Book online: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tourism-in-scotland-a-history-of-holidays...

Speaker: Professor Rab Houston, Professor Emeritus in History, University of St Andrews. Tourist lecturer on British History

This talk will examine the history of tourism, with a focus on Scotland. Starting in the 18th century, this talk will explore: how political efforts to suppress the Jacobite threat opened the Highlands; how the Highlands became Scotland in the eyes of outsiders; and how the first travel writers began to shape ‘the tourist gaze’.

The experience of early tourists was quite different to today. Modern passports did not emerge until the 19th century, and it was through the railways and steamers that indigenous Scottish tourism was democratized.

Come along and find out more about the history of holidays, and how the railways changed travelling forever.

For those with accessibility requirements, please contact education@nrscotland.gov.uk in advance of your visit.

Professor Rab Houston:

Robert Allan Houston was born in Hamilton, Scotland, lived in India and Ghana and was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and St Andrews University before spending six years at Cambridge University as a research student (Peterhouse) and research fellow (Clare College). He worked at the University of St Andrews 1983-2020 and is now Professor emeritus in History. He specialises in British social history between the 16th and 19th centuries. Among his 11 sole-authored books, one co-authored book, and three co-edited books, plus 80 academic articles and book chapters, his most accessible general work is 'Scotland: a very short introduction' (Oxford University Press, 2008).

He is a Fellow of both the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (Scotland’s national academy), and a Member of the Academia Europaea (Members are distinguished European scholars from all disciplines who collectively aim to promote learning, education and research).