James Francis Edward Stuart, who was the son of James II of England. Charles instigated the unsuccessful Jacobite uprising of 1745, in which he led an insurrection to restore his family to the throne of the Great Britain, which ended in defeat at the Battle of Culloden. That battle that ended the Jacobite cause. Charles's flight from Scotland after the uprising has rendered him a romantic figure of heroic failure in some later representations. In 1759 he was involved in a French plan to invade Britain which was abandoned following British naval victories.

Mary, Queen of Scots is seen as one of Scotland's heroes. She was queen regnant of Scotland from 1542-1667 but was held in various houses for eighteen and a half years by Queen Elizabeth and beheaded for plotting to assassinate Elizabeth. This book explains simply and clearly who Mary was and her life and is told by her loyal servant, Mary Seton. She was born in 1542 and she died in 1587. She was queen regnant of Scotland from 1542 -1567. A queen regnant is a queen who rules in her own right. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland, and was six days old when her father died and she acceded to the throne. She spent most of her childhood in France while Scotland was ruled by regents, and in 1558, she married the Dauphin of France, Francis. He ascended the French throne as King Francis II in 1559, and Mary briefly became queen consort of France, until his death on 5 December 1560. Widowed, Mary returned to Scotland, arriving in Leith on 19 August 1561. Four years later, she married her first cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, but their union was unhappy.In February 1567, his residence was destroyed by an explosion, and Darnley was found murdered in the garden. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, was generally believed to have orchestrated Darnley's death, but he was acquitted of the charge in April 1567, and the following month he married Mary. Following an uprising against the couple, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. On 24 July 1567, she was forced to abdicate in favour of James, her one-year-old son by Darnley. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain the throne, she fled southwards seeking the protection of her first cousin once removed, Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary had previously claimed Elizabeth's throne as her own and was considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many English Catholics, including participants in a rebellion known as the Rising of the North. Seen as a threat by Elizabeth, Mary was confined in various houses and after eighteen and a half years, she was found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth. She was beheaded.

The story of the King of Scots, Robert the Bruce, is retold in a format suitable for children.

The story of the how Saint Andrew's Cross, or The Saltire, became Scotland's Flag. Part of the Corbies series of books. Ideal for explaining aspects of history to younger children. Recommended for age 7+.

This is the tale of William Wallace, who saved his country's honour in its darkest days. He will not be forgotten for as long as Scotland exists.

Ideal for children aged 6 - 12, this colour illustrated book explains the early life of Robert Burns and how he grew up to be Scotland's best known poet and lyricist. Suitable for schools and homework projects, this book explains his early life in Alloway. Today, Burns is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. Known best for poems such as Auld Lang Syne and My Love is Like a Red Red Rose, Burns is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, and he is seen as a leader of the Romantic movement. After his death he was a source of inspiration to the founders of liberalism and socialism and today he is a cultural icon not just in Scotland. His work is taught in many countries such as Russia and Canada. He is regarded as one of the greatest Scots and known for world-famous songs such as Auld Lang Syne and the world-famous poem 'A Red, Red Rose' and 'Tam o' Shanter'.