QUIZ: True story from Scottish history or April Fool?
You'll come across plenty of pranks and tall tales at this time of year but sometimes, just sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction...
Some of the outlandish stories we're about to tell are made up and worthy of an April Fool's Day jape. Others, however, really did happen!
Can you identify which is which?
A few years ago, a tunnel under 500-year-old Craignethan Castle was closed off because a "very angry badger" had taken up residence there. Historic Scotland staff needed to call in animal welfare experts, but eventually coaxed the badger out by tempting it with food.
This one really happened. Craignethan's angry badger made headlines nationwide and even made an appearance on TV's Have I Got News For You!
Don't tell Ian Rankin or Val McDermid, but we might have another famous Scottish crime writer on our hands! Experts were flabbergasted when they discovered 16th-century papers behind a fireplace at Holyrood Palace, written by Mary, Queen of Scots herself. Amongst the priceless papers was an early draft of a novel following the exploits of a French secret agent.
That one is fake. Mary was a woman of many talents, though! She knew several languages, played the lute, wrote poetry and prose and enjoyed falconry, horse-riding, billiards and tennis.
McGonagall decided to seek the patronage of Queen Victoria in 1878 and came up with a brilliantly simple plan to achieve his goal. He walked from Dundee to the Queen's residence at Balmoral Castle and knocked on the door! Luckily, Victoria was in an accommodating mood and, remarkably enough, she agreed to meet her unexpected guest in the castle's ballroom.
This isn't true either, but McGonagall did try his luck! He indeed walked to Balmoral from Dundee, but was turned away by an angry gatekeeper long before he got anywhere near the Queen. Undeterred, he started printing the royal coat of arms on his poems anyway!
You can find out more about McGonagall on the HES blog.
After her husband John Balliol died in 1268, Lady Dervorgilla undertook many charitable acts in his memory including founding the abbey of Dulce Cor (Latin for ‘Sweet Heart’) in Dumfries and Galloway in 1273. It was an appropiate name because she was carrying John's heart around the whole time!
This is true. Lady Dervorgilla carried her husband's embalmed heart in a small ivory casket. When she died in 1279, she was laid to rest in front of Sweetheart Abbey’s high altar, still clutching her husband’s heart to her bosom. How romantic!
Back in the mid-1960s, a forward-thinking Kinross business man proposed linking the island stronghold on Loch Leven to the car park on the shore by means of an innovative "floating bridge". Visitors were to be charged a small fee to cross the bridge, which could be untethered and kept in storage during the winter months. We'll never know how it might have looked, becasue the application for planning permission was unanimously rejected by the local council.
We made up this rather ridiculous notion! Lochleven Castle is accessed by boat, and has seen plenty of famous visitors - and prisoners - over the centuries.
A regal flotilla including ships called the Unicorn and the Little Unicorn made their way across the Firth of Forth to the Isle of May in 1539. King James V and his new wife, Mary of Guise, were on board, hoping that the island's spiritual powers would help to secure an heir.
Another true story. The shrine of St Adrian on the island was associated with helping a lady become pregnant. By the powers of St Adrian, or by happy coincidence, Mary was soon with child.
It's the best April Fool's jape since Panorama told us spaghetti grew on trees!
Ok, well maybe not that good, but still...
You mostly know your fact from your fiction, but, admit it, we caught you out a few times there!
You clearly won't be falling for any of our April Fool's nonsense. It's fine, we tried!