The Killing Time. Fanaticism, Liberty and the Birth of Britain
by David S. Ross
In 1638, when King Charles I decreed, among other things, that a new prayer book should be used in the Church of Scotland, he set off a turbulent period of conflict, filled with war, civil unrest, assassinations, torture and jolting regime changes, that did not end until the eventual uniting of the Scottish and English Parliaments in 1707. In The Killing Time, writer and editor David Ross explores and makes sense of the major issues and events of this violent and perplexing period by concentrating on the lives of some of the most influential people of the era.
Women of Scotland. A celebration of and tribute to some of the proud and passionate women who have shaped Scotland
by David R. Ross
Women of Scotland presents the remarkable stories of Scottish women throughout history...and not just the most famous, such as Mary, Queen of Scots, but exciting and fascinating tales about princesses, witches, peasants and revolutionaries, from the Bruce women to Black Agnes.
Speakin o Dundee. Tales Tellt Aroun the Toun
by Stuart McHardy
Writer, broadcaster and storyteller Stuart McHardy has created a delightful collection of stories, entirely written in Scots. Short and easy to read, each story relates to Dundee, from A Snail Tale, which comes from the fear of the plague in the Middle Ages, and The Black Band, which recalls Dundee's reputation for lawlessness in the 19th century, to The Resurrection Man, which introduces readers to the fine Dundee tradition of bodysnatching.
Frontier Scots. The Scots Who Won The West
by Jenni Calder.
During the 19th century, thousands of Scots crossed the Atlantic to start a new life in America. Initially settling on the east coast, many soon ventured west into the unexplored frontier. Seeking their fortune in gold, cattle or farming, these Scots — heroes and abusers, lawmakers and lawbreakers — braved harsh living conditions, hostile environments and difficult journeys over vast distances to shape American history and the frontier legacy. Frontier Scots tells the real stories of the men and women who conquered the Wild West and how they faced conflict, disease, desperation and political pressures...and finally built lasting communities among strangers far from home.
Dynasty of Engineers. The Stevensons and the Bell Rock
by Roland Paxton.
In addition to providing biographies of the eight members of the Stevenson family who, over five generations from 1786 to 1952, contributed significantly to the Scotland's infrastructure and international lighthouse engineering, Dynasty of Engineers also sheds new light on the design and construction of the Bell Rock, the world's oldest continuously operational rock lighthouse which sits 11 miles off the east coast of Scotland near Arbroath. Professor Roland Paxton reveals how this marvel of lighthouse engineering was essentially a masterpiece of joint achievement by John Rennie and Robert Stevenson in the best tradition of the chief engineer/resident engineer relationship, while finally laying to rest the well known and often bitter 19th-century dispute between their respective families over who "built" the iconic structure. The final part of the book is a reminder that the Stevenson inheritance lives on, with an up-to-date list of lighthouses the family were responsible for in Scotland and the Isle of Man. Virtually all of these are still operating. This book will be a must for all lighthouse enthusiasts and a fascinating story for anyone with an interest in the history of engineering and matters of the sea.
Aberdeen Beyond The Granite
by Ian R. Mitchell.
Ian R. Mitchell recognizes his hometown is an often-unappreciated place, but in Aberdeen Beyond The Granite he sets out an overwhelming case why this sentiment is thoroughly undeserved. An Aberdonian, born and bred, Mitchell has lived in Glasgow for almost four decades. Returning to his roots, he delves into Aberdeen's rich and often unseen history and culture from an exile's perspective, revealing a proudly unique city, home to the world's oldest surviving company, the U.K.'s oldest newspaper, and perhaps Britain's oldest Italian restaurant!
The Greatest Game. The Ancyent & Healthfulle Exercyse of the Golff
by Hugh Dodd and Professor David Purdie
In the Foreword to The Greatest Game, Colin Montgomerie writes: "Playing golf can be a serious business, as I know, but the game has a healthy habit of standing back from time to time and taking a wry, sideways look at itself, at the incongruities of its institutions and eccentricities of its devotees. This book does just that. No area of golf escapes the surgical probing of David Purdie's pen, or the equally deft touch of Hugh Dodd's paintbrush. The book takes us from the invention of the warning "Fore!," apparently by the army of Imperial Rome, to the European Union's help with the banana slice, GPS-linked tagging of club members to combat slow play and finally to the extraordinary assertion that Wm. Shakespeare Esq. was probably a strolling player in more senses than one.... But overall, what emerges is the authors' love of the game. It is a game which they both play and whose traditions we all cherish as the bedrock of one of the finest outdoor pursuits to have been conceived by the mind of Man; the indeed ancient and healthful exercise of the golf. However, to describe it any further here would be, to misquote Mark Twain, a good read spoiled. Enjoy."
Scottish Wit & Wisdom. The Meanings Behind Famous Scottish Sayings
by Betty Kirkpatrick
Author Betty Kirkpatrick has gathered together many of Scotland's best philosophers, wits, wags, statesmen, poets and writers, and their best-known sayings, and put together a delightful book filled with insights and common sense. The sayings are split into the categories of health, food, weather, money, silence, truth and words. For example, this insight on money: "Put twa pennies in a purse and they will creep thigither." In other words, money soon accumulates if you save it. The book is small enough to fit into a pocket, to be pulled out and read in a spare moment, and a glossary of words is included to help readers understand older and less used Scottish words.
Scottish Baby Names
by Betty. Kirkpatrick
Scottish Baby Names is a valuable source of information for Scots around the world. From Aidan, Catriona and Cameron to Erin, Hamish, Laclan and Walter, this small book covers not only names that are Scottish in origin, but also names that are (or have been) particularly common in Scotland, offering brief information on the origin and meaning of each. It also provides insights into the naming processes used in Scotland, from the old method of passing on family names to Old Testament, Celtic and even celebrity names. It's a fascinating look at past and present.
Bodysnatchers to Lifesavers. Three Centuries of Medicine in Edinburgh
by Tara Womersley and Dorothy H. Crawford
While celebrating the 280-year history of Edinburgh Medical School, Bodysnatchers to Lifesavers showcases the school's famous alumni, including Robert Knox, Charles Darwin and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and their indelible contributions. At the same time, the book follows the evolution of medicine, from the dark practices of the 19th century to the development of public health, anesthesia, surgery, antiseptics and antibiotics...right through Dolly, the cloned sheep.
Scott-Land. The Man Who Invented a Nation
by Stuart Kelly
Born in Edinburgh, the ninth child of a lawyer, Sir Walter Scott also trained as a lawyer. After the phenomenal success of Waverley (1814), he produced a string of other novels, including Rob Roy, Guy Mannering, Ivanhoe, Old Mortality and The Talisman. As a result of these successes, Scott's name, image and influence can be seen everywhere, from Edinburgh's Waverley Station and Heart of Midlothian Football Club to countless street names around the world. Scott received the first-ever author's advance (for Marmion), helped to ensure the survival of Scottish banknotes (so that all Bank of Scotland notes still bear his portrait) and has, on Princes Street in Edinburgh, the world's largest memorial to an author. Scott's use of real locations, such as the Trossachs in The Lady of the Lake, sparked a massive increase in Scottish tourism. Yet Walter Scott, who was lauded by contemporary critics and enjoyed massive popularity in the 19th century, is hardly read today. Stuart Kelly's book examines the many paradoxes in Scott's biography through a series of linked essays on Scott's life, literature and legacy.
Hidden Scotland
by Ann Lindsay
Lurking in the shadows of Scotland's traditional tourist attractions is a quirky and intriguing array of curious places, bizarre happenings and perplexing oddities. "There is scarcely a mile in Scotland which does not hide some tale," the author says as she takes readers on an amazing journey to Scotland's past and present. Hidden Scotland will amaze even the most erudite student of Scottish culture and includes detailed instructions on how to get to all the places mentioned in the book, making it an indispensable guide for those eager to explore the more offbeat destinations on Scotland's tourist trail.
Beatrix Potter's Scotland. Her Perthshire Inspiration
by Lynne McGeachie
One of the wonderful little books for children, which seems to go on and on, is The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the beautifully illustrated work of Beatrix Potter that has enthralled generations of youngsters. And it was in Perthshire that Beatrix was able, on her childhood holidays, to come close to the nature that was to inspire her rabbit character and such other favourites as Mr. Jeremy Fisher. Beatrix Potter's Scotland, based around Potter's own journal, gives insight into the life of one of the world's best-loved writers, detailing her love of Scotland, sharp imagination and unquestioned talent for drawing.
A New History of the Picts
by Stuart McHardy
The Picts, who inhabited northern Scotland from about the fourth to tenth centuries, were the first unified people who could be called a Scottish Nation. And yet, they are shrouded in mystery, in part because they left no written records behind, and in part because all we know about them is second-hand, anecdotal and possibly biased information provided by historical writers over time. But now writer, broadcaster and storyteller Stuart McHardy presents a new take on the Picts, rejecting the popular image of "bestial tribes" and instead exploring a complex and misunderstood culture. They fought off continuous threats of invasion from imposing adversaries -- Romans, Vikings and Angles -- and in the process established a community with religion, agriculture and important rulers...an early clan system. "I'm not British, I'm Scottish and it's time for us to get our story straight," the author declares.
Tom Morris of St Andrews: The Colossus of Golf 1821-1908
by David Malcolm and Peter E. Crabtree
"Old" Tom Morris, four-time British Open champion and designer of some of golf's most iconic courses, is one of the sport's most influential figures. And in this epic biography, the authors not only bring his impressive story alive, but also offer readers access to original photos, artwork and primary documents from Morris's life, the town of St. Andrews and the development of golf in the 19th century.
Andrew Duncan Senior: Physician of the Enlightenment
by John Chalmers
The son of a Fife shipmaster, Andrew Duncan was a towering medical figure during the Scottish Enlightenment: Physician to the King; twice President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh; founder of the Edinburgh Lunatic Asylum, where humane treatment of inmates was pioneered; a driving force behind Edinburgh's Dispensary for the Sick Poor, which provided free medical treatment for those unable to pay; a champion of public health; and a founder of many social societies and dining clubs. A strong advocate of exercise, Duncan also climbed to the 822-foot summit of Arthur's Seat every year on May 1st until he was 82 -- and explored his many (and sometimes unusual) interests with vigor, from gardening to "an absorbing interest in graves and their epitaphs."
The Prisoner of St. Kilda
by Margaret Macaulay
Lady Grange had a fondness for drink and outrageous behaviour, so when she disappeared in January 1732, few people found it suspicious. But, in fact, she had been brutally kidnapped and spent her remaining years as a virtual prisoner on a remote Scottish island. This story of Lady Grange, her kidnappers and the haunted conscience of her husband unravels the mystery and explains why powerful men saw The Prisoner of St. Kilda as a threat.
Clydeside. Red, Orange and Green
by Ian R. Mitchell
Ian Mitchell takes readers on a tour of the River Clyde, offering stories of the conflicts, the people and the communities along its banks, while also incorporating present-day walks in these often-forgotten areas. From Coatbridge to Cathcart and Garngad to Greencock, this is a fascinating journey.
Scotland's Lost Houses
by Ian Gow
Since the end of World War II, hundreds of Scotland's greatest houses have fallen victim to fire, decay or the costly burden of upkeep. In this authoritative and beautiful book, Ian Gow traces the history of 20 of the greatest of these houses, from their original construction to their demolition. A compelling, if not heartbreaking story, amply illustrated with archival photography.
Haunted Places of Scotland
by Martin Coventry
This popular book goes to 170 sites across Scotland, all open to the public, and introduces readers to their resident ghosts.
Bannockburn. The Triumph Of Robert The Bruce
by David Cornell
The victory at Bannockburn on June 24, 1314, established Bruce as King of Scotland and paved the way for Scottish independence 14 years later. Here is a controversial account of how the Scots did it.
The Rosslyn Templar
by Ashley Cowie
A painting hidden from public view for the last century and a half reopens the question of whether Rosslyn Chapel was built by the Knights Templar to house the Holy Grail.
Robert Burns and the Hellish Legion
by John Burnett
This very worthy, lucid and well-illustrated book explores the world in which Robert Burns lived and wrote, the supernatural beliefs that people held and how all of this influenced one of the poet's most imaginative and powerful works, Tam O' Shanter.
From Kelso to Kalamazoo. The Life and Times of George Taylor 1805-1891
edited by Margaret Jeary and Mark A. Mulhern
After a successful career in Scotland, George Taylor came to America at age 50 and wrote this personal diary of 19thcentury life from the perspective of a Scottish immigrant: American slavery, the Temperance Movement, the Great Fire in Chicago and more.
Crimespotting. An Edinburgh Crime Collection
by Irvine Welsh, Ian Rankin, Margaret Atwood, et al.
This masterly anthology of short crime stories by ten of Scotland's best contemporary writers are all set in Edinburgh and range from hard-boiled cop stories and historical whodunits to the comic and supernatural.
Scotland the Best
by Peter Irvine
Whether you're looking for an "Atmospheric" stop on your next trip, or tips on good restaurants, hotels, attractions and much more, this guidebook is an ideal choice (even if you're just doing some armchair traveling).