Johnson and Boswell: The Transit of Caledonia

This is the first comprehensive treatment of Johnson and Boswell in relation to Scotland. A new interpretation of the writers' famous accounts of thier trip to the Hebrides in 1773 describes the `Grand Detour', made in opposition to the standard Grand Tour expectations. Pat Rogers suggests the motives of both Boswell and the ageing Johnson for making the visit, and locates the writers' journey in an intellectual, cultural, and literary context.