Scotland was transformed as a nation during Queen Victoria's reign. This text uses the pioneering work of early photographers along with quotations from the period to illustrate the social revolution that took place and to recapture the spirit of the age. The text recalls how Queen Victoria's annual visits gave the country an important tourist boost after decades of neglect by its Anglo-Saxon neighbours. Newly developed railways and steamer services made remote parts of the Highlands and islands easily accessible to visitors for the first time, and the new technique of photography allowed the beauties of the Scottish landscape to be recorded, as well as the sometimes harsh realities of daily life in the countryside and the expanding cities. These historic photographs also document the contrasts of the era. They show royalty and the aristocracy, landowners and the growing middle class, the farming communities and the working population of the towns. They also provide a glimpse of trends in fashion and entertainment, and of changing modes of transport and types of work at the turn of the 20th century. The accompanying text aims to provide insight into the attitudes, opinions and habits of the people, and bring their ordinary concerns and activities back to life.