King James I was murdered in Perth, by a group led by Sir Robert Graham, today in 1437.

Had it not been for his love of tennis James would have escaped his assassins. Fleeing his killers, he hid in the drain under his tennis court, however this offered no means of escape for the monarch, as he had only recently ordered it to be blocked after losing balls in it.

On 20 February 1472 Orkney and Shetland became part of Scotland. The islands were provided as security for the dowry of Princess Margaret, the prospective wife of James III of Scotland and daughter of King Christian of Norway and Denmark.

Today's recipe: a creamy fish soup pepped up with a taste of Scotland. Arbroath smokie cream soup with whisky.