please click to view our
please click to view our
journeys in scotland
Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland – Samuel Johnson
Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands – Queen Victoria
The Clyde: River and Firth – Neil Munro
The Journeys in Scotland bundle shows the diversity of the nation from vastly different viewpoints.
Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland by Samuel Johnson
A travel narrative by Samuel Johnson recounts an 83 day journey through Scotland in the autumn of 1773. Johnson was accompanied by his friend James Boswell, and they toured the Highlands and islands by carriage, boat and on horseback. Johnson intended to see the wild and primitive side of Scotland but feared that he had come too late as the culture was changing quickly. He wrote about and commented on many aspects of Scottish life such as the health and happiness of the people, the language and the economy.
Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands by Queen Victoria
The publication of Queen Victoria’s journals in 1858 made her a best-selling author almost overnight. She describes holidays at Balmoral including mountain walks, boating, and other outdoor activities portraying an idyllic family life. As Victoria had retreated from public life following Albert’s death, her journals gave the public an insight into the private life of their monarch.
The Clyde: River and Firth by Neil Munro
In a departure from his more well-known historical and humorous novels, Munro’s travelogue is rich in historical and geographical information – his love of this part of the world really shines through. He begins at the river’s source, Little Clyde Farm, journeys past Lanark, the Glasgow shipyards, the Firth itself and ends with the islands and Loch Fyne. Hints of his Para Handy books are evident as he details his journey ‘doon the watter’. The writing showcases Munro’s skills as a journalist as well as a novelist, and is wonderfully descriptive about the areas the Clyde passes through and the industries it is vital to.