On 20 May 685 the battle of Nechtansmere, in present-day Angus, was fought.

The battle was a decisive victory for the Picts, under their king Brude MacBile, over Ecgfirth, King of Northumbria, an Angle kingdom. This battle reversed the Northumbrian gains of the past century and the Angles were forced back beyond the Forth.

On this day in 1685 the Earl of Argyll sailed from Holland to Campbeltown with 300 men in an attempted uprising. After its failure he was executed. The rebellion was designed to place Charles II's illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, on the throne. The failure of this revolt led to a close bond between the Stewart monarchy and the enemies of the Campbells in the Highlands, which was to become more apparent in the subsequent Jacobite uprisings.

Today's recipe: traditional afternoon tea wouldn't be complete without Battenburg cake.