The Smell of Scotland: History, Heritage and Practice

A public lecture by Dr Xuelei Huang exploring how Scotland's distinctive smells, from gorse to whisky, have shaped its history and identity.

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland presents a lecture by Dr Xuelei Huang on Scotland's 'smellscapes'. The talk traces how scents such as yellow gorse, Scotch whisky, medieval Edinburgh's stench and industrial Glasgow's smoky air are entangled with the country's environment, industrial identity and global connections. The event runs for two hours at Augustine United Church as part of the 2026-27 Public Events Programme.