Books
A thriller that will grab you from the word go
Scots writer Catherine Deveney grabs you from the first sentence of The Chrysalis. This gripping novel, as the title suggests, tackles issues of transformation. The protagonist is Marianne, an elderly woman living in a care home. With her failing health she feels let down by her ageing body and mind. This decline has led Marianne…
Read MoreFinding the soul of Scotland’s religious faith
The Soul of Scotland by Harry Reid is very much a personal take on what has shaped Scotland’s relationship with Christianity through the ages. Politics, places and people are randomly arranged in this collection of ‘meditations and essays’ from the former Herald editor. His personal view of the subject matter makes this more a book…
Read MoreThe Scotswoman who was a fantastic fly tyer
Born in the Highlands in 1915, by the age of 20, Megan Boyd had established herself as one of the most skilled salmon fly tyers of all time. Her cottage in Brora became a Mecca for fly fishermen from across the globe. This is an affectionate and personal account of Megan’s remarkable talent by friend…
Read MorePicture perfect book that’s all write
Over thirty years on, photographer Angela Catlin has updated her first collection of striking black and white portraits of Scotland’s finest writers, each accompanied by examples of their work. Among the 49 snapped for posterity are writers Alasdair Gray, A L Kennedy, Ian Rankin, James Robertson and Ali Smith, poets Ron Butlin, Jen Hadfield and…
Read MoreThe island with a whisky for every palate
Whisky has been distilled on the windswept Hebridean island of Islay since the 18th century. The Queen of the Hebrides currently has eight distilleries producing some of the best quality whisky on the market. Rintoul documents in fascinating detail how each whisky is produced in this glossy, informative book. There’s also one of her poems…
Read MoreWho is Nan Shepherd, the woman on the £5 note?
Two important days occurred this month: World Book Day and International Women’s Day. As I left my desk in the office to answer the horn of the coffee van, I pulled a £5 note out of my pocket. Looking at it, I saw a woman gazing strongly to the left of the note – an…
Read MoreTV stars among the guests at Boswell Book Festival
The 9th Boswell Book Festival, the world’s only book festival dedicated to biographies and memoirs held in honour of James Boswell, will run from 10-12 May 2019. The Festival will, as ever, bring together a range of writers from around the world to the renowned Dumfries House in Ayrshire with a weekend of discussion and…
Read MoreA real treasure trove of holy hideaways
Dixe Wills’ latest quirky travel guide chronicles 60 of Britain’s smallest churches. One chapel halfway down a remote Pembrokeshire cliff is so tiny that the congregation has to sit outside for the annual service. Scottish gems include the frescoed apse in Hoselaw Chapel, Croick Church in Ardgay with its moving messages scratched on the windows…
Read MoreColouring book aims to get drivers behind the wheel
A Scot who failed to pass his driving theory text has used his own experience to help others get through it. Award-winning Edinburgh-born entrepreneur Matthew Carter has created the world’s first educational colouring book for the theory test, based on research indicating that colouring has a positive effect on memory. Designed to engage learners with…
Read MoreDebut novel captures contrast in lifestyles
Debutant novellist Angus MacDonald doesn’t waste any time jumping into the story of young Donald Peter (‘DP’) Gillies, a Lovat Scout soldier who lies in a makeshift hospital in Gallipoli in 1916. While suffering a gunshot wound to his shoulder and blinded fi ghting on the front line against the Turks in the disastrous Dardanelles…
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