Want to learn about Scotland?

Have you ever wanted to take an on-line class or learn more about Scotland? Now you can do both. Celtic Hearts Romance Writers is offering a class called, "Insiders Guide to the Scottish Highlands." by Sharon Gunn. The class runs from September 14 to October 26, 2010. It isn't too late to join. You can also join even after the class has started. Here is a little bit of information about the class.

Scotland exists on the periphery of Europe. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the laws and customs of the Scottish Highlands were archaic, that is, they were common in much of Western European the High Middle Ages, but the Renaissance had changed or disappeared. Highland Chiefs were still inaugurated, but not crowned, in ancient ceremonies and revered by their clansmen as semi-sacred. A Highland assembly for justice in the 17th century resembled a Viking Thing in the 10th and 11th centuries. Serial marriages drove the clergy wild. But what really scared the Lowlanders and English was the chief's ability to raise a small army at little or no cost to themselves. The Jacobite Rebellions would not have been possible without the clan armies.

This course will go into depth about life in the Highlands. You will learn who lived in a castle and in a village and who earned a living travelling about. Find out who different this area is from the Lowlands and other parts of Great Britain how similar to Ireland.

1) Scotland in Europe
2) Highlands and the Lowlands
3) Houses and Castles
4) The Court of a Highland Chief
5) The "Clan System"
6) Clothing and weapons

Sharon Gunn learned to read and write Scottish Gaelic at Xavier College (now UCCB) in Nova Scotia, and later obtained an honours degree in Scottish History and Celtic Studies from the University of Glasgow. While a student, she had a job selling Gaelic books in the Highlands from which she gained a greater knowledge of the geography and people. A requirement for the job was fluency in Gaelic, the language of the Highlands and the Islands. She often returns to Scotland. Several times she has travelled to the Royal Royal National Mod, a huge music festival, as a member of a Gaelic choir from Canada.

For more information, you may contact the Celtic Hearts Education Coordinator, Kerri Nelson, at celtickerri@yahoo.com. RWA membersip is not required.