Darien nuisance

Tim Flinn (Letters, 18 April) writes: “If they knew our history, they would know that it was the huge debts created by the failure of the Darien Scheme that persuaded Scotland’s legal government of the time to apply for (against the wishes of the ignorant mobs) Union with England, Wales and Ireland.”

As far as knowing our history, with specific reference to the Union in 1707, I would draw his attention to the following extract from Professor Gordon Donaldson’s Scottish Historical Documents:

“England retaliated in 1705 with the Alien Act, which declared that, until Scotland accepted the Hanoverian succession, all Scots would be treated as aliens in England and the import of cattle, sheep, coal and linen from Scotland into England would not be allowed; this measure stimulated the Scots into appointing commissioners to treat for union.”

By the way, Ireland did not become part of the Union until 1801. In 1707 Wales was already part of the realm of England and had been since 1284.

Michael Follon

Canmore Road

Glenrothes, Fife