Although the 17th century saw conflict and disruption, it was
also a time of new ideas and attitudes. Scotland was moving into a
modern age.
The rise of the new middle class
At the start of this gallery, you'll see Alexander Kincaid's
engraving of the Huntly funeral procession, a guide to the order of
ceremony for the funeral of a 17th century nobleman
that illustrates medieval ideas of the importance of land and
family.
But times were changing. A new middle class began to rival
traditional landowners and there was a flourishing cultural
life.
Homes and gardens
Successful merchants and professional people could now adapt or
build and furnish their new homes in fashionable styles. Gardens
were planned and laid out, often including the increasingly popular
sundial, several of which are displayed.
New thinking
Artists and craftsmen, scientists and intellectuals, merchants
and politicians, all responded to the challenge of new ideas. Some
of the advances in science are explored in this gallery, with a
particular emphasis on cartography. Scotland was one of the best
mapped countries of the 17th century world, thanks partly to the
pioneering activities of Timothy Pont (Case 3).
Science and calculations
This new interest in measuring and science meant people needed
devices to help with daily arithmatic or scientific
calculations. Here you'll see examples of such tools,
including a set of Napier's bones. These engraved bones,
created by the Scottish mathematician and astronomer John
Napier, could be used to convert multiplication and division
into simpler problems of addition and subtraction. An interactive
explains how, and lets you try for yourself.
The Darien scheme
However, not everything was a success story. A keenness to
benefit from trading opportunities in America and Africa led to the
Darien scheme, an attempt to set up a Scottish colony in Central
America (Case 4). Its failure was a bitter disappointment, and had
political as well as economic consequences.
Changing times
The end of the century intensified debate about the future of
government in Scotland. Just over 100 years after the country
ceased to have a separate monarchy, the Scottish parliament also
ceased to exist (Case 5).