An ideal volume for anyone wanting a brisk overview of North Britain from the year dot to the twentieth century.

Based entirely on research from primary sources, this book describes the development of the Scottish Poor Law as an instrument for the preservation of the old and destitute and, partially, as a protection against famine. It shows the effect of the Poor Law of the later Eighteenth Century agrarian reorganisation, the industrial revolution, Scottish urban development and the evangelical revival. This remarkably comprehensive investigation contains many revelations about the nature of Scottish social life over three centuries.

Drawing on political, constitutional, religious, economic and social studies, Professor Mitchison outlines the growing bonds between England and Scotland, beginning with James VI's succession and culminating in the Act of Union in 1707. She argues that the Union has had a distorting effect on Scottish history, constantly prompting comparisons of the constitutions and achievements of the two countries, rather than placing Scotland in a European context. This book attempts to redress the balance.