Scottish Communities Abroad in the Early Modern Period

Migration is a fundamental feature of human experience. This extraordinary collection of essays focuses on a particularly intriguing sequence of migrations: those of Scots during the period 1600-1800. The book first considers the near-abroad (Ireland), the middle-abroad (Poland and Lithuania), and the far-abroad (the Americas), and then details a number of acutely revealing case histories of Scottish communities in Bergen (Norway), Rotterdam and the Maas (the Netherlands), Gothenburg (Sweden), Kedainiai (Lithuania), and Hamburg (Germany). Then, concentrating on the Netherlands, the focus shifts to specific cultural/occupational milieux: exiles (usually for religious reasons), students, and soldiers or sailors. In conclusion, three leading scholars-Lex Heerma van Voss, Solvi Sogner, and Thomas O'Connor-offer wider contextual perspectives that compare the Scottish experience with that of other countries.