1730-1794

Scottish Explorer

When James Bruce returned to England in 1774 after years spent in the mysterious land of Ethiopia, his fantastic tales gained him a reputation as a liar. Yet modern research has confirmed the accuracy of Bruce's account, which he set down in writing in 1790.

Born in 1730 in Stirlingshire, Bruce was the son of an aristocratic family who owned an estate at Kinnaird House. His mother died when he was three years old, and his father later arranged for him to be taught by a private tutor in London. He went on to Harrow School and Edinburgh University, where his father expected him to study law; Bruce's interests, however, were in languages and art.

Bruce married in 1752, but his wife died in childbirth nine months later. To recover from his grief, he traveled around Europe, returning to London after the death of his father in...