06 April 2023
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Discover intriguing facts about the life of Mary Queen of Scots without leaving the house, with History Scotland’s online learning suggestions.
Read on for our suggestions for history learning, whatever format you prefer.
Discover…
Blairs Museum
Mary Queen of Scots features in several of the online learning resources on the website of Blairs Museum, Aberdeen. Here you can find a Mary timeline, study artefacts connected with Mary’s life (including the Blairs Jewel) and enjoy of a virtual tour of the museum’s historic chapel.
Future Learn
At the time of writing, Mary’s life was the subject of the distance learning course 'The Life and Afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots'. The course explores the major developments in political, cultural and religious life in Scotland between c. 1542 and c. 1587, using sources in a variety of media to do so. Find out more here.
History Scotland website
History Scotland’s website has its own dedicated Mary Queen of Scots section here where you can explore topics including:
- Where was Mary born?
- Who were the husbands of Mary Queen of Scots?
- Where was Mary imprisoned?
Plus we have Mary news, travel guides and a timeline.
Watch…
Royal Collection Trust has a number of Mary-themed or related videos and you can explore these on their YouTube channel.
Read…
For an informative overview of Mary’s life see the Mary Queen of Scots entry in the hall of fame at National Records of Scotland here which has links to people and places connected with Mary’s life.
Mary’s life has, of course, inspired countless authors over the centuries, in both fiction and non-fiction works. We’ve rounded up our recommended reads here.
Of course, many of the classic texts that have been written over the years are now out of print, so try places such as Abe Books and second-hand bookshops for older gems. Project Gutenberg is another good place to try.
See…
The Mary Queen of Scots hall of fame entry on the National Records of Scotland website includes a gallery page of documents relating to the Stewart queen’s life, including an inventory of her books, her earliest surviving letter and a letter written by her first husband Francis about his happiness following their marriage.
Marvel at some of the finest portraits of Mary in the collections of National Galleries Scotland here.
Royal Collection Trust also has paintings, artefacts and documents that you can enjoy online here.
Listen…
BBC Radio 4 published In Our Time: Mary Queen of Scots, featuring a discussion between Melvyn Bragg and guests about how Mary might have united the Scottish, English and French thrones had events played out a little differently.
You can download the 50-minute podcast here.
Originally published November 2020. Reviewed April 2023.
