Review: Salmon Fishing on the River Thurso

Anyone who has ever fished the Thurso would benefit from this scholarly and comprehensive tome. It is packed with information and anecdotes on this major salmon river. Tracing the history of salmon fishing on the Thurso back to 1700, Dutchman-Smith uses the experience of his 40 years of angling on the river to give a…

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Family history and the story of a beautiful home

In this gorgeous book written by the current Duke of Buccleuch, the true beauty of the Bowhill House and the intriguing history of the family that lives there is described not just through words, but in stunning photography and artwork. The book explores the part Bowhill house played in history, from the people who lived…

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Growing up in Glasgow in Hometown Tales

The Glasgow edition of Hometown Tales includes two unique stories that document personal accounts of living in, or experiencing the Dear Green Place. The first tale by Kirsty Logan, The Old Asylum in the Woods, is the intensely moving and highly persdonal story of her life growing up in the shadow of Woodilee Hospital. The…

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A gripping read for those who love a mystery

William A Graham’s debut crime novel Vermin introduces a detective who takes on a missing person case that escalates into so much more. The story takes place in Dundee, in homage to the author’s birthplace. Allan Linton is a self-employed private detective, helped by his associate Niddrie, who specialises in minor and insignificant cases. However…

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Novel with lost souls on the Portobello coast

Set on Portobello’s coast, It Takes One to Know One is a heart-warming yet harrowing story, embellished with Isla Dewar’s needle-sharp humour and effortless narrative gift for storytelling. The tale is based around Charlie Gavin, the lost and hopeless founder of the Be Kindly Missing Person’s Bureau whose mission is to find other lost souls…

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The battle of Culloden – from a new angle

The battle at Culloden Moor, the last pitched land battle on mainland Britain, is one of the most famous, and gruesome battles in our history and yet few authors focus on the battle itself. Instead they choose to write about the aftermath and the legends surrounding the infamous battle. Stuart Reid redresses that balance with…

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First-ever book festival coming to Tobermory

There’s a new kid on the Scottish Book Festival scene this year. The first-ever Tobermory Book Festival, known as West Over Sea, is to take place later this month. A host of noted writers – including Scottish Field’s own Alexander McCall Smith, Guy Grieve and Polly Pullar – will be travelling to Mull for the…

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New book mines rich seams for historical insight

Marian Pallister tells the story of Argyll and its rich mining history in Not a Plack the Richer. Using in-depth research into official records, letters and maps, she has produced an informative and absorbing tome. Pallister’s great grandfather was a County Durham miner who moved to Argyll, so she was inspired to write on this…

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The true story of a life with pine martens

A Richness of Martens is a personal and heartwarming story, as Polly Pullar describes how her love of nature developed throughout a childhood spent in the remote wilds, and does so through the remarkable tale of a family of pine martens. Originally from Cheshire, Pullar moved to the Ardnamurchan peninsula when she was just seven…

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Two Wigtown books are optioned by Hollywood

This year’s Wigtown Book Festival was the biggest and most successful yet – with audiences of around 29,000. The provisional figures for the 2018 event, the 20th to be held, show a 20% increase compared to 2017 and will play a major role in raising awareness of Scotland’s National Book Town. The south west Scottish…

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