Scotland has long punched above its weight when it comes to inventions. From Alexander Graham Bell getting the first patent for the telephone to the first MRI machines.Â
And while there are some major inventions most of you will be very aware of having Scottish roots, there are plenty you may not realise came from the minds of Scots.
We’ve pulled together a list of 11 major ones to discover in our gallery below.Â
9. Kaleidoscope
If you ever played with a kaleidoscope as a kid (or even an adult), you have the Scottish scientist and inventor Sir David Brewster to thank. There was a huge demand for the invention but unfortunately due to an error at the patent office when he was patenting it, Sir David saw little financial reward as his kaleidoscope was copied quickly by others. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
10. Electric clock
In the days of mobile phones and smartwatches, you may not keep many clocks around but perhaps you have an electric one on your nightstand. And we have yet another Scot to thank for this, Alexander Bain - who came from the village of Watten in Caithness. He is credited with being the first person to design an electric clock and patented it in 1841. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images | Sean Gallup/Getty Images Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
11. Waterproof raincoat
Waterproof raincoat Well we do call them macintosh’s for a reason, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is yet another Scottish invention. Glasgow-born Charles Macintosh created a waterproof tarpaulin fabric in 1824. Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images | CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images
12. The Bank of England
No, your eyes have not deceived you - that does say the Bank of England. Scottish trader and banker William Paterson is credited with proposing the idea for the Bank of England in 1691 and helped found it in 1694, but left a year later. He was also a main proponent of the catastrophic Darien scheme that same decade, so quite an eventful period for William. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images | Carl Court/Getty Images Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images