Purpose: The introduction sets out the scope of the special issue and suggests areas for further research. Design/methodology/approach: This introductory article sets out the rationale and contents of the special issue of "History of Education Review" on "Outdoor Education in Historical Perspective". It briefly summarizes the existing state of research and introduces the six articles that comprise the issue. Findings: The introduction identifies four particular themes that arise from the existing literature and from the diverse contributions to this special issue: transculturality; space and place; religion and spirituality; and personality/personalities. Originality/value: This special issue contains six original contributions to the study of the history of outdoor education, focussing on different locations in Europe and North America.