On January 26 1861the one o'clock gun was fired for the first time from Edinburgh Castle.

The gun was commissioned to act as an audible signal of the time during bad weather. The gun was connected to an electric clock in the Royal Observatory on Calton Hill by an electric cable over 4,000 feet long.

January 26 1878, Kirkpatrick McMillan, inventor of the bicycle, died.

The thought of patenting his invention or trying to make any money out of it never crossed MacMillan's mind, but others saw its potential, and soon copies began to appear. However, Macmillan was quite unconcerned with the fuss his invention had prompted, preferring to enjoy the quiet country life he was used to.

Today's recipe: this cheesy bread served best warm from the oven is a comforting treat. Ploughman's loaf.