Land of My Fathers

A Travel Journal by

Douglas Nisbet

of Charleston, South Carolina, 1851

A Journey To His Scottish Homeland

With the help of my friend and 4th cousin Louise Try, I have completed the transcription and annotation of the travel journal of Douglas Nisbet, dated 1851.  This nearly 170-page handwritten diary documents the journey of Douglas on his first visit to his Scottish homeland since emigrating to America in 1839.

Douglas’ 4-month odyssey was a significant event in his life, and he took the time to carefully document every aspect of the trip.  It begins with a wonderful description of life aboard a sailing ship as he crosses the Atlantic from Charleston, SC to Liverpool.  From there he details numerous adventures such as his surprise visit to his mother and sisters in Glasgow, travel with friends to London to see the Crystal Palace at the World’s Fair, hiking the mountains above Ben Lomond, and visiting his brother Henry on the Isle of Mull. 

As I worked on the book, I felt as though I was traveling right along with Douglas. He writes with a literary flair and quotes famous Scottish writers, creating a rich and entertaining travelogue.  It would not surprise me in the least if current and future Nisbet descendants used this narrative as a guide for their own travels.

The book’s title, Land of My Fathers, is taken from a phrase Douglas used to describe his homeland.

The book is available at the Lulu Bookstore at this LINK

and on Amazon at this LINK

(links will be active after the book is released for distribution – estimated to be 11/15/2023)