On 27-28 November 2025, thirty students and alumni of the Scottish Heritage MLitt and History PhD programmes gathered in Aberdeen and online for a vibrant two-day celebration of scholarship, community, and Scottish culture. The event featured a winter graduation at King's College, festive meals, visits to Aberdeen's museums and Christmas Market, and a full day of research presentations hosted by the Programme Coordinator, Dr Bradford Bow. Highlights included a Madeira wine tasting paired with the final paper, a collaborative art collage created by participants, and a lively historical tour of Old Aberdeen led by programme founder Prof Marjory Harper. The Gathering concluded with warm farewells-an affirmation of the inclusive, supportive community that defines the MLitt and postgraduate history programmes. All current students and alumni are warmly invited to join future events.
Embracing the cold—and each other—thirty students and alumni of the Scottish Heritage MLitt and History PhD programmes converged on Aberdeen and online on 27–28 November 2025. It was a chance to celebrate our graduates, reconnect as a community, explore the city’s museums and festive markets, savour the North East’s food scene, and engage deeply with one another’s research. Student coorganisers Jenna King, Donna Betts, and Alanna MacTavish pulled out all the stops, crafting a gathering that felt as thoughtful as it was memorable. We began at King’s College for a spectacular winter graduation ceremony in the majestic Elphinstone Hall, a fitting finale to years of study at our ancient (and rather beautiful) university. From there, the celebration moved to the Terrace Restaurant at His Majesty’s Theatre, where supportive families, clinking glasses of prosecco and sharing an excellent meal, set a jubilant tone. With a blissful gap before the next feast, some of us visited the Aberdeen Art Museum to refresh our appreciation of Scottish artists and also pick up some Doric pin badges from the gift shop, which started a theme of expanding our knowledge of the “local tongue” over the weekend. After our culture hour, we wandered through the Christmas Market, all bright lights and mulled wine - essential for a slightly chilly “Aberdeen by night” stroll. By evening, the whole group reunited for a drink at Slains Bar before heading around the corner to a cheerful “Thanksgiving” dinner at Aberdeen's oldest pub - Ma Cameron’s on Little Belmont Street (ideal one might say, for a group of Scottish historians!). Over turkey, duck, and even Christmas pudding, participants (both old and new to our group) swapped stories of academic adventures and, in turn, shared what drew them here—nearly everyone citing a passion for Scottish heritage and the warmth of this inclusive community from all around the world. 2 Day two dawned brightly, with the conference table in Humanity Manse groaning under a “smorgasbord” of [locally sourced] food and laptops, providing sustenance for our in-person attendees and, likewise, a steady stream for our dedicated virtual contingent. Dr Bradford Bow, the MLitt Programme Coordinator, hosted, as always, with effortless eloquence—encouraging, joking, and keeping spirits high throughout. Eleven students and alumni presented research ranging from the Enlightenment to social history, with Jacobitism (as always) making its ubiquitous appearance. The papers concluded with a Madeira wine tasting paired with the afternoon’s final presentation. Then Donna Betts (who had done a remarkable job in keeping everyone on schedule) surprised everyone with a collaborative “Scottish exploration” art collage, gifting each participant (both those in person and virtually) their own square of the collective creation—a tangible memento of our special community. The MLitt programme’s founder, Prof Marjory Harper, then led a richly detailed tour of the campus. Full of historical gems and, as Marjory herself put it, “useless but interesting facts,” (a historian's bread and buttery!) the tour took us through King’s College Chapel, the bounds of Old Aberdeen, and the heraldic ceiling and grand interior of St Machar’s Cathedral. Ready for something warming, we headed to the Old Machar’s Pub for a pint or a whisky before taxis spirited us away to our final dinner at Poldino’s. To the mild consternation of the restaurateur, we rearranged the tables so we could all see—and talk to— everyone at once. This was described as “a game of giant dominoes or Tetris”, one which (of course) was completed with dexterity, skill and no chaos. Italian food and wine flowed, as did laughter and the inevitable stories that animate any good gathering and have become a staple at our steadily swelling year-round roster of Scottish Heritage happenings. The two-day celebration finished with a spirited pub crawl that carried on until we reached Aberdeen train station. Parting was difficult, so we settled for hugs and “haste ye back”—until our next Gathering in 2026. We warmly invite all postgraduate History and Scottish Heritage MLitt students and alumni to join this lively, welcoming community.