The 11 major inventions you may not realise were created by Scots - including fridges and ATM machines

By Matthew Mohan-Hickson

Technology writer

Published 23rd Aug 2024, 09:00 BST

Wow 😲

Scotland has long punched above its weight when it comes to inventions. From Alexander Graham Bell getting the first patent for the telephone to the first MRI machines.

And while there are some major inventions most of you will be very aware of having Scottish roots, there are plenty you may not realise came from the minds of Scots.

We’ve pulled together a list of 11 major ones to discover in our gallery below.

Inventions you may not realise came from the minds of Scots. Photo: Getty Images

1. Inventions you may not realise are Scottish

Inventions you may not realise came from the minds of Scots. Photo: Getty Images | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images

Having a fridge to store your groceries and daily supplies might be something you take for granted in the 2020s. But for most of our history, our ancestors had to find other ways to store food to keep it from spoiling - that was until Hamilton born William Cullen invented the basis for modern refrigeration in the 18th century (during the 1750s). But it would be a while before his invention caught on. Photo: LUCA SOLA/AFP via Getty Images

2. The Refrigerator

Having a fridge to store your groceries and daily supplies might be something you take for granted in the 2020s. But for most of our history, our ancestors had to find other ways to store food to keep it from spoiling - that was until Hamilton born William Cullen invented the basis for modern refrigeration in the 18th century (during the 1750s). But it would be a while before his invention caught on. Photo: LUCA SOLA/AFP via Getty Images | LUCA SOLA/AFP via Getty Images Photo: LUCA SOLA/AFP via Getty Images

The automated teller machine is one of the wonders of the modern world - and especially vital given that banks continue to close high street stores. But did you know that a Scot from Paisley called James Goodfellow lays claim to inventing the cash machine as we know it, as well as the PIN (personal identification number) system used for withdrawing money from the machines in the mid-1960s. Photo: Justin TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images

3. ATM and PIN numbers

The automated teller machine is one of the wonders of the modern world - and especially vital given that banks continue to close high street stores. But did you know that a Scot from Paisley called James Goodfellow lays claim to inventing the cash machine as we know it, as well as the PIN (personal identification number) system used for withdrawing money from the machines in the mid-1960s. Photo: Justin TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images | Justin TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images Photo: Justin TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images

If you use daily disposable contact lenses you have Scotsman Ron Hamilton to thank. The son of a curling stone manufacturer, he came up with the invention while working from a lab in his back garden in the 1990s. Millions of people around the globe use this invention every day. Photo: Timothy A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images

4. Daily disposable contact lenses

If you use daily disposable contact lenses you have Scotsman Ron Hamilton to thank. The son of a curling stone manufacturer, he came up with the invention while working from a lab in his back garden in the 1990s. Millions of people around the globe use this invention every day. Photo: Timothy A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images | Timothy A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images Photo: Timothy A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images

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