Great Scots: Who Gets Your Vote?

Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, chose Alexander Fleming, ‘His input into the discovery of Penicillin emphasized the intelligence of Scots and highlighted our country’s talent’. Artist Barbara Rae RSA chose Mick McGahey, ‘Trade Union champion of the Miners’.

Who gets your vote? Who is your Great Scot of the 20th Century?

Looking back on the last century with the benefit of hindsight, it would be quite easy to conclude that the point humankind was working hardest to reach during the twentieth century was the twenty-first. Looking to the future created a century of human innovations and advances, of technology and exploration, of destruction, of entertainment, the list goes on.

Of course, all this innovation begs the question, what was the most important defining feature of the twentieth century? And if you could encapsulate that century in the achievements of just one person, whom would you choose?

This is the crux of the Scran/ICL Great Scots Poll – to find the 100 greatest Scots of the twentieth century and celebrate this history by creating a Virtual Frieze to be displayed on Scran. This frieze will be a successor to the stunning nineteenth century Frieze of Famous Scots which dominates the entrance hall to the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, and is also available online at www.scran.ac.uk/scotland/famous-scots/view.

This timely and exciting poll will be overseen by a distinguished panel, including Wendy Alexander, Prof. John Archer, Craig Brown, Stuart Cosgrove, Rikki Fulton, Chris van der Kuyl, Michelle Mone and the Rt. Rev. John D. Miller. You can read more about our Panel and their choice of Great Scots on the following pages.

All that remains now is to decide...

Who gets your vote?