Scotland's Disastrous Attempt at Empire

Dan Snow's History Hit

In the late 17th century, Scotland tried to establish a colony in Panama - and it all went horribly wrong.

In July 1698, a fleet of five ships departed from the Firth of Forth with some 1,200 people onboard. They were bound for the Isthmus of Panama, a paradise in Central America, and their goal was to establish Scotland's first colony - New Caledonia. It was a bold, desperate gamble, intended to save Scotland from financial ruin. But only one year later, most of the settlers were dead, and the colony had been abandoned.

To tell us about the Darien scheme and how it all went wrong, we're joined by Douglas Watt, author of 'The Price of Scotland'. He explains what happened when the settlers arrived in Panama and the consequences for Scotland as a whole.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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