Through The Centuries

Cailin Burnside Wands

Join historian and author Cailin Burnside Wands on Through the Centuries, a journey into the lives of people who shaped the past. From medieval Scotland to colonial America and the American Revolution, discover stories of women and men, family, faith, and the choices people faced in changing times. Each episode brings well-researched history into a welcoming conversation, with clear explanations and a curiosity about the people behind the dates. Whether you love history or are just beginning to explore it, come along—there’s always another story to discover.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    Queen Margaret: The Woman Behind the Saint

    Queen Margaret: The Woman Behind the Saint Before she became Saint Margaret of Scotland, she was a young woman whose family faced exile, uncertainty, and a changing world. Join Cailin Burnside Wands as we follow Margaret’s journey to Scotland, her marriage to King Malcolm III, and her life as a queen and mother. We explore her care for people in need, her religious convictions, and the small Gospel book that survives today. We also spend time with the moving account of her final days, when her biographer describes her sensing the loss of her husband and son before her son Edgar could bring himself to tell her. Drawing on medieval accounts and surviving evidence, this episode considers both Margaret’s life and how those who remembered her helped shape her story. Discover more Explore more stories of medieval Scottish women in Her Blood, Her Legacy by Cailin Burnside Wands. Visit cailinbwands.com for books and podcasts. Follow Through the Centuries to join me for the next story, and share this episode with someone who enjoys Scottish history. Sources and further reading Turgot, The Life of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland, translated by William Forbes-Leith. The medieval biography traditionally attributed to Turgot supplies the accounts of Margaret’s charity, religious practices, Gospel book, and final conversation with Edgar. Read the translation.Historic Environment Scotland, “Dunfermline Abbey and Palace: History and Stories.” Read about Dunfermline.Rebecca Rushforth, St Margaret’s Gospel-book (Bodleian Library, 2007). Book information from the Bodleian Libraries.University of Glasgow, Fife Place-name Data, “Pitbauchlie.” Includes discussion of Malcolm and Margaret’s support for the religious community at Loch Leven. Read the entry.A note on the evidence Margaret’s biography was written to celebrate her Christian life. The account of her sensing her family’s deaths is presented as her biographer tells it; her private thoughts cannot be independently confirmed. Cover illustration: An artist’s interpretation of Queen Margaret from Her Blood, Her Legacy.

    Queen Margaret: The Woman Behind the Saint

  2. Oct 31

    Queen Gruoch aka Lady MacBeth

    Queen Gruoch: The Woman Behind Lady Macbeth Who was the woman behind one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters? In this episode of Through the Centuries, join Cailin Burnside Wands as we meet Queen Gruoch, the historical woman associated with Lady Macbeth. We explore her family connections, her marriages, her son Lulach, and the surviving record that remembers her alongside Macbeth in a gift to a religious community at Loch Leven. Along the way, we look at how Shakespeare transformed history into drama—and why we must be careful about filling the gaps in Gruoch’s life with assumptions. Come discover what the records reveal, what remains uncertain, and why this Scottish queen deserves to be remembered by her own name. Explore more Discover more women of medieval Scotland in my book, Her Blood, Her Legacy, by Cailin Burnside Wands, available on Amazon. Find my books and podcasts at cailinbwands.com. Follow Through the Centuries for more stories from Scotland’s past and beyond. Selected sources Edward J. Cowan, “The Historical Macbeth,” in Moray Province and People (1993), 117–142.“Grant of the Lands of Kyrkenes,” a transcription of the Saint Andrews cartulary.The Royal Household: Macbeth and Lulach.Oliver J. T. O’Grady, “St Serf’s Island: Exploring a Monastic Landscape on Loch Leven”, Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal 23 (2017): 13–26.Royal Shakespeare Company, “Macbeth: Dates and Sources”.Cover illustration: An artist’s interpretation of Queen Gruoch from Her Blood, Her Legacy.

    Queen Gruoch aka Lady MacBeth

  3. Oct 23

    Before The Queens: Entering Medieval Scotland

    Step into medieval Scotland with Cailin Burnside Wands in the first episode of Through the Centuries. Explore a changing kingdom, the work of everyday households, and the place of faith in people’s lives. This introduction sets the scene for our first series, The Women Who Shaped Medieval Scotland, and considers how surviving records help us discover their stories. Join me as we begin getting to know the women and the world they lived in—and follow the podcast to hear what comes next. Sources and recording notes [1] National Museums Scotland. New book gives fresh perspective on Scotland’s Viking age foundations. https://media.nms.ac.uk/news/new-book-gives-fresh-perspective-on-scotlands-viking-age-foundations [2] National Museums Scotland. The story of the Lewis chess pieces. https://www.nms.ac.uk/discover-catalogue/the-story-of-the-lewis-chess-pieces [3] The Open University. The status and use of Scots from c 1100 to the present. https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=147037§ion=2 [4] Scottish Archaeological Research Framework. Perth and Kinross 7 3 1 Agriculture and Diet. https://scarf.scot/regional/pkarf/medieval/7-3-daily-life/7-3-1-agriculture-and-diet/ [5] National Records of Scotland. Burgh records. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/learning-and-events/research-guides/burgh-records/ [6] Historic Environment Scotland. Saint Mary’s Nunnery designation SM13573. https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/apex/f?p=1505:300:::::VIEWTYPE,VIEWREF:designation,SM13573 [7] Historic Environment Scotland. 6 things you might not know about Saint Margaret. https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2019/03/6-things-st-margaret/ [8] Rachel Meredith Davis. Elite women and power in Late Medieval Scotland 1296 to 1458 doctoral thesis University of Edinburgh 2020. https://era.ed.ac.uk/items/2796d384-8b77-4e5c-a2be-cc0c1e862468 [9] Historic Environment Scotland. Stirling Castle history and stories. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/stirling-castle/history-and-stories/

  • 3 Episodes

About

Join historian and author Cailin Burnside Wands on Through the Centuries, a journey into the lives of people who shaped the past. From medieval Scotland to colonial America and the American Revolution, discover stories of women and men, family, faith, and the choices people faced in changing times. Each episode brings well-researched history into a welcoming conversation, with clear explanations and a curiosity about the people behind the dates. Whether you love history or are just beginning to explore it, come along—there’s always another story to discover.

Information

  • Creator
    Cailin Burnside Wands
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kathleen Williams
  • Show Website
    Through The Centuries