Scottish Literature and Scottish History

Uncover Scotland's past and help shape its future.

On our joint honours programme in Scottish Literature and Scottish History, you will engage in critical reading of texts of all kinds. This will help you understand the political, socio-economic and cultural forces that have shaped the Scotland of today.

Scottish Literature

Our programme aims to develop your critical, analytic, linguistic and creative skills by engaging with a broad range of texts and a variety of approaches to reading.

After an introduction to the essential skills needed for critical close reading, you will specialise in Scottish Literature as you move through the literary side of your studies.

You will explore the cultural contexts of all major periods of Scottish literature from the late Middle Ages to the present.

In your honours years, you will select courses on the basis of your own interests in specific topics, periods or genres of Scottish Literature.

Scottish History

With a particular emphasis on the history of Scotland, the Edinburgh experience is distinctive. You will engage with a range of historical themes, chronological periods and geographical areas, and study using a rich variety of approaches to the past.

Why Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the first UNESCO World City of Literature, a fantastic historic and literary city which many greats of Scottish literature have called home. From the University's Special Collections to the National Library of Scotland, the city's resources for studying literature and history are exceptional.

We are the oldest department of English and Scottish Literature in the UK, and one of the longest-established in the world. Our Writers-in-Residence have included:

* Jenni Fagan

* Liz Lochhead

* Sorley Maclean

* Norman MacCaig

* Michael Pedersen

* Alan Warner

This programme is very flexible. In your pre-honours years (Years 1 and 2), you will choose option courses from a broad list of disciplines in addition to your core subjects of Scottish Literature and Scottish History.

In your honours years (Year 3 and 4), you will select courses on the basis of your own literary and historical interests, developing a detailed knowledge of a topic or set of texts.