Learn about Scottish tourism through historical ephemera

of his works, and the Edinburgh Assembly Rooms where he finally publicly acknowledged his authorship of Waverley in 1827.

From our collection we can see that the North British Railway Company, in their 1888 and 1890 Railway Guides, featured a cover illustration of the famous author and advertised a 158.1 km trip called the “Waverley Route.” The trip took passengers on a scenic tour from Edinburgh to Carlisle.

Aside from taking in the scenery, Scotland was also marketed as a destination for those seeking adventure and sport such as stag and game bird hunting, and trout and salmon fishing in Scotland’s famous rivers and streams.

The nation’s great game, golf, was also promoted to tourists with advertisements of the course at St. Andrew’s, the birthplace of the sport, hotels like Gleneagles, and the Lothian Coast locales of Gullane and North Berwick.

“Colorful England & Scotland” (1933) and “England & Scotland: Holidays on the London and North Eastern Railway” (ca 1930) promote speedy travel from London to Edinburgh in under eight hours on the “Flying Scotsman,” a steam locomotive, and are beautifully illustrated with photography by James Valentine. One brochure features a cover illustration by Frank Henry Mason, a well-known designer of travel and railway posters.

Until we see COVID-19 vaccination programs gain traction worldwide, and herd immunity emerges, good sense tells us that armchair travels will have to suffice for now. In the meantime, delving into the materials in our Scottish Travel and Tourism Collection can provide an option for those longing to explore Scotland’s exquisite landscapes and cultural heritage.

“Colorful England and Scotland” [Brochure], cover art by Frank Henry Mason (1875-1965), London & North Eastern Railway, 1933. Scottish Tourism Ephemera Collection, Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph, XS1 MS A340, 1.13.

 SELECTIONS FROM ARCHIVAL AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

ASHLEY SHIFFLETT MCBRAYNE, LIBRARY ASSOCIATE

Have you ever thought about what it’d be like to travel to Scotland? Well, you’re in luck —McLaughlin Library’s Archival & Special Collections has an excellent collection on Scottish tourism, which is part of its large Scottish Studies Collection.

For nearly three centuries, Scotland has been a destination for travellers enticed by enchanting scenery, political and social history, literature, sport, and ancestry. The collection consists of published guidebooks and travelogues, unpublished travel accounts, ephemera, and photography, and it is a valuable set of resources to learn about Scottish travel history.

An exciting and growing part of the Scottish Tourism Collection is ephemera — the paper items we all inadvertently gather when we travel. Examples include ticket stubs, restaurant bills, and brochures advertising hotels, transportation, and attractions.

Sometimes these items wind up in our scrapbooks, albums, and memory boxes as mementos of happy times and favourite places discovered. For historians, Scottish ephemera can be a rich source of information about the country’s travel and the tourism infrastructure which developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Early travellers sought out picturesque landscapes inspired by the early travel accounts written by Samuel Johnson, Thomas Pennant, and others. Archival & Special Collections has first editions of these works.

Travellers were also inspired by Scottish poets and novelists and selected their itineraries based on locations they learned about in Scottish literature. Many tourists were attracted to Sir Walter Scott’s home at Abbotsford or headed to the Trossachs to take a ride on the steamer named after him.

Scott also ignited interest in visits to Melrose Abbey, the ruins of which he helped to preserve, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which featured in more than one

“West Front, Holyrood Palace,” from an Album of Albumen Prints, chiefly of Scotland, George Washington Wilson, ca 1890. Scottish Studies Collection, Archival & Special Collections, University of Guelph, XS1 MS A195, page 34.