Books
Mental health – from both sides of the table
Finding True North is an important book highlighting a topic that should be more widely discussed – mental health in adults. Author Linda Gask, who trained in medicine in Edinburgh, spent her career working as a consultant psychiatrist while also battling with her own mental health struggles. Gask’s wisdom and experience result in an insightful…
Read MoreRegenerating a beautiful Scottish estate
Mar Lodge Estate is nestled in Royal Deeside and provides the backdrop of this beautiful book. In 1995 the National Trust for Scotland took over the estate in a bid to improve and conserve its landscape. Painting, the assistant ecologist at Mar Lodge Estate, details the work that has occurred over the last 25 years…
Read MoreNominations hunt for Scots lifetime achievement
The Saltire Society, organisers of Scotland’s National Book Awards, today called for nominations for the 2021 Saltire Society Scottish Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is for individuals who have made and are making a lasting impact and are imbedded in the literary culture of Scotland. Nominees must be either born in Scotland, currently living…
Read MoreA baker’s challenge to make bread for a whole year
When asking himself whether he was capable of baking enough bread to feed his family for a year, Robert Penn could never have predicted the adventure he was about to undertake. This book details his journey around the world as he learns how to grow and produce his family’s own bread. He ventured to Fertile…
Read MoreComing to terms with a family past of slavery
Blood Legacy: Reckoning With A Family’s Story Of Slavery is a highly reflective book about how, by coming to terms with one’s past, we can advocate for a better future. Author Alex Renton explains how, rather than disinterested bystanders, the Scots were enthusiastic participants who were up to their oxters in slavery. Through tracking his…
Read MoreA fascinating look at the life of the shearwater
A beautiful mix of memoir and natural history, Roger Morgan-Grenville explores the life of the majestic shearwater. He follows it as it travels solo from the British Isles to the waters of the South Atlantic at the tender age of just two weeks old. Morgan-Greenville paints an extraordinary picture of one of nature’s most remarkable,…
Read MoreA murder mystery that will grip you from page one
A gripping addition to the crime genre, Lies to Tell is mystery writing at its finest. Author Marion Todd, who is originally from Dundee, knows Fife like the back of her hand and brings it to life beautifully, starting the tale in St Andrews and then taking us up to the hills. When a major…
Read MoreA light-hearted tale set in the Scottish Highlands
The Peacock is light-hearted read set in a dilapidated castle in the Highlands. Following a group of investment bankers who rent out a space for a weekend of team building, they find themselves at Lord and Lady McIntosh’s stately home. Slapstick humour reigns supreme as most of their plans go awry and new stumbling blocks…
Read MoreCamp Crackers is the perfect staycation read
Witty and well characterised, Camp Crackers is a thoroughly entertaining, comedic read. Set in the Scottish countryside, we follow siblings Sunny and Gil McIntosh as they agree to renovate, rather reluctantly, their uncle’s dilapidated cottage. The biggest hurdle is yet to be discovered though, as they find his back garden has been invaded by some…
Read MoreLong-awaited Jacobite sequel does not disappoint
The much anticipated sequel to Son of a Jacobite, The Jacobite Grandson follows the life of Edward Lovat. He embarks on an adventure from the heat of Persia to New South Wales with the Royal Navy. A tale of divided and confl icting interests, Lovat finds he is torn between life as a British officer…
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