Scottish History PhD

Here in the nation’s capital, Scottish history is taught by a strong and distinguished team, comprising seven core academic staff members, plus a number of postdoctoral fellows and associated staff.

The subject has been taught at the University of Edinburgh since the prestigious Sir William Fraser Chair of Scottish History and Palaeography was established in 1901. The post is currently held by Professor Ewen Cameron.

From the early middle ages to the founding of the new Scottish Parliament, we can offer expertise in all periods of study, from early medieval times to the present day. Other members of staff have published extensively on topics including early medieval battles, late medieval kingship, saints’ cults, urban history, the Reformation, the witch hunt, government and finance, the Highlands in all periods, Scotland’s external relations (especially with America) and its place in the Union.

You will be assigned a supervisory team of at least two supervisors who will provide expert academic guidance on your chosen research topic. You will meet regularly to discuss your progress and research plans, as well as drafts of your thesis/dissertation chapters, conference papers and potential articles.

In addition to individual supervision, all our PhD students pursue an individually tailored programme of research and professional skills training agreed with their supervisors.

Our PhD students develop a highly valued set of research and professional skills which enable them to go on to a wide variety of careers.

Many of our PhD students wish to pursue an academic career, and we have an excellent record of helping our students obtain research and teaching posts in universities in the UK and overseas.