Scotland’s plague: 300 years of disease

In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic began, many people looked back to the influenza epidemic of 1918 for historical context. However, going further back in time reveals centuries of viral diseases – and a bizarre list of supposed medical concoctions that would protect you from them. Scotland’s “plague man” Richard Oram, a professor of history at Stirling University, knows a lot about these dark chapters of Scottish history. He guides Jackie through how the plague was viewed by a religious society, what comparisons can be drawn between responses to the historic outbreaks and the modern Covid-19 pandemic, and how the medical community reacted to the horrific viruses. Plus, Jackie goes to Gladstone’s Land to learn more about the herbal remedies produced in desperation centuries ago. To find out more about Gladstone’s Land, www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land