Next week will find me giving talks in Robert Burns Country. I mentioned previously that, thanks to a new "friendship bridge" extending between the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, I have fallen heir to a whirlwind, four-day speaking tour. Now, in response to popular demand, I can provide details.
My illustrated talk is called Let's Take Back Arctic History: The John Rae Story. I argue that the orthodox or 'official' version of Arctic exploration history focuses almost exclusively on Royal Navy officers, omitting the contributions of Canada's indigenous peoples and fur-trade explorers like the peerless Scottish-Orcadian John Rae. I will draw on my books Fatal Passage and Dead Reckoning, and say a few words about the forthcoming Arctic Return Expedition, which will retrace the route Rae followed on his all-important 1854 trek. If you're in Scotland, you can catch me at 7:30 p.m. as follows. . . .
-- March 26:  Dumfries, Easterbrook Hall.
-- March 27: Galashiels, Scottish Border Campus 
-- March 28: Ayr, Council Chambers, Ayr Town Hall
-- March 29: Helensburgh, Victoria Halls

The connection with Burns is two-fold. The poet was born in a cottage in Alloway, Ayrshire (see painting to the left, which Sheena did after our first visit); and he died and lies buried in Dumfries. Somewhere, I have a photo of me in that town, sitting in his favorite chair in a local pub. But I'll dig that out another time.
[The Burns portrait derives from Alexander Nasmyth.]

Faithful readers (hi, mom!) will recognize this image of Abbotsford from my book Celtic Lightning.  The historical novelist Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) created this castle-like residence, now a museum, 40 miles south of Edinburgh in the Scottish Borders. Sheena shot the photo a few years ago, when last we visited.
End of March, I have a fighting chance of getting back to Abbotsford, thanks to a new "friendship bridge" that extends between the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.  I have fallen heir to a whirlwind, four-day speaking tour, and one of the places I will visit is Galashiels (see image below), which is three miles from Scott's creation.
My presentation is entitled Let's Take Back Arctic History: The John Rae Story. I argue that the  orthodox or 'official' version of Arctic exploration history focuses almost exclusively on Royal Navy officers, omitting the contributions of Canada's indigenous peoples and fur-trade explorers like that peerless Scottish-Orcadian John Rae.
Those who have read Fatal Passage or Dead Reckoning will know where this is going. Anyway, if you find yourself in Scotland on May 26, 27, 28 or 29, you can catch my song-and-dance, successively, in Dumfries, Galashiels, Ayr, and Helensburgh. No, no, please don't feel obligated to attend in more than one venue, or two at most, and by no means should you make a special trip from Canada -- not unless you are flying on points. Hope to see you in Galashiels!