Overview
The Breadalbane Collection, an eclectic gathering of 16th century documents of the Campbells of Glenorchy, provides unique insight into Scottish life during the early modern period. The collection was edited by Prof Jane Dawson.
The Campbells were the dominant group within West Highland Gaelic society in the sixteenth century and these letters reveal, in a way no other surviving source can, how that Gaelic world functioned.
16th century context
In the 16th-century, documentation, letter-writing, and language choices all carried particular importance.
Historical background to the collection
These letters focus on Colin Campbell, known also as Grey Colin, the sixth laird of Glenorchy, and his wife Katherine Ruthven. Their main base was in Breadalbane, part of the Gaelic-speaking central Highlands.
This article was published on Apr 8, 2010