RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas
Wed 20 Jan · 14:15
University of Edinburgh
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The RSGS Inspiring People Talk featuring Jo Sharp and Val McDermid will take place at the University of Edinburgh on 20 January 2027. The discussion will centre on the Darien Scheme, a historical attempt by Scots to establish a colony in Panama, and will include insights from their co-authored novelisation of the event. The conversation will be moderated by BBC Special Correspondent Allan Little.
In 1698 more than 2,500 Scots sailed into the unknown, inspired by the promise of a new life which would transform their own fortunes and those of their famine-struck country. This was the Darien Scheme, a bold attempt to profit from trading the wealth of the world’s two great oceans across the narrow Isthmus of Panama. The outcome of this audacious gamble would change the course of the nation’s history. In 2026 Geographer Royal for Scotland, Professor Jo Sharp, and bestselling author, Val McDermid, co-wrote a novelisation of the story, This Door of the Seas, written as a series of letters from Dr James Wallace to his wife and the first Geographer Royal, Sir Robert Sibbald. Jo and Val will be in conversation with BBC Special Correspondent Allan Little who visited Darien in 2014.
Description supplied by the event organiser.
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Frequently asked questions
RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas takes place on Wednesday, 20 January 2027 at 14:15.
RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas is held at University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh (Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh South EH8 9YL).
Entry to RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas is free.
Yes — hotels within walking distance of University of Edinburgh can be compared using the accommodation search further down this page.
Tickets for RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas can be booked via rsgs.org using the "Check Tickets & Live Prices" button on this page, which opens the official booking site in a new tab.
Editorial summaryAbout this event
The RSGS Inspiring People Talk featuring Jo Sharp and Val McDermid will take place at the University of Edinburgh on 20 January 2027. The discussion will centre on the Darien Scheme, a historical attempt by Scots to establish a colony in Panama, and will include insights from their co-authored novelisation of the event. The conversation will be moderated by BBC Special Correspondent Allan Little.
This summary was automatically generated from event data sourced from official ticketing providers.
In 1698 more than 2,500 Scots sailed into the unknown, inspired by the promise of a new life which would transform their own fortunes and those of their famine-struck country. This was the Darien Scheme, a bold attempt to profit from trading the wealth of the world’s two great oceans across the narrow Isthmus of Panama. The outcome of this audacious gamble would change the course of the nation’s history. In 2026 Geographer Royal for Scotland, Professor Jo Sharp, and bestselling author, Val McDermid, co-wrote a novelisation of the story, This Door of the Seas, written as a series of letters from Dr James Wallace to his wife and the first Geographer Royal, Sir Robert Sibbald. Jo and Val will be in conversation with BBC Special Correspondent Allan Little who visited Darien in 2014.
Description supplied by the event organiser.
StayStaying overnight?
Hotels within walking distance of University of Edinburgh. Searching near Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh South EH8 9YL; check-in Wednesday, 20 January 2027.
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WhereUniversity of Edinburgh
Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh South EH8 9YL
Newington, Edinburgh
Before you goFrequently asked questions
When is RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas?
RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas takes place on Wednesday, 20 January 2027 at 14:15.
Where is RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas taking place?
RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas is held at University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh (Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh South EH8 9YL).
How much are tickets for RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas?
Entry to RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas is free.
Is there anywhere to stay near RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas?
Yes — hotels within walking distance of University of Edinburgh can be compared using the accommodation search further down this page.
How do I get tickets for RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas?
Tickets for RSGS Inspiring People Talk: Jo Sharp & Val McDermid: Darien: This Door of the Seas can be booked via rsgs.org using the "Check Tickets & Live Prices" button on this page, which opens the official booking site in a new tab.
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Free Entry
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Venue
Old College South Bridge, Edinburgh South EH8 9YL
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