Ten years of internal conflict (over the Church of Scotland's relationship to the State and its right to independence in spiritual affairs) ended in schism - the Disruption of 1843. A large group of ministers broke away to form the Free Church of Scotland.
In 1900, many of the Free Church of Scotland joined with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland. This church then re-united with the Church of Scotland in 1929.
A minority remained outside these unions of 1900, as the Free Church of Scotland (commonly known as the "Wee Frees")