Books
Mysteries as people vanish on a Scots island
The fictional island of Bancree, a place inspired by the author’s trips to the Scottish isles, plays host to a story of mystery and intrigue about a teenage girl and a string of disappearances. People aren’t only arriving on Bancree – they are disappearing too. When a mysterious man and his daughter move into isolated…
Read MoreCelebrating Scots best-selling writer Alistair MacLean
A documentary marking one of the planet’s best-selling authors is being shown tonight. April 2022 sees the centenary of the birth of Scottish novelist and screenwriter Alistair MacLean. His action-packed thrillers have sold more than 150 million copies. The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra, Where Eagles Dare and When Eight Bells Toll – were…
Read MoreA fresh look at a Scottish hero – Robert the Bruce
Robert the Bruce, by James Robertson, is a fresh perspective on one of the most celebrated Scots. It’s a captivating and visually striking book. Vibrant illustrations and concise information help to rejuvenate the man behind the myths as we follow his early years of struggle and defeat, to his legendary victory at the Battle of…
Read MoreAn in-depth look at the Battle of Bannockburn
No matter whether the only history you know is from Commando Comics or Horrible Histories, if there is one fact that almost every Scot knows, it is who won the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. A bloody contest that resulted in the unlikely outcome of the Scots squashing a numerically superior English force to end…
Read MoreThe communities taking ownership of their land
In recent years, communities in the Scottish Highlands and Islands have taken ownership of more than half a million acres – an area equivalent to that of an English county like Nottinghamshire or West Yorkshire. In places long characterised by contracting economies and shrinking populations, this remarkable development has resulted in new homes, new businesses,…
Read MoreA guide to 1001 whiskies that you must try
1001 Whiskies You Must Try Before You Die notes drams from Scotland, Ireland, the United States, Japan, India and the rest of the world. And this is a must-read for any adventurous whisky enthusiast. From age-old Scottish classics like Springbank, to new and emerging whiskies in Japan, this book celebrates the unique and incredible world…
Read MoreThe real story of a teenager’s battle with tuberculosis
Sometimes we don’t appreciate just how comparatively easy life is for the majority of us. We expect we can go out and about, walk around with friends and meet them when it’s possible, enjoy liberties and be able to socialise. But that wasn’t the kind of life that Jean Anderson has lived. In 1951, when…
Read MoreThe story of philanthropist A. K. Bell and the Gannochy Trust
There have always been people who are in successful in life, who feel a moral duty of care to help those less well off. In A Roof Over One’s Head, writer Jeremy Duncan narrates the history of the work of A.K. Bell and the Gannochy Trust. The Trust was founded in 1937 by Scottish businessman…
Read MoreMedieval Scotland was a melting pot of ideas
A new book, Crucible of Nations: Scotland from Viking Age to Medieval Kingdom, reveals that Scotland was a melting pot of diverse ideas from as early as the medieval era. The book presents a new understanding of the archaeology of Scotland from the 9th to 12th centuries AD, covering the Viking Age to the formation of the kingdom of Scotland. The extensive study of…
Read MoreA fascinating look at faith with carefully chosen words
If you’re judging a book by its cover, then, on first glance, Olives and Obligations would apoear to be some kind of cook book. Hwever, upone reading the text, Olives and Obligations has a subtitle of Biblical stories, scripts and reflections: Genesis to Nehemiah. This book is a collection of writings from Iona Community members,…
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