Adventures Online: A Look at Ancient & Modern Edinburgh

As we meet our staff, we will have a brief overview on how to use Zoom, the program’s topic, guidelines, and the daily schedule.

Dr. Kirsty McAlister will give us a broad overview of Scotland’s history and then focus on the origins of it's capital, Edinburgh. We’ll learn how it came to dominate Scottish trade, politics, and law in the medieval period. We’ll consider how Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns — a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site — display a glorious partnership of medieval passageways and stunning 18th-century Georgian architecture.

Take some time to stretch, relax, and prepare for our next lesson.

We will say hello to our fellow Road Scholars.

A Field Trip to the most famous street in Edinburgh, The Royal Mile. At one end sits Edinburgh Castle, high on its volcanic rock, and at the other is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. We’ll also explore the Grassmarket with its wonderful array of pubs and hear some tales from Scotland’s murkier past.

Today's session will end.

Greet everyone and review the day's schedule.

Come face to face with Scotland's best known Kings and Queens from the founding of Holyrood Abbey by King David in 1128 to the exploits of Mary, Queen of Scots in the 1560s. Learn what happened when Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Highland Jacobite army arrived in Edinburgh in 1745 and unravel the relationship that today's monarchy has with Scotland's capital city.

Take some time to stretch, relax, and prepare for our next lesson.

Dense overcrowding and unsanitary conditions in what came to be known as the "Old Town" led to the construction of the "New Town" between 1767 and 1890 - this was urban planning on an unprecedented scale that involved a number of renowned architects.. The result was a neoclassical masterpiece. 

We will end with a review of the topics we have discussed today and a preview of what’s ahead for tomorrow.

Today's session will end.

Greet everyone and review the day's schedule.

Dr. Kirsty McAlister provides an introduction to the world famous Edinburgh Festival. We travel back in time to its origins in 1947 and the aftermath of the Second World War when a group of artists attempted to heal international wounds through the power of music…and leap forward over 70 years to the present day and its uncontested place as the largest Arts festival in the world. We also discover how these decades helped to shape Scotland's modern destiny.

Take some time to stretch, relax, and prepare for our next lesson.

In this lively and interactive forum Dr. Kirsty McAlister and political journalist Joyce MacMillan discuss the state of the Scottish Nation: Brexit, Scottish Independence and Scottish politics. How did we get to where we are today and what does the next decade hold? 

We will have time for questions with program staff.

Today's session will end.

Greet everyone and review the day's schedule.

With Dr. Kirsty McAlister, we dive into the 18th century when Edinburgh was at the heart of an unprecedented period of intellectual development: The Enlightenment. We will meet key players of this movement, the extraordinary achievements that took place in literature, philosophy, medicine and science, and uncover the circumstances that released this fountain of knowledge.

Take some time to stretch, relax, and prepare for our next lesson.

We will roam around Edinburgh's fascinating graveyards and find out about the many prominent Scots buried within. We visit the Scottish American Soldier's Monument in Old Calton Burial Ground dedicated to those Scots that lost their lives during the American Civil War, hear the heartwarming story of Greyfriar's Bobby at Greyfriar's Kirkard, and discover the graveyard's link to the Harry Potter books.

In this lecture Dr. Kirsty McAlister will throw open the doors to Surgeon's Hall which is one of the city's oldest and most astonishing museums. Learn the stories behind some of its remarkable objects, and find out more about Edinburgh's reputation as a centre of medical advancement. This session will be followed by an interactive Q and A to discuss and consolidate the learning from today's events.

Today's session will end.

Greet everyone and review the day's schedule.

Dr. Kirsty McAllister will focus on Edinburgh and the arts. We will uncover some of the fine sculptures and paintings that adorn the beautiful city of Edinburgh and understand how it came to be recognized as the world's first UNESCO city of Literature. We will meet some of Edinburgh's esteemed and beloved writers including Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott.

Take some time to stretch, relax, and prepare for our next lesson.

We will have time for questions with program staff.

In this lesson Dr. Kirsty will reveal some of the inspiring artisans and craftspeople that call Edinburgh their home. From kilt makers and bagpipe makers to producers of textiles, soaps and Scottish fudge, and of course - whisky! 

We will recap what we’ve learned over the past few days and say farewell. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!

This concludes our program.