The course is worth one full-year credit and is contingent on adequate enrolment. Students are not permitted to register for more than one course.
Classes will take place Monday to Thursday from approximately 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Field trips will occur during scheduled class time AND outside of class time. A detailed schedule will be available at the time of admission.
HIS298Y0 Introduction to the History of Scotland
The history of Scotland is the history of a place shaped by the natural forces of wind and sea, by a location at the edge of Europe, and by people who have created enduring myths and ideals. This course presents an introductory survey of Scottish history from the first humans in northern Britain to the modern age. Topics include early Celts, the Roman Empire, Picts and Scots, Viking incursions, Anglo-Norman influences, the medieval creation of a nation, Renaissance and Reformation, witchcraft, the Enlightenment, industrialisation, and twentieth-century modernisation. Students will study primary source evidence in a variety of forms (including material culture, chronicles, literature, recipes, music, and art), with special attention to the historic sites that we will be visiting.
Prerequisites: None
Breadth Requirement = Society and its Institutions (3)
CR/NCR option: Eligible
2025 Course Outline
Field Trips
Field trips, which are designed to complement the course readings, will include visits to the Museum of Scotland and Gladstone’s Land (Edinburgh), Trimontium Museum and Melrose Abbey (Melrose), overnight trip to Stirling and the Highlands (tours of Bannockburn Visitor Centre and Battle Experience, Stirling Castle, Culloden Battle Site, Fort George, Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness), and a day-trip to New Lanark. The cost of these trips is CAD $710, paid to U of T for all fees, one-night accommodation in Inverness, and return bus transportation.
Instructor
Mairi Cowan is a historian of the medieval and early modern world. She has published research on medieval saints, religious upheavals, and the history of childhood. Her most recent book, The Possession of Barbe Hallay: Diabolical Arts and Daily Life in Early Canada, is a microhistory of bewitchment in New France. Her current research examines adolescence in the medieval royal Scottish court. Professor Cowan focusses on guiding students through authentic historical problems while helping them to develop the skills they need to discover, understand, and engage with the past in a historically responsible way. She is the recipient of several teaching awards, including the E.A. Robinson Teaching Excellence Award at UTM; the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Teaching Award, which is given to Ontario’s most outstanding university teachers; and the Canadian Historical Association’s Excellence in Teaching with Primary Sources Award.