ABA's Highland Weekend

From the Australian Brontë Association program of activities 2007:

Friday 21st– Sunday 23rd
A SEPTEMBER HIGHLAND WEEKEND
at Ranelagh House in Robertson in the Southern Highlands

This year, instead of having a “Three Sisters Weekend” in the Blue Mountains, we will be following Charlotte Brontė into the Scottish Highlands. She made a couple of short trips there and she greatly admired Walter Scott and all things Scottish. One of the highlights for her was a visit to Abbotsford, the “medieval castle” that Scott built for himself.
In July of this year some of our members accompanied Susannah Fullerton on a literary tour of Ireland and Scotland and we visited Abbotsford. There we found, not just one but two, libraries to die for. And the small baronial hall was full of suits of armour, swords, shields and other trophies of battle.
At this year’s Highland Weekend there are no suits of armour, and the library is just an antique dresser with a good number of classics. But we will learn about the much neglected author, Walter Scott as well as other Scottish writers. Also we will find out about Charlotte’s Highland excursions. But above all, we will have a relaxing weekend with convivial company and good food – not to mention the fresh highland air.
We will stay at Ranelagh House, in Robertson. This large house was built in the 1920s as a hotel, but has served as a Franciscan Seminary (there are magnificent stained glass windows dating from this time) as well as being used for other residential purposes, before once again becoming an old world hotel.

In the picture: Abbotsford (Picture source)

Categories: Alert, Charlotte Brontë