Nicknamed, Scottish and Famed Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Cock o' the North

Charles Edward Stuart, aka "Bonnie Prince Charlie" was nicknamed "The Young Pretender" and the "Young Chevalier". His grandfather was James the second, who was deposed from the British throne in 1689. His father, also James, was known as the "Old Pretender" and tried to restore the Stuart lineage during the first Jacobite rebellion of 1715. Charles led the second Jacobite rebellion of 1745/46 which ended with the Jacobites' defeat at Culloden Moor near Inverness. Charles was forced to flee the country.
"The Cock o' the North" was Alexander Gordon, the fourth earl of Gordon. Every chief of the Gordon clan is now known by this nickname.

Cocky lot aren't they!

Answer: Aleister Crowley

The "Evilest Man in the World" was a nickname given to Englishman Aleister Crowley though perhaps Adolf Hitler could have given him a run for his money. The rumours, stories, truths and half truths about Crowley (1875 to 1947) continue to this day. He was said to be a black magician and warlock, a racist, a sadist, a bisexual, a hedonist and to have experimented with drugs such as heroin and cocaine before they were fashionable.
For around fourteen years Crowley resided in a mansion called Boleskine House, on the shores of Loch Ness, Scotland. He was the subject of much rumour amongst the local population. He was alleged to have conducted black magic, occult and sexual experiments within the house and in the nearby graveyard. He was also nicknamed "The Other Loch Ness monster."
Rock musician Jimmy Page of Led Zepplin lived in the house during the seventies, and it is thought that he wrote "Stairway To Heaven" while residing there.
Rumours persist that Crowley was the biological father of Barbara Bush, wife of George H. W. Bush and mother of George W. Bush. He is alleged to have had an affair with Barbara's mother Pauline.

There could be some truth in it, Crowley sounds very similar to some politicians I know!

Answer: John White

John White of Scotland and Tottenham Hotspur FC was nicknamed "The Ghost". He didn't earn the nickname posthumously, but rather for his uncanny ability to ghost into crucial areas of the playing field at the most opportune moment. He died in 1965 at the age of 28. He had been golfing when he got caught in a thunderstorm. While sheltering under a tree he was struck by lightning and killed.

So far he hasn't lived up to his nickname and hasn't been seen since.

Answer: William McGonagall

Though there may be other contenders, William Topaz McGonagall (1825 to 1902) was known as the "Worst Poet in the World".
Regarded as his "masterpiece" is his tragedy "The Tay Bridge Disaster", which tells the tale of the rail bridge collapsing with the loss of a train and 75 lives. The poem itself is said to be a disaster.
Spike Milligan starred in a film about the bard, "The Great McGonagall" (1974) and the Goons often included a character called McGoonagall in their Goon Show.

McGonagall was a poet man
Whose rhymes and verses didn't scan
His poem's often had no meter
Perhaps he could have made them sweeter

Well, maybe he wasn't the worst poet after all!

Answer: The Red Fox

Campbell was known as the Red Fox. The murder took place near Ballachashul when he was shot dead by a single musket shot.
The incident became known as The Appin Murder and Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, "Kidnapped", was set around these events. One of Stevenson's characters was Alan Breck Stewart who became a suspect for the murder and a fugitive from the law. Alan Breck was a brother of James Stewart, the man subsequently convicted and hanged for the crime. It is widely accepted that James was innocent and was made a scapegoat by a biased judge and jury.

The Red Fox was an agent and collector of taxes for the English crown (a factor), a very unpopular occupation in Scotland during those times of Jacobite unrest. He was on horseback, on his tax collecting duties and in the company of four other riders, when he was murdered.
It has been claimed as recently as 2001 that Donald Stewart of Ballachashul was in fact the assassin, a secret kept and passed on by word of mouth from generation to generation, by the clan Stewart.

Answer: Six feet

Scottish comedian, presenter, musician and actor Billy Connolly is six foot tall. Born, William Connolly on the 24th of November 1942, there are conflicting stories about when and where he acquired the nickname "The Big Yin". One version is that during his adolescence, his father also Billy was known as "Big Billy" and himself "Wee Billy". When Billy outgrew his father in height, this led to confusion, so he was called Big Yin to differentiate between them. Another story is that he acquired the nickname during his spell working in the Glasgow shipyards, where he is thought to have developed his sense of humour working with so many colourful and humorous characters.

In Scotland common and affectionate nicknames for a tall chap, are Big Yin, Big Stuff, Big Chap or even Big Baws. You can also be called Wee Yin, Young Yin, Auld Yin or Bold Yin, depending on your height, age and audacity.

Answer: The Glasgow Glutton

Robert Hall, was known as the "Glasgow (Glesga) Glutton". Fat Boab (Bob) is a comic strip pal of "Oor Wullie" a creation of D.C. Thomson comics. The other two obese gentlemen mentioned didn't exist as far as I know, although Jimmy Five Bellies is a real life character and gladly not a Glaswegian.

Rab Haw, the Glesga glutton, he ate aw the pies!

Answer: The Mighty Atom

The "Mighty Atom" was a nickname of Patsy Gallagher of Celtic FC. He was in fact Irish, born in Ramelton, County Donegal. "The Flying Flea" was a nickname given to Celtic player Jimmy Johnstone by the French sporting paparazzi. The "Wee Prime Minister" was Ian McMillan who played for Rangers FC and Scotland, at the time of Harold McMillan's reign as UK Prime Minister. Braveheart was a name given to Scottish international footballer and Blackburn Rovers player, Colin Hendry.
Hands up if you thought it was Mel Gibson.

Answer: Graeme Obree

All are sports personalities. Wells was an Olympic gold medal winner at 100 metres. Liddell, was the subject of the film "Chariots Of Fire" and also a 400 metres gold medal winner. Chris Hoy is a track cyclist and triple gold medal winner. Racing cyclist Graeme Obree is a two time world hour record holder.

He is considered rather eccentric and built his own bike "Old Faithful" from spare parts including washing machine spares. Obree was actually born in England, but he is nicknamed "The Flying Scotsman" and considers himself Scottish. Liddell is, occasionally, also called "the Flying Scotsman" but he was born in China.

Answer: Big Tam

Born Thomas Sean Connery in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh on the August 25th, 1930, six foot two inch Connery was known as big Tam before his rise to fame. Connery was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on July 5th 2000.

He is now known as Sir Big Tam!