Sharp end of history

his departure to become Burnett-Fletcher professor in history at

Aberdeen University. The axe will be useful if he goes climbing in the

Grampians. But the implement is also symbolic. A Harvard academic told

Macinnes that his nickname among British historians is the ''ice-pick'',

meaning that he likes to take the direct route.

Macinnes has a unique record of academic ascent to boast about. As far

as he knows he is the first Scottish historian to hold a general chair

of history in a Scottish university since Charles S. Terry, the original

holder of the Burnett-Fletcher Aberdeen chair, in 1903. Why so long?

''It reflects the Anglo-centric bias of universities in Scotland in the

twentieth century. Could you imagine a situation in a French university

where a French historian was to become first professor of general

history in the later twentieth century? Could you imagine it happening

even in England?''

Most of the Scottish universities have a separate and distinct

department of Scottish history. Macinnes believes that this came about

through ''protectionism'', because of the serious neglect of Scottish

history in Scottish schools.

''At universities Scottish history was regarded as an exotic subject.

But I believe now -- and it's reflected in my appointment to the

Aberdeen chair -- that the need for this protectionism is gone. The

world has changed and we're moving into a new European dimension. I see

Scottish history as neither superior nor inferior to any other history.

''It's important that it's integrated. The one university that shares

a similar philosophy both in terms of research and management is

Strathclyde, and I look forward to active collaboration with

Strathclyde, particularly with Professor Tom Devine and colleagues.''

Michael Lynch is professor of Scottish History at Edinburgh

University. A graduate of Aberdeen, he says of Macinnes's appointment:

''From the 1960s onwards the history department at Aberdeen was noted

for its innovation, and was particularly noted for the range of its

teaching. It was among the first in Britain, for example, to teach

African history. In some ways the appointment of a Scottish historian to

head a general history department is a reflection of the flair and

innovation which is typical of that department. I very much welcome

Allan Macinnes's appointment and I think all Scottish historians would

welcome it.''

Does Lynch agree with Macinnes's comments about ''protectionism'' in

Scottish history? ''I am not certain at all that he is quite correct

that in all universities separate Scottish history chairs, separate

Scottish history departments emerged because of protectionism. However,

there is active co-operation in all the universities that I know of,

including Macinnes's former university of Glasgow, and certainly

including mine, between the Scottish history department and the other

departments of history.

''For example, there is at Edinburgh just being approved a new joint

degree in history and Scottish historical studies. He is in a sense

right: Scottish history is now much more self-confident.''

MACINNES sees Aberdeen becoming ''the North Atlantic university'' in

history studies. What does he mean? ''Ultimately it involves history

from the Urals to the Rockies and pushing south below the Caribbean.

Drop a pebble in the historical time-pool. Aberdeen was the centre of

Pictland. The broader horizon is Scotland, and Scotland's broader

horizon in the Middle Ages is Europe. Scotland in the early modern

period becomes much more closely linked to England and above all to the

British Empire.

''People have underestimated how much Scotland gained materially and

socially and perhaps even culturally from its links with the Empire. We

build on this, and build on the connection, particularly with the

Americas and with the Caribbean, at the same time maintaining our strong

connections with Europe, particularly Eastern Europe.''

Aberdeen University experienced cuts in the 1980s but under a new

Principal the institution appears to be going from strength to strength.

But it has to project itself internationally, Macinnes argues.

''My staff will be part of that policy. The only restrictions on

employment at Aberdeen will be finance by the management and secondly by

the intellect. I will expect in future any Scottish historian to have a

comparative dimension and to be aware of what's happening in the world

beyond Scotland. Likewise, anybody coming in, like a non-Scottish

historian, must be aware of the developments of the north. British

history will be taught in Aberdeen, but it will be non-Anglo-centric

British history. There will not be the general belief in the superiority

of the English constitution which is still taught in some other Scottish

universities.''

Professsor Lynch says: ''Like many Scottish historians, Macinnes has

more than one field of interest, and what is particularly striking about

him is that he is both a Scottish and British historian of the 17th

century, and a Highland historian of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries

who takes full account of the experience of similar societies elsewhere,

like Ireland.''

Macinnes's Highland interests are defined by his background. He was

born in Ballachulish. His father was a Mod gold medallist and in his

20-plus years at Glasgow University much of Macinnes's teaching and

research have centred on Highland history. He has been working in the

Argyll archives at Inveraray Castle on the period 1603 to 1761,

particularly the life of the Great Marquis. Macinnes's biography of him

is in preparation, and he is currently finishing off a book on clanship,

commerce and the Stuarts.

Aberdeen University has been clever in giving Macinnes the

Burnett-Fletcher chair. A Highland University is now a probability with

the promise of EC funding through Objective 1 status. A chair of Celtic

has been created at Aberdeen for Donald Meek, formerly of Edinburgh

University, and now Macinnes has been enticed north, a strategic plan

which will give Aberdeen first claim to be the main campus of a Highland

University.

''That's a valid perspective,'' Macinnes admits. ''You can even argue

that the Highland University does exist now. We've got to get away from

the Victorian obsession with institutions.''

In the past, Highland students, including many from the Hebrides, made

the long trek to Aberdeen University, many of them with supplies of meal

to see them through the taxing term. Many bright young people couldn't

afford to go to university. But now, Macinnes argues, technology is

transforming the world of learning and Aberdeen has made a ''massive

commitment'' in this field.

The student of the future will be able to sit at home in Skye, or even

America, if he or she chooses, acquiring knowledge from a computer link

with two-way communication. The modem will become mightier than the

lecture podium.

Through collaboration nationally and internationally ''people in the

Highlands will benefit because they'll be at the forefront of

intellectual endeavour'', Macinnes envisages. ''I look forward to

collaborating with Donald Meek of Celtic as this particularly offers

Aberdeen the opportunity to have an unrivalled centre of excellence in

Highland studies.''

The drive of his personality and his direct approach were shaped by

childhood circumstances. ''I don't have any romantic notions about the

Highlands,'' he says. At Ballachulish, in a landscape of slate, he

played shinty with a ball whose outer cover had been removed, leaving

the hard core to bruise shins unless he could get it into the goal.

His father's duties as district clerk included informing people about

the allocation of council houses, and this exposed young Allan to the

more violent, dark side of Highland nature from disappointed applicants.

His father's job took him to Oban. His mother died in 1963 when Allan

was 13. Three years later his father died, leaving Allan and his younger

brother Douglas.

''Two years earlier I had gone to Oban High School and stayed with

Cathy and Donald MacDonald at Dunbeg. When my parents died I went back

to stay with them, so I owe much of my career to them as well. They came

from good Highland stock in Harris and Morvern.'' In 1992 Macinnes's

young wife died from a brain tumour.

He is the new breed of academic who has survived the shock of the

Thatcher eighties when history was a vulnerable subject, perceived to be

less productive than science. Realising that an academic had to sell his

subject, Macinnes assumed more than his share of administration at

Glasgow University, helping to establish and direct the postgraduate

School of Scottish Studies and crossing the Atlantic to recruit

students.

His philosophy of university funding would find many seconders in the

Conservative party, though Macinnes's background would never allow him

to him vote that way.

''One has to look at new ways of finance. In the modern age you can no

longer just expect money to come in to you, or to rely on the funding

agencies, like the British Academy and Leverhulme, totally valuable as

they are. You've got to look at fund-raising yourself. One way of doing

this would be working in collaboration with the media, and I would look

for long-term projects, particularly involving international dimensions

of Scotland and America. This in turn can be linked to the production of

computer discs for a wider public.

''The second area of research is to establish a historical unit which

can also take in some archaeological component. Money for short-term

research could be sought from people like the distillers, or from the

media for scripting and research training. Money could also be sought

from public agencies like Historic Scotland which has been too dominated

by the diffusionist theories from the south to the neglect of Scotland's

European heritage.

''Historic Scotland needs to be aware of the importance of sound

historical research. I find it incredible that Historic Scotland has no

historian. It has people with a limited knowledge of Scottish history

and Scotland's place in Europe, which I find is the most disturbing

feature, along with a lack of comprehension of the importance of

documentary research and the time that must be spent on it.''

BUT doesn't it sadden him that universities are now so competitive and

money conscious? ''No. I find it totally exciting, and at Aberdeen there

is progressive management.''

What are his feelings about leaving Glasgow University? ''I feel a

sense of liberation. Glasgow is too departmentalised in structure, and

there were people there who were very reluctant to make any significant

movement. In fact, there were some people at senior levels of management

at Glasgow who clearly wanted to invest in mediocrity in depth. But I

also owe a lot to Glasgow University. I am very appreciative of the

support I got as a young lecturer from colleagues.''

Would he have liked to have been offered a chair at St Andrews, his

alma mater? ''No. I believe in working in a Scottish university. I

believe in working in an environment that is international and you can

make an input as a Scot into an international framework. There are only

two universities in Scotland which fulfil that requirement at this

juncture -- Aberdeen and Strathclyde.''

What is the New Year message from the man with the ice axe to his 15

new colleagues in Aberdeen?

''Future research must be backed up by publication. It's integral that

research and teaching are seen to operate hand in hand. The most

manifest way of doing this is to put on exciting courses backed up by

good publications. I want change by co-operation, not by casualty.''

* ALLAN MacINNES: historian who likes to take the direct route. 'Could

you imagine a situation in a French university where a French historian

was to become first professor of general history in the later twentieth

century?'