Short courses

Summary

For much of Scotland’s history the epicentre of social, political, economic and cultural change was not the mainland but the sea routes and Islands of the west coast. From the earliest settlements, the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riada, Viking invaders, the conquests of Somerled and early Christianity to the brutal events of Jacobitism, famine, clearance and mass emigration, the story of Scotland’s Western seaboard is one that stretches from the far side of history in legends and sagas to established facts and lasting legacy. 

Join this course to find out more about the fundamental events shaping this important territory from earliest pre-history to the turn of the twentieth century. 

Over a series of talks, our expert tutor will explain: 

• the social, economic, political and cultural changes that took place in Scotland from the earliest times to the modern era 
• the key stories, archives, sources and first-hand accounts available.  
• the main historical debates concerning these times 

You will also have the chance to discuss and reflect on what you learn with other students and the tutor in seminars 

Choose this course if you want to learn: 

• Scotland’s social, political, economic and territorial development during this time 
• more about the peoples who inhabited this region such as Gaelic, Norse, Viking, early Christians, the kingdom of Man and the Isles. 
• more about the involvement of the Stewart kings, support for Jacobitism, as well the reasons behind emigration and clearance