In the year that Scotland nearly broke away from the United Kingdom, Colley provided vital historical perspective. Her radio series and book Acts of Union and Disunion argued that Alex Salmond’s notion that Scotland was a “colony” of England was ahistorical, and that Britishness was as indigenous an expression of national feeling in Scotland as it is in England.

Further reading:Acts of unions and disunions: an interview with Linda ColleyJonathan Derbyshire interviews Colley about her latest book on the United Kingdom.Scottish independence: Time for a UK constitutionBritain has gloried in being the world’s great exception—Colley asks whether this has been for too long?Acts of Union, Acts of Disunion – reviewColin Kidd reviews Colley's Acts of Union and Disunion.