News about Robert Louis Stevenson

A public quango is paying more than £800,000 to researchers at the University of Edinburgh to investigate the way the Victorian author treats indigenous populations in the Pacific Islands. Parts of the initiative are likely to include travel to far-off South Sea destinations such as Samoa and Hawaii. 'Bureaucrats who insist on funding this nonsense should be warned to walk the plank last night,' Joanna Marchong, the TaxPayers' Alliance's campaign manager, said.'

For a large portion of my childhood, I battled the Scottish cringe. I was probably in my thirties before I felt I had it licked. However, a new strain of it has been unleashed, and resistance for this Scot seems to have been futile.

Tom Chesshyre of MailOnline Travel checked in to Baltasound Hotel, which opened on Unst in 1939. He reveals what it's like on the UK's most northerly island, recalling moonscape-like landscapes, rugged coastlines, a bus shelter kitted out with a sofa, and puffins aplenty...

Paul High, an Oxford widower, is donating his entire collection of 2,000 Puffin books to The Story Museum. Elizabeth High, a Oxford professor and English scholar who died three years ago, was among the nostalgic books to acquire.

The iconic pubs in the years were shown in black and white photographs compared to how they look today. They include the oldest inn in England, the country's most central pub, and Robert Louis Stevenson's favorite watering holes. Although horses and carts have barely changed over the decades, photographs show how many driveways have barely changed in the decades, although automobiles and motorcycles have been used to replace horses and carts. Others display trends in fashion in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the evolving appearance of the surrounding high streets over the years. The Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham's oldest pub, is listed as England's oldest inn.

Suzy Eddie Izzard appeared on Loose Women on Thursday to talk about her latest film, Doctor Jekyll. Suzy, 61, demonstrated her own sense of style by wearing knee-high boots with a short plaid kilt in the studios. She wore a basic black top and a denim jacket, finishing her look with a slick of bright pink lipstick.

Rebecca Simon debunks the myths of 17th and 18th century piracy, revealing that the truth is even more gruesome in her latest book, The Pirate's Code.

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: James Chalmers, a Scottish missionary who fought for his identity as 'Tamate,' was known to the tribes of New Guinea. He was one of the 'unreturning brave' to his companion, Robert Louis Stevenson. The two men explored the South Seas together, and the writer characterized Chalmers as the'most attractive, simple, brave, and fascinating man in the entire Pacific.' Tamate and his protege Oliver Tomkins sailed in a steam ship to Goaribari Island in Papua New Guinea in April 1901 to preach the Christian gospel. They were welcomed by a war party that had promised them a feast on the shore. The two Europeans were beaten to death as they walked to the village. According to a Papuan companion, the men's bodies were cooked with sago and eaten. The main course of their own welcome feast was Tamate and Tomkins.

As brothers die out, it is sad and shocking, as William and Harry seem to have done. This is also about the oldest tale in the book. Cain and Abel, Roman mythology, Romanovus and Remus, Norse mythology (and, more recently, the Marvel Universe) has told us the tale of thunder god Thor and his younger trickster brother Loki.

'I went to the city right away when I first started to study in 1965,' Alexander says. The majestic buildings, the spectacular skyline, the spikes, and the spires: but this city is so much more.' It also has a rich tradition of history, mystery, and intrigue.'

As the funeral procession approaches the Castle gates, a massed pipe and drums band from Scotland and Ireland will perform the Skye Boat Song, the theme song on TV show Outlander. After being defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to the Isle of Skye to avoid capture by government troops. The selection of a song that honors the Jacobite rebel who had fought English troops may have raised the eyebrows of a few of the Queen's ancestors. However, the Queen was known for her love of bagpipes and Scotland, and she would almost certainly have heard the soothing and romantic tune many times in her lifetime. When in residence at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral, or Holyroodhouse, she had her own piper play for her for 15 minutes at 9 a.m. every morning. On Sunday night, the Queen's coffin is seen lying in state, right, military forces taking part in final drills along the Long Walk in Windsor.