Scottish Inventors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Steam engine

Born in Greenock, Scotland, this man helped shape industrial revolution through the use of steam engines.

The first practical steam-powered engine was a water pump, developed in 1698 by Thomas Savery. This was followed by the first commercially successful engine in 1712. The atmospheric engine, invented by Thomas Newcomen, was relatively inefficient, generally only used for pumping water. They all of course came before Watt, whose contribution was to develop the steam engine for use by industry.

The electrical unit is named after him.

Answer: Waterproof paint

Probably his best known invention is gas lighting and was he the first person to have it at his home in Cornwall.

Answer: Waterproof coat

Mackintosh had the idea of putting a layer of rubber between 2 layers of cloth, thereby creating a waterproof material. This was then made into a coat. The significance of this invention is immortalised in the fact the we still refer to a raincoat as a 'Mackintosh' or 'mac'.

Answer: Bicycle

Not the boneshaker or the penny farthing but the first rear-wheel-drive bicycle in 1842. How many bicycles are there world wide today - I wouldn't mind a penny for each one ...

Answer: Pneumatic tyres

It was patented by Thomson in France in 1846. Many people believe that Robert Boyd Dunlop was the inventor of the pneumatic tyre; he did patent it in 1888, however two years later he was informed his patent was invalid as it had been predated by Thomson's French patent. Either way, both inventors were Scottish.

Answer: Adhesive postage stamps

As well as the adhesive postage stamp he is responsible for the implementation of uniform postal rates and was campaigning for improvements in the postal system from 1825.

There is a common belief that this invention was actually by Englishman - Rowland Hill, who, it has to be said is officially credited with this invention. His ideas were published in a series of 4 papers between 1837 and 1838 called 'Post Office Reform: its Importance and Practicability'.

However, Chalmers sent a letter ot Greenock MP Robert Wallace in 1837 and published an essay in Feb 1838 outlining his ideas which he originally thought of around 1834.

Chalmers was the person pushing for adhesive stamps when the penny post was introduced in 1840. Hill was in fact against the idea, only claiming credit after they became popular with the public. Hill then became a powerful person in the post office on the basis of this and as we all know its the winner that writes history. The credit still belongs to Chalmers. Let's start a campaign...

Answer: Facsimile (fax) machine

Bain also invented the electric printing telegraph, and installed the railway telegraph lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Answer: Logarithms

The slide rule was in fact invented by William Oughtred, and others, based on Napier's work. It has of course been superseded by the scientific calculator and ultimately the computer.

Answer: Two-stroke engine

Clerk designed the two-stroke engine in 1878 and patented it in 1881. It was his knowledge of diesel engines and how they could be utilised in submarines that led to his knighthood.

Answer: Bolt action rifle

Lees family moved to Canada when he was about age four. However. his birthplace was Scotland making him the Scottish inventor of bolt action rifles. Notable versions include the Springfield model as well as the magazine fed Lee-Enfield.