Scots know more about British history than rest of UK

London, Aug 18 : Scots know more about British history than other people in the rest of the UK, a survey has found.

A test to rate how well Britons know their history also confirmed that younger people know far less than those aged over 65.

Ten multiple-choice historical questions, ranging from "When was the Battle of Hastings?" to "Which two kingdoms were merged in the Act of Union of 1707?" were put to 1,000 people, Scotsman.com reported.

Scots scored an average of 69 per cent, compared to the national average of 63 per cent. The Welsh managed only 58 per cent.

The over-65 years age group managed 78 per cent on the 10 questions, which spanned British history from the time of the first Roman invasion to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

Those aged 18-24 scored just 49 per cent, while 25 to 34-year-olds fared little better on 51 per cent.

Historian Tom Devine, professor at the University of Edinburgh, said the recent growth in a sense of Scottish identity, merged with an ignorance of Scottish history because of poor education in the 1960s and 1970s, might be boosting an interest in history in the country.

A full 96 per cent of those surveyed knew when the Battle of Hastings took place. But only half knew who was Prime Minister when the Good Friday Agreement was signed.

The survey also revealed men have more historical knowledge than women, with an average score of 70 per cent compared to 57 per cent.

Less than one person in ten scored 100 per cent on the quiz, carried out by ICM on behalf of the History Channel in advance of a series entitled 50 Things You Should Know About British History.

ANI