You may find many people are proud to be from the same area as a famous person. In Scotland, if you’ve ever visited Dunblane you’ll know “Andy Murray grew up here” is a commonly referenced fact. Last year, an amazing interactive map was released that shows the birthplaces of the world’s ‘most notable people’.
It uses data from Wikipedia and Wikidata to calculate this notability, and it was further developed by researchers from Paris University, with senior map designer Topi Tjukanov putting the visualisation together. For example, it reveals that Freddie Mercury (born in Tanzania) is the most notable person from Zanzibar.
But who are Scotland’s most ‘notable’ people and where were they born? Here’s a list of 12 big names from Scotland according to this cutting-edge map.
9. Julie Fowlis (Outer Hebrides)
Julie Fowlis is a multi-award winning Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who is famous for singing primarily in Scottish Gaelic. Her career, spanning five studio albums, also includes performing hit singles like “Touch the Sky” for Disney’s movie “Brave” set in Scotland. She sang “Noble Maiden Fair (A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal)” in the movie as well, an incredible step for Scottish Gaelic representation in mainstream productions. Photo: Andrew Matthews
10. James Ramsay Macdonald (Lossiemouth)
Ramsay Macdonald, born in the Moray council area of Scotland, was a British politician who served as the Prime Minister for the UK. This made him the first who belonged to the Labour Party, governing minority Labour governments for less than a year in 1924 and once again between 1929 and 1931. Photo: Bain News Service (via Wikimedia Commons)
11. Flora Macdonald (Milton)
Flora Macdonald was born on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides in 1722. Considered to be one of the “most romantic characters” in Scotland’s history, she is famous for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from the country after the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Photo: Richard Wilson (via Wikimedia Commons)
12. Robert Burns (Alloway)
Robert Burns was born in Alloway, a village located on the River Doon in South Ayrshire in 1759. He is a celebrated Scottish poet and songwriter who is widely considered to be the country’s national poet. Burns is credited with composing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, a world famous song traditionally sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Photo: After Nasmyth, Engraved by G.Cook. (via Wikimedia Commons)