In the tradition of his two earlier volumes of Scots-Irish links for the period 1575 to 1725, Mr. Dobson picks up the trails of Scots living in Ulster and Irish living in Scotland during the following hundred years. Unlike the previous century-and-a-half, the destination of most Scots emigrants during the 18th century was across the Atlantic and not to Ulster. The same period also witnessed the beginnings of a large-scale exodus from Ireland to the Americas. Nevertheless, there was some movement of peoples between Ireland and Scotland from 1725 to 1825, and most of it was on the part of students heading for universities in Glasgow or Edinburgh.

While most of the students are described here merely by name, university, and date of attendance, in a number of cases Mr. Dobson is able to provide information on the individual's spouse, children, parents, local origins, landholding, and, of course, the source of the information.