Rev. James Fraser, 1634-1709

This book studies the revealing autobiographical sources left by Rev. James Fraser of Kirkhill (1634-1709), a Gaelic-speaking scholar, traveller, and minister. It examines Fraser's self-presentation and situates him within his locality, Scotland, the British Isles, and Europe. The work also incorporates recent historiography to provide a more comprehensive presentation of the social, economic, and cultural trajectories of the early modern Highlands.

David Worthington focuses on the Scottish Highlands' strong engagement with Europe and early entanglement with empire. He challenges the assumption that the north Highlands, in particular, was sealed off from the rest of the world before Culloden. Worthington identifies the agency, vitality, and resilience of the people of the Highlands prior to the peripheralisation, depopulation, and under-development that then occurred.

Rev. James Fraser, 1634-1709 offers a fresh perspective on the historical context of the Scottish Highlands through the lens of one of its notable figures.