I’m absolutely thrilled to be one of the recipients of the 2012 International Council of Canadian Studies‘ Research Travel Grants, because it means I can head on over to eastern Canada to get some work done.

A significant portion of my PhD research considers the Scottish built heritage in parts of eastern Canada, particularly in Nova Scotia but also including regions like New Brunswick and Ontario.  I’m hoping to visit a selection of these sites so I can talk to the management and owners, as well as their marketing and customer service staff.  I also want to pay a visit to some great research centres (such as the Centre for Scottish Studies at U. Guelph and the Department of Heritage & Culture at Cape Breton U), and some of the regional culture and heritage authorities (like Nova Scotia Museum and Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia).

So far, plans for the research trip are relying on other plans for research in Scotland, but here’s hoping I’ll find myself in Nova Scotia in July-August, just in time for the nice weather.