Travels in Scotland, 1788-1881

Tourist travelling changed remarkably between 1780 and 1880, and the six writers of this volume, all unknowns, help us to see how and why. While class, age, sex, culture and expectations all differ, what they have in common is a relish for the pleasures of discovery, of holidaymaking, of finding a Scotland for themselves. Theirs are intimate voices - they were writing for themselves, or friends or family, not for the public - but as we eavesdrop on them a larger picture unfolds. The first account takes us to a world of elite travel, the private coach, and the privileges enjoyed by the well-heeled while the last is the homely and charming account of a one week holiday taken with relatives in the country. In between comes the new world of travel: the steamer, the railway and the guidebook. A general preface sets the context, and a selection of photographs and sketches drawn from two of the accounts complements these hitherto unpublished visitors' narratives.