Let’s start with a few numbers that are guaranteed to get Scottish blood boiling: 1298, 1513 and 1746. And with temperatures up, let’s throw in a few more: 17-37, 51-3, 61-21. If you know your history, you will recognise the first three as the dates of the battles of Falkirk, Flodden and Culloden, all of which ended with comprehensive Scottish defeats. And if you know your rugby you will recognise the second set as more Caledonian calamities: the final scores of the Six Nations losses to Italy at Murrayfield in 2007, Wales in Cardiff in 2014 and England at Twickenham last year. As my military knowledge stretches about as far, and no further, as being able to recall the names of the entire cast of…

Source: The Times February 08, 2018 00:09 UTC