Lectures take place at the Birnam Institute, Station Road by Dunkeld generally on the second Monday of every month except July and August. The Morning Lecture commences promptly at 11 a.m. and the Afternoon Lecture at 2 p.m. Coffee is served from 10:15 a.m. and again from 1:15 p.m. Light lunches are available but must be booked by the Friday before each lecture. Coffee and sandwiches can be bought downstairs in the foyer.
Guests: Guests are welcome to attend twice during the year at the cost of £5.00 a time. The Chairman must be advised in advance at least 3 days before the lecture.
Members are asked to be seated in good time and not to leave before the end of a lecture.Bad weather cancellation phone number: 0791095657
September 12th 2016
Mark Cottle - A Photographic Odyssey: Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition Captured on Camera
On Shackleton’s third Antarctic expedition in 1914, his ship became trapped in pack ice and sank. Shackleton and his crew survived, their story documented by Frank Hurley, the expedition’s photographer, whose images form the visual narrative of this epic journey.
October 10th 2016
Jane Tapley - Searching for Shakespeare
2016 sees the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. This talk will look at his life, the influences of the Renaissance Age and how his work has impacted on the global stage.
November 14th 2016
Denis Moriarty - WW1: Poetry, Art and Wilfred Owen
The Great War cast its long shadow over the whole of the 20th century and changed history and society for ever. This lecture sets Owen’s brief life in its context, draws on his poetry, the work of war artists and the compelling photographic images of the conflict.
December 5th 2016
Imogen Corrigan - Fra Filippo Lippi
Fra Filippo Lippi’s legacy included many innovations in composition and colour. We see his style evolve and admire the graceful elegance of his work.
January 9th 2017
Hanne Sutcliffe - Wonderful Copenhagen
In this lecture, four of Denmark’s most famous and splendid palaces and their extraordinary history will be discussed.
February 13th 2017
Jeremy Barlow - The Beggar’s Opera
John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera became London’s longest running theatrical hit when first performed in 1728. It inspired several adaptations, most famously the Brecht/Weill Threepenny Opera. This lecture examines the show’s appeal and influence over the centuries.
March 13th 2017
Sue Jackson - The Cultural Heritage of The Huguenots
As goldsmiths, clock-makers, opticians, bankers, gilders, ironworkers and horticulturists, the Huguenots made an extraordinary contribution to English craftsmanship.
April 10th 2017
Sally Hoban - The Art and Science of The Lunar Society
The Lunar Society of Birmingham, whose members included James Watt, Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood, were both artists and scientists and their legacy of experimentation in the 18th and 19th centuries helped give us the modern industrial world we know today,
May 8th 2017
Elizabeth Merry - Travels in Rajasthan with Rudyard Kipling
In Kipling’s company, we explore some of Rajasthan’s magnificent architectural splendoursand gain some insights into the rich cultural history of the ‘Land of Kings’.
June 12th 2017
Claire Walsh - Churchill, the Artist
In 1915, Churchill was rescued from depression by the ‘muse of painting’. This lecture explores the role painting played in his personal and political life.
Braemore Web