The Highlands occupy outsized space in the study of Scottish tourism history. The country’s great cities, and especially Edinburgh, the ‘Athens of the North’, have long attracted visitors. As the industries of the country grew, concentrated in its ‘Central Belt’, they attracted travelers, too. But for many the ‘Caledonian tour’ was above all a Highland affair. As tourism increased, spawning a range of businesses that catered to an expanding group of consumers, a tour of Scotland often involved travel north of the ‘Highland line.’  

Guidebooks, tickets, maps, and other resources, from travelogues to postcards, became part of the apparatus of travel, and tourists could also recount their experiences in their own hand. The University of Guelph’s Scottish Studies Collection, in the McLaughlin Library’s Archival and Special Collections, boasts an impressive and expanding set of travel-related material, examples of which are featured in this exhibit. 

This exhibit was curated by students in experiential learning classes supervised by Dr. Kevin James, Scottish Studies Foundation Chair and professor in U of G’s Department of History, and Melissa McAfee, Special Collections Librarian, McLaughlin Library.  

The launch will also include a sale of Scottish books to support opportunities for Scottish Studies students. The book sale will take place in Whitelaw 246a. Cash or e-Transfer payment will be accepted.

RSVP at uoguel.ph/x6uee