The panel illuminated how Scottish women—whether in visual culture, religious movements, or royal courts—played complex and influential roles in history. By engaging with themes of representation, emotional expression, and power dynamics, the presentations encouraged a reexamination of Scottish historical narratives through gendered and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Chair
 research examines the economic and social history of women and gender in late medieval and early modern Scotland. Her research interests include urban and economic history, and the impact of gender and socioeconomic status when navigating economic relationships in early modern Western Europe.Â
Her current research projects include ongoing examinations of credit relationships among early modern Scottish families, neighbourliness in pre-modern Scottish towns, and a project (with Dr Cordelia Beattie, University of Edinburgh) examining married women’s property in sixteenth-century Scottish testaments.
Panelists
Julia Di Castri (MA student, Guelph)
A Picture-Perfect Girl: The Highland Lassie in Postcards
Julia examined the visual iconography of the Highland Lassie in Scottish tourism ephemera during the “Golden Age” of the postcard (1900-1914). Her research highlights the widespread, yet underexplored, role of this figure in shaping perceptions of Scottish identity. Through postcards, literature, and consumer goods, the Highland Lassie became a marketable and symbolic representation of Scotland’s romanticized past, tourism industry, and cultural heritage. Julia’s work draws attention to the ways in which gendered imagery functioned within commercial and nationalistic discourses.
Megan Gamble (MA Student, Guelph)
Voices and Vices: An Emotional Framework for Studying Covenanting Women
Megan discussed seventeenth-century Scotland, focusing on the emotional practices of Covenanting women. By analyzing ego documents such as letters and diaries, her work uncovers how women engaged with patriarchal religious structures and asserted spiritual authority. Using a poststructuralist lens, informed by queer and critical theory, she demonstrates how these women disrupted traditional emotional regimes and public discourse. Her research expands the field of Scottish gender history and emotional history by showing how religious identity and resistance were deeply intertwined with personal narrative and self-expression.
Elizabeth Heaton (MA student, Guelph)
The French Court and Mary Queen of Scots
Elizabeth explored the formative years of Mary, Queen of Scots at the French court (1558-1561), investigating how key figures such as the Guise family and Catherine de’ Medici shaped her political and religious outlook. Her study emphasizes the importance of court culture in developing Mary’s diplomatic and leadership skills, positioning her as a political figure whose identity was moulded by her interactions with the power structures of France. By analyzing Mary’s early experiences, Elizabeth’s research contributes to a deeper understanding of the transnational influences that shaped one of Scotland’s most iconic rulers.