HALF of 16-24 year olds in Scotland don't know Robert the Bruce led the Scots to victory against the English at the Battle of Bannockburn, according to a recent survey.
As thousands of school pupils across the country sit SQA History exams today, a survey carried out by The Edinburgh Dungeon shows one in six Scots aged 16-24 said they didn't learn any Scottish history at school.
More than a third of respondents to the survey, which polled Scots of all ages, said they learned more about history from films, such as the recent Mary Queen of Scots movie, starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.
Despite Netflix’ blockbuster Outlaw King streaming into homes around the globe, with Chris Pine in the title role of Robert the Bruce, when it came to naming which battle he won, 53% of young Scots aged 16-24 did not know that Robert the Bruce led the Scots to victory against the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.
The survey probed Scots' awareness of key events and characters, with one of the questions asking respondents to match famous figures with historical facts. The report found three quarters of Scots could correctly match Mary to the fact that she was imprisoned for 19 years before being beheaded in 1587.
The survey also examined where Scots get their knowledge of Scottish history from and revealed three in five Scots of all ages are learning about it from television. However, when asked who invented the television, only 14% knew it was Helensburgh-born engineer, John Logie Baird.
When asked whether more history should be taught in Scottish schools, 82% of Scots agreed this should be the case, while four in five said it should be taught in a more engaging and interactive way.
Stuart Jarman, The Edinburgh Dungeon’s general manager said: "Here at the Edinburgh Dungeon we dish out history in an entertaining and edgy way. We know from our visitors, including school groups and their teachers, that they find this thrilling.
"Our shows are based on solid historical research and fact and we are famous for bringing the past to life in our own unique style.
"The recent addition of Mary Queen of Scots to our tour, on the back of the movie release, has been such a big hit with our visitors that she is staying on until Halloween – a high point in our calendar. Visitors are so crazy about Mary, they’re losing their heads over her!”
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