Today in 1700 James Macpherson, the famous fiddling freebooter, was hanged at Banff.

The town clock was said to have been advanced to forestall a messenger carrying a reprieve for his hanging. Legend has it that before the notorious outlaw musician was hanged for sheep and cattle stealing he treated the crowd to one of his own compositions, "Macpherson's Rant," and then broke the fiddle over his knee. When Burns heard of the tale he wrote the song "Macpherson's Farewell".

On this day in 1093 St. Margaret of Scotland died. A leading member of the English Anglo-Saxon royal family and Queen Consort of Malcolm III Canmore, King of Scots, it was largely through her influence that the Scottish Celtic Church was brought into conformity with Roman Catholic Europe. Her daughter married Henry I of England and united the old royal line with that of the new Norman dynasty which had been established by William The Conqueror.

Today's recipe: a taste of Turkey in a few simple steps...