Books
The Scot who stole the secrets of tea from China
One of my favourite figures from history is Robert Fortune, the plucky Scot who, disguised as a Chinaman and under pain of death if he was caught, learned the art of tea production in China. He spirited away the tea plants that were to break China’s monopoly on this key international commodity. It was a…
Read MoreA fascinating look at the castles of Lewis and beyond
Peter Cunningham casts an eye over the pivotal moments, people and places that moulded the island’s history in The Castles of the Lews. He uses the castles of the Island of Lewis as a focal point, including Stornoway, Seaforth and Lews Castle. With wonderful illustrations and images to accompany his analysis, those with an intimate…
Read MoreThe essential guide to the Outer Hebrides
We really are paging the oracle on north-west Outer Hebridean life here. Frank Rennie, professor of Sustainable Rural Development who lives in South Galson and has been instrumental in developing the region for four decades, writes of the area’s great personal, natural and cultural significance. From his formative experiences of the region to its resident…
Read MoreDiscover the stunning islands of adventure
Treasured Islands’ blurb says that there are 6,000 islands around the coast of the British Isles, and that only 194 of them are inhabited – all of which it claims are covered here. That turns out not to be the case – wee Cumbrae in the Firth of Forth, home to one of only two…
Read MoreFinding romance in Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens
Dedicated ‘to the lovers who vowed to wed in secret during lockdown’, Sara Sheridan hints at the intense romance of this piece of historical fiction from the off – and it lives up to expectation. Enlightenment Edinburgh is in the throes of tumultuous change, and newly widowed Elizabeth finds solace in the city’s Botanic Gardens.…
Read MorePlane crash victims died before flight in crime novel
Denzil Meyrick’s Tartan Noir becomes more credible with each release, and he has really hit his stride with this one. Each character contributes a unique perspective, with the development of DCI Daley and his rather complex sidekick DS Scott particularly well one. This time, an aircraft crash-lands at Machrie Airport, but both of the plane’s…
Read MoreAlternative past with Scotland under Nazi occupation
Few can write as evocatively of our country’s past as Alistair Moffat. Stepping away from his usual historical tomes, he reimagines WWII through this extraordinary piece of speculative fiction, taking you on a journey to investigate what might have been had Nazi Germany won the war. Set in a disturbing post-1945 world where German occupation…
Read MoreA hugely important book for the countryside
Three quarters of the world’s stock of heather uplands is to be found in the UK, much of it in Scotland, and it has become a political, cultural and environmental battleground. The subtitle of this book – ‘The Battle for the Uplands against Authoritarian Conservation’ – gives a sense of what to expect from this…
Read MoreBook shop’s fundraiser to stay open raises £48,000+
A Scottish bookshop which faced closure last week is on the brink of a bright future after the support of hundreds of people, including Scots writers Ian Rankin and Christopher Brookmyre. Pre-loved publications shop Guid Reads, on Stirling Street, Alva, in Clackmannanshire, feared the worst after its landlord announced his imminent retiral. In a panic,…
Read MoreA gripping read that will hook in the young adults
As a young reader, few things gripped me more than a good mystery. I devoured the Enid Blyton books, especially Island of Adventure, as well as the Swallows and Amazon series, then moved on to the Hardy Boys and the odd Nancy Drew, and especially loved those that had a hint of the supernatural about…
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