By 1707, many Scots felt that their country had become a mere satellite state
In the 1690s, the lawyer Francis Grant scathingly declared that Scottish sovereignty was a “Phantome of a Body… without a Head”. This damning verdict reflected the suspicions of many that, since King James VI of Scotland had inherited the crown of England in 1603 (as James I, in a so-called Union of the Crowns), the interests of the Scottish people had been marginalised.
On moving south, James called leading nobles down to London for regular meetings,
and the Scottish privy council continued to convene in Edinburgh to manage day-to-day affairs. But parliamentary meetings became increasingly rare, leaving many Scots feeling cut off from what had been a very personal monarchy.
