Samuel Laing (travel writer)

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Samuel Laing (1780 – 1868) from Papdale in Orkney was a Scottish travel writer. He travelled in Scandinavia and northern Germany and published descriptions of these countries.

Laing's son, also named Samuel Laing, was a railway administrator and important writer on religion and science, and a Liberal Member of Parliament.

[edit] Works

• Journal of a residence in Norway during the years 1834, 1835, and 1836, 1836
• A tour in Sweden in 1838, 1839
  • In this work, the author strongly criticizes the Swedish-Norwegian union, implying that Norway ought to strive for independence. This caused a comment from the Swedish-Norwegian ambassador in London, M. Björnstierna, On the moral state and political union of Sweden and Norway, 1840.
• Notes of a traveller, 1842
  • Covers journeys in Prussia and other countries. The preface contains a response to Björnstierna's work (see above).
• Heimskringla. The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway, 3 vol., 1844
  • This is Samuel Laing's English translation of the 13th century Icelandic work by Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla (which see).
• Pre-historic remains of Caithness, with notes on the human remains by Thomas H. Huxley, 1866