Scotland's history chart revealed

Presenter Neil Oliver revealed Scotland's essential history top 10

The Wars of Independence with Wallace and Bruce have topped a public poll to find the top 10 of Scottish history.

People living in Scotland were asked to cast their vote as part of a BBC Two television programme.

The bloody battles of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn and the heroic figures of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce came out top with the public.

Academics, however, rated Scotland's involvement in World War One and the Treaty of the Union as more important.

How the public voted The Wars of Independence The Declaration of Arbroath Medicine James Clerk Maxwell Robert Burns The Reformation James Watt The Enlightenment Covenanters The Clearances

Hundreds of people took part in the BBC's poll to find out what were rated as the key moments in Scotland's history.

A total of 30 topics were whittled down from more than 1,000 nominations received from the public.

These were then debated by a panel of history professionals, including chair Professor Tom Devine, and a final 10 were decided upon.

The results were shown in the BBC television series Scotland's History: The Top 10 on Thursday evening - an hour-long special broadcast on St Andrew's Day.

Among the events suggested by the public but rejected by the experts were the Declaration of Arbroath, Irish immigration, drink and the Clearances.

How the experts voted World War One Unification Reformation The Scottish Empire The Scottish City Enlightenment The Wars of Independence Medicine Treaty of Union Covenanters

Other discarded suggestions included the historical figures of physicist James Clerk Maxwell, inventor James Watt and Robert Burns.

The show came at the end of a day which saw dozens of events held across the country to mark Scotland's patron saint.

Presenter Neil Oliver told BBC Scotland's news website: "It is perhaps no surprise that the public and the panel have differed but there is a marked gulf between the two."

He added: "Most notably Scottish achievement ranks much higher with the public than with the historians."