Skip to product information
Burt's Letters

Burt's Letters

£5.99

Burt's Letters—From the North of Scotland

An eighteenth-century traveller's vivid eyewitness account of the Highlands


Access Your Content in Seconds

  1. Complete your purchase on our store.
  2. Download The Grey Hill App (free).
  3. Log in using the same email from checkout.
  4. Your ebook will appear instantly in your library.

All content is securely delivered through our app and not offered as a Shopify download.


About the Ebook

In 1730, Edmund Burt was sent to Scotland to work as a contractor for the government. For most of the time, he was based in Inverness, from where he wrote regularly to an acquaintance in London about his experiences. Burt had an insatiable curiosity about everything. From cooking and personal hygiene (the standards of which continually shocked him), to weddings, funerals, public executions and even the activities of witches, no aspect of Highland life or society escaped his scrutiny. Burt's witty and satirical style makes entertaining reading, but whilst he was certainly critical of many things, he draws a very sympathetic picture of the grinding hardship and poverty faced by so much of the ordinary population. His writing is a salutary antidote to many of the Romantic views of the Highlands and Jacobitism, which were later to take hold. It is now available for the first time in one volume, with modernised spelling and includes an Introduction by Charles W. J. Withers, Professor of Geography in the University of Edinburgh.

Why You'll Love This Ebook

  • Discover an invaluable eyewitness account of pre-Clearance Highland life
  • Explore eighteenth-century Scotland through vivid contemporary letters
  • Experience history written by someone who was genuinely there
  • Read another celebrated title from Birlinn Ltd - Independent Scottish Publisher

About the Author

Edmund Burt was a Scottish military figure, an engineer, and an author.

Publication Details

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Publication Date: 05 July 2017

Print Length: 196 pages (Ebook edition)

ISBN (Ebook): 9780857909527

Format: Ebook


Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access my ebook?

Download The Grey Hill App and log in using the same email you used at checkout. Your ebook will appear instantly in your library.

Can I read it online?

Yes — you can also access your purchases via our online reader at reader.thegreyhill.com.

I can't see my ebook — what should I do?

Tap the refresh button in the app or online reader. If it still doesn't appear, ensure you're logged in with the same email used at checkout. If issues continue, contact us and we'll help right away.

Can I gift this ebook?

Yes — you can purchase a Grey Hill Gift Card here: Buy a Gift Card. The recipient can redeem it on our store, and the ebook will appear in The Grey Hill App.

You may also like