Things you didn't know were invented by people from the North of Scotland

Scottish inventors have famously given the world the telephone, the steam engine and insulin. But what about the North of Scotland? We've hand-picked our favourite things invented by people from the MFR area.

Digestive Biscuit Sir Alexander Grant | Forres, Moray-----------------------------------------------------------

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Apprentice baker, Sir Alexander Grant, is credited with inventing our favourite tea dunker - the digestive biscuit. Originally from Forres, Sir Grant moved to Edinburgh in 1887 where he became assistant to biscuit-maker Robert McVitie.

The biscuit, made out of baking soda and marketed as a digestion aid, was an instant hit and made its creator a fortune. The generous Scot later helped fund the creation of the National Library of Scotland.

Facsimile Alexander Bain | Watten, Caithness--------------------------------------------------

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/leicamini/16944192571/in/photolist-rPiq8e-8dTvCa-

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Despite not excelling at school, Alexander Bain went on to develop the technology behind one of the most iconic office gadgets of the 80s: the fax machine.

It was as a clockmaker's apprentice in Wick that he began his career, so when he started work on his experiental facsimile machine in 1843, he used a clock to synchornise the movement of two pendulums for line-by-line scanning of a message.

This was where it all started for the long screeds of wafer-thin, slippery paper, the beep-beep-chrchrch and the catchphrase "number of pages including this one".

Pony Trekking The Cairngorms----------------------------------

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/92064459@N02/8366962295/in/photolist-dKmSoB-

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Pony trekking is said to have started in the Cairngorms, with the sturdy Highland ponies that work alongside stalkers, carrying deer off the hill.

Today there are several pony trekking centres in the Cairngorms National Park, offering everything from beginners lessons to multi-day treks.

Speedo Swimwear Alexander MacRae | Kyle of Lochalsh---------------------------------------------------------

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/7499076@N04/4561285737/in/photolist-7X4Mkx-

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5SWbmH "speedo 021")

Alexander MacRae was born around 1890 in Kyle of Lochalsh. In 1910 he emigrated from his home near Loch Kishorn to Australia. MacRae established a swimwear company on Bondi Beach, Sydney, initially using the brand name "Fortitude" - taken from the motto of the clan MacRae. Its Racerback brand was one of the first figure hugging designs specifically created for athletes rather than just fashion. The name "Speedo" was adopted in 1928 after an employee, Captain Jim Parsonson, won a company competition with the slogan "Speed on in your Speedos".

Since the top swimmers tend to use Speedo swimwear, it is hardly surprising that it has become "the world's fastest swimsuit". In the 2008 Olympics, Speedo was reported to have offered Michael Phelps a $1-million bonus for matching Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven Olympic gold medals in the 1972 Olympics. Spitz wore Speedo swimming trunks then too.

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