Great Scottish Writers 

For a small country, Scotland’s writers have had a disproportionately large impact around the world. On this course we will read and discuss some of the work which has made Scottish literature a global phenomenon. Starting with the hugely influential Robert Burns (whose poetry influenced figures from Wordsworth to Whitman) and Sir Walter Scott (inventor of the historical novel), we will then explore enduring popular classics such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. The week will conclude with a look at how a range of writers in the twentieth century built on the foundations laid by their predecessors and created work, ranging from poetry to crime fiction, which has played an important role in forming modern Scotland. Along the way we will visit locations connected with these authors, including the local birthplace of JM Barrie and the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town, and enjoy the riches of St Andrews’ literary archive.

Scottish Castles

Rugged clifftop ruins, elegant palaces and impregnable fortresses: Scotland’s castles are central to the history of the nation. On this course we will visit five castles, including Falkland Palace, the favourite hunting lodge of Mary, Queen of Scots, the picturesque ruins of Dunottar Castle, and the beautiful (and haunted) Glamis Castle, which has close connections to the modern British royal family. Through a combination of lectures and field trips, we will learn about the key historical events connected with these iconic structures, and walk in the footsteps of some of the more important figures in Scottish history.

Clans, Outlaws, Revolutionaries and Myths

It can be difficult to separate Scottish history from myth. Important events and personalities become romanticized or else fade into legend, and characters from folklore sometimes end up as famous as real figures. This course will explore the relationships between iconic aspects of Scottish culture, myth and history, from the Loch Ness Monster to Bonnie Prince Charlie, and from the Clan System to the place of Scotland in the formation of the modern globalized world. Combining interactive lectures, field trips and archives of national significance, Clans, Outlaws, Revolutionaries and Myths will introduce important moments in Scotland’s past, and the ideas which form Scottish cultural identity leading into the twenty-first century.