About the exhibit

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 & 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, Archival & Special Collections, McLaughlin Library.

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

The launch programme will run for around 45 minutes, followed by refreshments, viewing of the exhibit, and a book sale.

RSVP by March 21 to attend.