On 26 May 1652 Dunnottar Castle, the last Royalist stronghold in eastern Scotland, surrenders.

Dunnottar Castle had been under siege for eight months by Cromwell's forces. Although the castle fell, the defenders managed to smuggle out the Crown Jewels of Scotland to nearby Kinneff Church. This date has a further significance for the Honours of Scotland, for on 26 May 1819 the Crown Jewels were put on display in Edinburgh Castle after they had been rediscovered from their 1707 burial place.

Today in 1909, Sir Matt Busby, the footballer and club manager, was born in Bellshill. Famous for his life-long association with Manchester United, Busby actually spent his playing career with two of their arch rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City. Tragedy struck the young team he had moulded in 1958 when their plane, returning from a European fixture, crashed in Munich and eight players lost their lives. Busby, himself badly injured, rebuilt the club and they went on to win the European Cup in 1968.

Today's recipe: these asparagus and puff pastry cigars are a quirky snack for summer parties.