Dr Kirsteen M MacKenzie is an academic, broadcaster, historical fiction writer and historical consultant. Dr MacKenzie is the founder of History Gateway Limited (UK) which specialises in producing historical content aiming to educate, inspire and encourage interest in history. 

Dr MacKenzie first became interested in history at a young age and as a teenager she had ambitions to become a lecturer in history at university. This led to a lifelong love of history. Dr MacKenzie graduated with an MA in History-Politics and a PhD in history from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Dr MacKenzie is a qualified higher education teacher obtaining her PGCert HE in 2014. She went on to teach at the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen before establishing her own business History Gateway Limited.  

Her areas of interest are British and Irish history from 1603-1788, commonly known as the Stuart period.  Her academic research mainly focuses on the Wars of the Three Kingdoms,1638-1660 but she also has wider research interests in the Jacobites and Louis XIV.

Dr MacKenzie is also eight times great niece of the Jacobite governor of Carlisle and Kennington martyr John Hamilton. Another great uncle Major Henry Reid served as part of King Louis XVIII bodyguard during the Waterloo campaign in 1815.  

Her debut historical fiction novel ‘La Garde Ecossaise: The Life of John Hamilton c.1620-1689 Part 1’ was published in September 2022.  La Garde Ecossaise is a series of novels which aim not only to entertain the general reader but hopes to generate more interest and curiosity in seventeenth century history. The series aims to be an introduction to early modern history for general readers and students alike, especially students taking broad survey courses in early modern history. The novels will be accompanied by an official podcast and blog which will examine the real history behind the story.   

Her first academic monograph ‘The Solemn League and Covenant of the Three Kingdoms and the Cromwellian Union 1643-1663’ was published by Routledge in 2017.   

Dr MacKenzie has been featured on BBC Radio 4 and ‘The People’s History Show’ on STV. .