28. ‘Highland Banditry in 17th-Century Scotland’

by Allan Kennedy

Synopsis

While most of us, if we hear the words ‘banditry’ and ‘Highlands’, will likely think straight away of Rob Roy, the ‘golden age’ of Highland bandits was not in fact Rob’s 18th century, but the 17th century. Focusing on a number of infamous gangs, this talk explores the phenomenon of Highland banditry prior to 1700, exploring the causes and nature of bandit activity, and attempting understand what it can tell us about early modern society in Scotland.

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About the speaker

Allan Kennedy is Lecturer in Scottish History at the University of Dundee. His research focuses on the political and social history of the early modern period, with a particular focus on issues of crime, deviance, and control. Publications include Governing Gaeldom: The Scottish Highlands and the Restoration State (2014), Life at the Margins in Early Modern Scotland (2024), and Serious Crime in Late-Seventeenth Century Scotland (2025).

How to participate

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