Author
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784))
Title
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland
Published
London: printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1775
Location
914.117 FM367 &367a
What is this book about?
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland is a description of Samuel Johnson’s tour of Scotland, which he took in 1773 with James Boswell. It is an extensive journal of his trials and tribulations, particularly in the Highlands. It is immensely readable, and full of astute insides into Highland life and manners.
Throughout his tour Johnson asks people about the Ossianic poems, which he believes to be forgeries. However, the Highlanders he meets are quick to assure him that the poems are part of an oral and manuscript tradition dating back centuries. Johnson, however, fails to be convinced by this.
Another interesting aspect of his tour is his emphasis on hospitality, food and accommodation. Even the poorest Highlanders are welcoming to Johnson and Boswell, even though he quickly becomes fed up with the diet of oat cakes and whisky.
For example, here is his entry for Inverness:
Why does this book matter?
Johnson’s Journey is one of the earliest tour descriptions of the Highlands. Many locations are still recognisable today, and the book makes an excellent travel companion for modern tourists. It is also an important document for the controversy about the Ossianic Collection, and for Gaelic poetry and culture more widely. The Journey is an excellent introduction to life in eighteenth-century Scotland, as well as English prejudices.
