Australian Fan Visits Inverness to Meet 'Learn with Lorna' Team
An Australian superfan of the online series focused on Highland history has traveled to Inverness to meet the creators behind the show.
Originally launched during the Covid lockdown as a home-schooling resource, Learn with Lorna has grown in popularity and continues strong six years later.
The series recently aired its 260th episode and has built a dedicated global audience, attracting up to 4,000 viewers per episode.
Host Lorna Steele-McGinn is organizing a live event in Inverness, inspired by loyal viewer Jen Wilson from Australia.
"We were contacted by one of our regular viewers, who has watched since episode one, saying: 'I'm coming over, let's do something' - and it grew arms and legs," Lorna explained.
"We are going to have cake, do a talk about the treasures of the Highland Archive Service and a series of displays of family trees and documents from right across the service.
My colleagues are coming from Skye, Caithness and Lochaber and bringing collections with them as well, so it's going to be a real showcase of what the archive service has and does."
Fan Connection and Event Details
Jen Wilson, from Queensland, Australia, participates weekly in the Learn with Lorna online events and was motivated to visit Scotland to meet the team in person.
"I just thought wouldn't it be great if I could come to Scotland and meet some of these people in person.
I'm so excited it's happening."
Jen expressed her appreciation for the show, highlighting its focus on the backstory of the Highlands, its people, and places.
"I've been able to flesh out my family history and learn about where I've come from," she said.
"I do have some ancestors that came from the Highlands and now I feel like I know them, I know the places.
They are not just names and dates on a piece of paper - they are actually real people to me now."
Approximately 80 attendees are expected at the live event scheduled for Thursday at the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness, which is managed by High Life Highland.
About the Show and Its Reach
Lorna, who serves as a community engagement officer with the Highland Archive Service, streams the show live on Facebook and uploads episodes to YouTube.
She has even been recognized 11,000 miles away while attending a Highland Games event during a holiday in New Zealand.
Lorna noted that the show's popularity underscores the importance of archives and the stories they preserve.
She identified mental health, school days, and personal diaries or correspondence as some of the most popular topics covered.
Impactful Stories from the Archives
One particularly moving story is that of Malcolm Blane, a young man who died during World War One at age 22.
The archive centre holds seven of his diaries, written from the age of nine, filled with stories, drawings, and accounts of school life.
"That just brings home the reality of this little boy, who grew up with all this potential and that life being cut short," Lorna said.
"I think that's a really good way of illustrating the millions of lives that were lost in that conflict."
