We are delighted to offer a full programme of events and excursions. You do not need to book or pay for attendance at our Welcoming Reception and our Grand Reception. There is a charge to attend the Concert and the Ceilidh, but tickets are still available from the Registration Desk. We regret that the excursions are now sold out. There are, however, many other events, concerts, and exhibitions that have places available.
Table of Contents
Receptions 2 Concert and Ceilidh 3 Excursions 4–5 Old and New Town Walking Tours 6 Walking Black Edinburgh 7 ‘Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland’ 8 Pub Quiz 8 Lunchtime Concert at St Cecilia’s Hall 10 Family-Friendly Events at St Cecilia’s Hall 11 ‘Northern Lights’ at the National Library of Scotland 12 Libraries and Records 13
Hopetoun House at Sunset
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PART ONE: Official Congress Events
The Gale-Wiley Welcoming Reception, Sunday 14 July, 6pm–7pm, McEwan Hall All delegates are invited to a free wine reception to welcome you to Edinburgh and to give you a chance to meet friends and colleagues. Drinks are served in the atmospheric and recently restored undercrypt of the iconic McEwan Hall. Doors open at 6pm. This reception is generously supported by donations from Gale and Wiley.
Key Information
Where: McEwan Hall Basement, Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG When: Sunday 14 July, 6 pm–7 pm. Price: Free. Venue: https://www.edinburghfirst.co.uk/venues/mcewan-hall/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/9bRJj2PXuLK2
Grand Reception, Monday 15 July, 6.30pm–8pm, National Museum of Scotland All delegates are invited to the Grand Reception in the stunning Grand Gallery at the National Museum of Scotland, just a few minutes’ walk from the university. Doors open at 6pm and wine and canapes will be served to the accompaniment of traditional Scottish pipers. This reception is generously supported by a donation from The Lewis Walpole Library at Yale University.
Key Information
Where: Grand Gallery, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers St, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF When: Monday 15 July, 6.30 pm–8.30 pm. Price: Free. Venue: https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/6sQZLBQ8hNs
Voltaire Foundation Book Launch, Tuesday 16 July, 6.30pm–7.15pm, McEwan Hall Delegates are invited to a short pre-concert wine reception for the launch of Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment Online. Drinks are served in McEwan Hall undercrypt. Doors open at 6.30pm and places are limited to 400 only – first come, first admitted! This reception is generously supported by a donation from The Voltaire Foundation.
Key Information
Where: McEwan Hall Basement, Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG When: Tuesday 16 July, 6.30pm–7.15pm. Price: Free. Venue: https://www.edinburghfirst.co.uk/venues/mcewan-hall/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/9bRJj2PXuLK2
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Optional Evening Events: Tickets Still Available
Concert of music by Beethoven, Tuesday 16 July, 7.30pm, McEwan Hall
2020 is the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Beethoven (famously) spans both the late classical and early romantic periods, but it is often forgotten that his life was lived entirely in the long eighteenth century. The Edinburgh Quartet, one of Britain’s foremost chamber ensembles, will present a programme of music celebrating his eighteenth-century music.
Key Information
Where: McEwan Hall, Bristo Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG When: Tuesday 16 July, 7.30 pm–9.30p m Price: £10.00 Venue: https://www.edinburghfirst.co.uk/venues/mcewan-hall/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/9bRJj2PXuLK2
Ceilidh and Gala Buffet Dinner, Thursday 18 July, Edinburgh Assembly Rooms
The Congress Gala event takes place at the magnificent eighteenth-century Edinburgh Assembly Rooms and features a buffet dinner and a ceilidh—a time-honoured Scottish social occasion featuring traditional music and dance calls performed by Da Hooley Ceilidh Band. The Assembly Rooms opened in January 1787 and, ever since, have been at the heart of Edinburgh’s special occasions and celebrations, hosting royalty, celebrities, and nobility. Ceilidhs date back to the mists of time and remain a popular Scottish social event. You don’t have to dance, but if you do, we will show you how to do it in the traditional Scottish way! Whether you want to join in with the dancing, listen to the music, or just relax over a buffet dinner and a drink, the ISECS Ceilidh is the place to be!
Key Information
Where: The Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2LR When: Thursday 18 July, 7pm—midnight Price: £65.00 What’s Included: entrance, music and dance, buffet, welcome drink Dress Code: Dress up or come as you are. You choose! How do I pronounce ‘ceilidh’: like ‘kay-lee’. Venue: http://www.assemblyroomsedinburgh.co.uk/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/PJC3CyvezKN2
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Wednesday Afternoon Excursions – Sold Out, Sorry!
Abbotsford House: The Home of Sir Walter Scott
Abbotsford House, near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, was the home of Sir Walter Scott from 1811 to his death in 1832. Set in a beautiful landscape on the River Tweed, the house contains much to interest scholars and fans of Scott and provides an essential insight into the mind and art of the poet and novelist. This excursion includes bus travel from Edinburgh to Abbotsford, a guided tour, and time to explore the grounds and visit the restaurant and shop.
Key Information
Where: bus pick-up at Buccleuch Place from 12.30pm When: Wed 17 July. Depart 12.50 pm. Return approx. 7.00pm. Price: £25.00 What’s Included: Bus travel to and from Abbotsford, house entrance fee, guided tour. Restrictions: Limited to 25 tickets. Max 2 tickets per delegate Venue Information: https://www.scottsabbotsford.com/ Google Maps: bus pick-up at Buccleuch Place from 12.30pm https://goo.gl/maps/Ym4xUYJi4TC7GQCC6
Stirling Castle: Medieval Roots and a Renaissance Palace
Although its origins go back into the middle ages, and it was besieged in the Scottish War of Independence, Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most important and dramatic Renaissance buildings. It was here that James IV kept court before his death at Flodden Field, here that Mary Queen of Scots was crowned, and here that James VI was baptised. Today, it is one of Scotland’s most visited attractions, especially following completion of extensive renovations to the Royal Palace—the first Renaissance palace in the British Isles. This excursion includes bus travel from Edinburgh to Stirling, a self-guided tour, and time to explore the castle and visit the restaurant and shop.
Key Information
Where: bus pick-up at Buccleuch Place from 12.30pm When: Wednesday 17 July. Depart 12.50 pm. Return approximately 6.30pm. Price: £25.00 What’s Included: Bus travel to and from Stirling and entrance fee Restrictions: Limited to 40 tickets. Max 2 tickets per delegate Venue Information: https://www.stirlingcastle.scot/ Google Maps: bus pick-up at Buccleuch Place from 12.30pm https://goo.gl/maps/Ym4xUYJi4TC7GQCC6
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Scone Palace: Georgian Gothic at its Most Spectacular Originally a medieval abbey and location of the Stone of Destiny on which Scottish kings were crowned, and since 1604 the home of the Earls of Mansfield, Scone Palace is today a stunning example of late-Georgian gothic architecture. Completed in 1808, the palace’s state rooms and gardens are open to the public and contain extensive collections of eighteenth-century art and furniture—including David Martin’s portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle. This excursion includes bus travel from Edinburgh to Scone, a self-guided tour, and time to explore the palace and visit the restaurant and shop.
Key Information
Where: bus pick-up at Buccleuch Place from 12.30pm When: Wed 17 July. Depart 12.50 pm. Return approx. 6.30pm Price: £20.00 What’s Included: Bus travel to and from Scone and Palace entrance fee Restrictions: Limited to 90 tickets. Max 2 tickets per delegate Venue Information: https://scone-palace.co.uk/ Google Maps: bus pick-up at Buccleuch Place from 12.30pm https://goo.gl/maps/Ym4xUYJi4TC7GQCC6
Hopetoun House: Scotland’s Finest Stately Home Built in 1701 by Sir William Bruce, Hopetoun was extensively redesigned and enlarged by William Adam in the 1720s and 30s and completed by his sons John and Robert Adam in the 1750s. It has remained the home of the Hope family from the eighteenth century and today is often considered to be Scotland’s finest stately home, with an extensive collection of art and furniture and beautiful views over the Firth of Forth. This excursion includes bus travel from Edinburgh to Hopetoun, a guided tour and afternoon tea in the Stables Kitchen.
Key Information
Where: bus pick-up at Buccleuch Place from 12.30pm When: Wed 17 July. Depart 12.50 pm. Return approx. 6.00pm. Price: £40.00 What’s Included: Bus travel to and from Hopetoun, house entrance, guided tour, and afternoon tea Restrictions: Limited to 100 tickets. Maximum 2 tickets per delegate Venue Information: http://hopetoun.co.uk/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Ym4xUYJi4TC7GQCC6
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Wednesday Afternoon Guided Walks – Sold Out, Sorry!
Tickets are still available for the Walking Black Edinburgh Tour; see page 7 New Town Walk
AUGUST, around, what PUBLIC Works I see Lo! Stately streets lo squares that court the breeze. This quotation from James Thomson’s poem Liberty were the first words that the architect of the New Town plan, James Craig, used to describe his masterpiece in 1767. Are they as true today as they were then? On this walking tour, you will be introduced to the most important public buildings and homes remaining from the eighteenth-century New Town and have the opportunity to consider the diverse society which used and inhabited them—from the nation’s leading figures of both genders to everyday traders and shopkeepers. Your guide will be Dr Anthony Lewis. He has studied the life and work of James Craig and New Town architects and builders of the 1700s for several years—the result of which has been a book, several articles, and his PhD.
Key Information
Where: Meet at The Duke of Wellington Statue, 2 Princes St, Edinburgh EH1 3YY When: 2pm–4pm. and 5pm–7pm. Price: £12.00 What’s Included: Guided walking tour of Edinburgh New Town Restrictions: Maximum 2 tickets per delegate; Maximum 15 persons per walk. Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/PoqSV6sYenD2
Old Town Walk Daniel Defoe thought the Old Town’s High Street (the Royal Mile) ‘perhaps the largest, longest, and finest street, for buildings and number of inhabitants, not in Britain only, but in the World’. Dr Alison Duncan regularly guides present-day visitors around the Royal Mile and the Old Town’s network of narrow lanes and small courtyards. In her company you can experience the environment of compact urban sociability, of dingy taverns, dark alleys and darker buildings, in which the ideas of the Scottish Enlightenment were formulated, challenged, discussed, and published to a wider world. Like Dorothy Wordsworth, who visited in 1803, you may find that ‘high as my expectations had been raised, the city of Edinburgh far surpassed all expectation’.
Key Information Where: Meet at the Entrance to the Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL When: 2pm–4pm. and 5pm–7pm. Price: £12.00 What’s Included: Guided walking tour of Edinburgh Old Town Restrictions: Maximum 2 tickets per delegate; Maximum 15 persons per walk. Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/whJFp1ELzXR2
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PART TWO
Exhibitions and Other Events
The following exhibitions and events are offered by other organisations to complement the activities of the congress. Please contact the organisers directly for more information. We regret that most of these events are in English only. The Congress organisers are not responsible for the content of external events or for booking arrangements.
Walking Black Edinburgh
The tour will be led by Lisa Williams of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association. Hear the fascinating but little-known stories of Edinburgh's deep connections with Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean from Tudor times to the present day; with a focus on Enlightenment Edinburgh and Scotland's role in the Transatlantic Slave System. The walk from the New Town to the Old Town will make you see Edinburgh's statues and buildings in a whole new way! The route itself is fairly gentle, lasts up to 3 hours and has some rest stops along the way. Advance bookings only. Book at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/isecs-black-history-walking-tour- of-edinburgh-tickets-61039702393
Key Information
Where: Meet at the Melville Monument (Dundas Statue), St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2BZ When: Wednesday 17 July 2:30–5:30 pm Price: £5.00 per person What’s Included: Guided walking tour of Black Edinburgh. Restrictions: Maximum 20 persons. Book soon! Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/dtNfaNNZJDRRo62W8
More Information: email: [email protected] | Twitter: edincarib | Instagram: caribscot
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‘Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland’
This major exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland explores how, in the era of the European Romantic movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Scotland became the subject of international fascination and, by the end of Queen Victoria’s reign, a particular version of the cultural traditions of the Highlands and islands had become fixed as a badge of wider Scottish identity. The NMS has kindly offered congress delegates a reduced entrance fee of £5.00.
Key Information
Where: National Museum of Scotland, Chambers St, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF When: Open 26 June–10 November 2019 Price: £5.00 for delegates. Show your name badge and quote code WAMFIVE. What’s Included: Entrance to the ‘Wild and Majestic’ exhibition. You can visit the rest of the museum without charge. Website: https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of- scotland/whats-on/wild-and-majestic/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/6sQZLBQ8hNs
Pub Quiz
Come along to the ISECS quiz night to experience a time-honoured British traditional pastime! Show off your knowledge of eighteenth-century trivia in our relaxed and friendly pub quiz. A chance to socialise and make new friends, all at one of Edinburgh's famous pubs. Sign up at the conference, individually or in teams of 4–6 people. Cash prize to the winning team. This social event is primarily for postgraduates and early-career researchers, but all are welcome. Book at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/isecs-postgraduate-and-ecr-quiz-tickets-63746709123
Key Information Where: Thirty-Two Below, 32B West Nicolson Street, EH8 9OD When: Wednesday 17th July, 8pm–10pm Price: £2 entry per person Venue Information: https://www.thirtytwobelow.co.uk/ Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/K14ZEyRZ6TVhYpLG9
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Free Lunchtime Concert at St Cecilia’s Hall A Conversation Piece: Domestic Music Making in Eighteenth-Century Britain
St Cecilia's Hall is Scotland's oldest purpose-built concert hall. Originally built by the Edinburgh Musical Society in 1762, this Georgian hall is home to one of the most important historic musical instrument collections anywhere in the world.
This concert is inspired by the portrait by J.J. Zoffany of the Gore family with George, third Earl Cowper, where a young lady is playing a square piano accompanying a cellist and singer. Music will include compositions by J.C. Bach, Charles Burney, and Thomas Arne. The programme features instruments from the Musical Instrument Collection, presented by staff and students from Edinburgh University. No need to book, but first-come-first-admitted! Performers Key Information Where: St Cecilia’s Hall, 50 Niddry Street, Edinburgh, David Gerrard – spinet and piano EH1, 1LG ( http://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/ ) Saskia Keller – cello When: 1.15 pm–2.15 pm, Tuesday 16 July. Price: FREE Jenny Nex – soprano Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/whJFp1ELzXR2
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Family-Friendly Events at St Cecilia’s Hall
We are delighted to offer two family-friendly events at St Cecilia's Hall, Scotland's oldest purpose- built concert hall and home to one of the most important historic musical instrument collections anywhere in the world. Both events run twice, on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
ISECS Congress Family Session: Potted Poems of Pastimes
Exploring the range of flowers and wood used in the decoration and making of instruments in St Cecilia’s Hall collection and discovering a little about Georgian Edinburgh along the way, this families event will begin with a tour of some of the relevant instruments in the collection before everyone creates their very own St Cecilia’s Hall ‘potted poem’. Suitable for children aged 5–10.
Key Information
Where: St Cecilia’s Hall, 50 Niddry Street, Edinburgh, EH1, 1LG ( http://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/ ) When: Wed 17 July and Fri 19 July, 10.30 am to 12pm, Price: FREE To book: please see: https://edin.ac/2GaJlVq . (Password to access page is ‘Harpsichords’) Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/whJFp1ELzXR2
ISECS Congress Family Session: Explore World Instruments At St Cecilia's Hall Musical Instrument Museum, we hold a wide range of instruments from different time periods and from all over the world. Families are invited to come and explore our world instrument collections through a museum trail and then make and design your own instruments from recycled materials. Suitable for children aged 5-10.
Key Information
Where: St Cecilia’s Hall, 50 Niddry Street, Edinburgh, EH1, 1LG ( http://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/ ) When: Wed 17 July and Fri 19 July, 10.30 am to 12pm, Price: FREE To book: please see: https://edin.ac/2Ggr6Ow . (Password to access page is ‘Harpsichords’) Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/whJFp1ELzXR2
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‘Northern Lights’ at the National Library of Scotland
This exhibition illuminates Scotland's contribution to the flourishing intellectual artistic and scientific progress of the Enlightenment. Eighteenth-century Europe was a place for investigation and debate. Eschewing authoritarianism, individuals questioned received wisdom and used reason and experiment to draw their own conclusions. Scotland took a leading role in the Enlightenment, contributing original thinking in philosophy, economics and literature, and innovation in science. Visitors can view important items from the Nation Library of Scotland’s rare books and manuscripts collections and learn the stories behind them in a series of themed sections. Where: National Library of Scotland (George IV Bridge Building), Edinburgh EH1 1EW When: 21 June 2019 to 18 April 2020. Price: Free Website: https://www.nls.uk/exhibitions/scottish-enlightenment Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ZD6oS63CLrMa3rN39
Northern Lights Exhibition Panel Discussion The Faculty of Advocates Library played a key role in the Scottish Enlightenment from its former staff members such as David Hume and Adam Ferguson, through to its extensive collections which were heavily used by members of the literati. On Wednesday 17 July at 2pm, Manuscripts Curator Ralph McLean explores the collections which were used to create the Northern Lights exhibition and discusses how the exhibition came together. Joining Ralph will be Matthew Lee (Aberdeen/NLS), Sydney Ayers (Edinburgh) and Alastair Noble (Edinburgh), three current PhD students who will each demonstrate how material from the Library’s collections continues to contribute to research on the Enlightenment in the twenty-first century.
Key Information Where: National Library of Scotland (George IV Bridge Building), Edinburgh EH1 1EW When: Wed, 17 July 2019, 2 pm – 3.30 pm Price: Free Book at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/northern-lights- exhibition-panel-discussion-tickets-62435184317 Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ZD6oS63CLrMa3rN39
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Libraries and Records
The National Library of Scotland is a reference library with world-class collections. It is also Scotland's largest library and one of the major research libraries in Europe. Its collections range from rare historical documents to online journals, covering every subject but specialising in Scotland's knowledge, history, and culture. The Library’s main reading rooms are on George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW, just a few minutes’ walk from the University. The reading rooms are open from Monday to Saturday. Anyone can join the Library, but you will need to apply for a library card. You can apply in person or online.
• Library homepage: https://www.nls.uk/ • Information on joining and opening hours: https://www.nls.uk/using-the-library
The collections held at the National Records of Scotland (NRS) include registers of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, civil partnerships, dissolutions and adoptions, Scottish government records from the twelfth century to the present day, records created by courts of law, churches, businesses, landed estates and other corporate bodies, Scottish census enumeration books, and the National Health Service Central Register. The NRS Historical Search Room is located on the first floor of General Register House, 2 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3YY. The Search Room is open Monday to Friday. You may consult original records without charge for purposes of historical research provided that you hold a current reader's ticket and adhere to the NRS Historical and Legal Search Room Regulations. • NRS Homepage: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/ • Information on research at the NRS: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research The ScotlandsPeople Centre is the official government resource for family history research where you can access digital images of statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages; the Census; Old Parish Registers; legal records and more. You can book a day search place online for £15 using the NRS online booking system: https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/visit-us
Photo Credits: Hopetoun House © Hopetoun House; McEwan Hall © Edinburgh University; Ceilidh © Ros Gasson; Abbotsford House ©Brycchan Carey; Stirling Castle © Stirling Castle; Scone Palace © Scone Palace. Colonel William Gordon of Fyvie by Pompeo Batoni © National Trust for Scotland, Fyvie Castle. All other images from Wikipedia and licensed under creative commons. 16.7.19 13