#7 – CHALLENGE EVERYTHING!…that’s what history has taught me!

Neil Oliver, walking through Cambus Kenneth Abbey in Stirling, uses the site’s layered history as a lens to challenge the very idea of historical truth. He reflects on how even well-established narratives—like the founding of Scotland by Kenneth MacAlpin or Robert the Bruce’s role in the Wars of Independence—are built on assumptions, omissions, and hidden power deals. Drawing parallels between medieval conspiracies and modern geopolitical events—from the Ukraine crisis to Gaza—Oliver argues that the 'official' version of history is rarely the whole story. He warns that today’s dominant narratives, shaped by state media and political agendas, may be just as distorted as the ones we accept about the past. The abbey’s surviving campanile, a relic of a demolished church, becomes a metaphor: history survives not in pristine records but in fragments, ruins, and the silent questions they provoke. The real lesson? Never accept any version of events—past or present—without asking who benefits from it, who was left out, and what was buried in the shadows. Oliver’s central message is radical in its simplicity: challenge everything. Whether it’s the story of a king’s death, a nation’s birth, or a war in the Middle East, the truth is rarely what’s told. The past is a palimpsest, overwritten with bias and power. The present is no different. By questioning the orthodoxy—whether in history or current events—we reclaim our ability to think critically.