IT is the ugly ancestor of the beautiful game which and may have once been kicked around by Mary Queen of Scots.
Now the world's oldest football has joined a Roman distance slab, Antarctic goggles, the Lewis Chessmen and other items in a list of objects tourism chiefs believe have shaped Scotland’s history.
Compiled by an expert panel for the 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, the 25 objects cover over 5000 years of Scottish history and the length and breadth of the country from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway.
The objects were chosen based on chronological and geographic spread alongside their individual interesting stories, contained in a new ebook launched by VisitScotland.
The final 25 were chosen by a panel that included representatives the tourism body, Historic Environment Scotland, National Museums of Scotland and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
VisitScotland hopes that visitors will go on a trail this summer to discover as many of the objects as possible and in turn discover more about Scotland’s fascinating past.
The football, made of a pig's bladder and cow leather, was found behind a panel in the Queen's Chamber at Stirling castle and dates from the 1500s.
The oldest object in the list is a barbed harpoon point (originally found in the Macarthur Cave, Oban) that dates back to the Middle Stone Age, and is one of the earliest instruments used to hunt and fish in Scotland.
The most modern in the list is Dolly the Sheep - the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell – who is currently housed at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and celebrated her 20th anniversary in 2016.
More unusual objects on the list include the Orkney Venus – the earliest known depiction of the female human form - which dates from the Neolithic period and was uncovered at the Links of Noltland on the Orkney island of Westray in 2009.
Gwen Raez, Senior Marketing Manager at VisitScotland said: “After months of deliberation, we’re delighted to unveil the list of 25 objects that we think best represent Scotland’s rich and colourful history – but it is by no means an exhaustive collection and we know there will be many more out there that people want to add! We chose items that were not only important to the history of the country, but also had an interesting narrative behind them and would inspire people to find out more.
“Scotland’s history, heritage and archaeology are among the top reasons for visiting Scotland. 2017 is the year to delve into the past and discover Scotland’s fascinating stories through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity to drive the nation’s tourism and events sector, boosting tourism in every single corner of the country. We hope lots of visitors enjoy this fascinating e-book.”
Full list of Scotland’s History in 25 Objects:
1. Barbed Harpoon Point
2. The Orkney Venus
3. Poltalloch Jet Necklace
4. The Carpow Logboat
5. Mousa Broch
6. Roman Distance Slab
7. Carved Footprint
8. St. Martin's Cross
9. The Lewis Chessmen
10. Stone Effigy at Sweetheart Abbey
11. Robert the Bruce Equestrian Statue
12. Honours of Scotland
13. Oldest Football
14. Castle of Mey Tapestry
15. Penicuik Jewels
16. Bonnie Prince Charlie's Travelling Canteen
17. The Gregg Violin
18. Sir Walter Scott's Desk
19. Mackintosh Trail Music Room
20. Paisley Shawls
21. Tom Morris Junior Medal
22. Dallas Dhu Stencil
23. Captain Scott’s Snow Goggles
24. Steam Locomotive "Maude"
25. Dolly the Sheep
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