On 31 May 1596 John Leslie, the Scottish Roman Catholic cleric, died.

Leslie was one of the main advisors to Mary, Queen of Scots, and was her accredited representative at Queen Elizabeth's court in England. He was forced to flee abroad when his involvement in the 'Ridolfi Plot' to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and place Mary on the throne of England was exposed.

On 31 May 1700 Alexander Cruden, the noted Scottish Biblical scholar, was born in Aberdeen. Cruden achieved prominence as the author of A Complete Concordance to the Holy Scriptures, based on the King James VI version of The Bible. Suffering throughout his life from bouts of mental illness, Cruden styled himself the Corrector of the People, believing himself heaven-sent to transform the morals of his age.

Today's recipe: this healthy and comforting slow cooked chickpea tagine will please vegetarians and meat eaters alike.