Books
Casting a spell to protect the world from the Fae
Seeking to protect the world from the Fae, Scottish sigil agent Aloysius MacBharrais is eccentric, and as a sexagenarian he is a welcome change from the tormented teenage protagonists that dominate fantasy genres. However, Hearne admits in the author’s note that he struggled with Glaswegians’ accent in real life. The characters’ Scottish accents feel laboured…
Read MoreA study of the natural world’s fragility in photos
Colin Prior’s works are unfathomably beautiful, and while his fascination for landscape photography has earned him his stripes, his love for the resident wildlife has also intensified throughout a career which spans almost four decades. Having witnessed myriad species of bird suffer in the wake of human activity, Prior documents the natural world’s fragile equilibrium in…
Read MoreNo.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series is still on form
It is a rarity to find each book in a long series as enjoyable as the last, and yet McCall Smith’s 21st instalment of his much adored No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency has captured the imagination once more. Grabbing the attention from the get-go in a stifling Gaborone setting, McCall Smith’s intelligent yarn is woven with…
Read MoreOutlander, wildlife and ships in our latest podcast
The sixth episode of the Scottish Field podcast is out now – and what a mix we have for you this week. We head to Orkney to meet Scottish Field’s wildlife writer Cal Flyn, who recently took on the position as Scottish Field’s wildlife writer. Her recent features have included red squirrels, razor clams, and…
Read MoreThrills in a 1970s-set piece of tartan noir
Follow detective Harry McCoy as his hunches lead him across a Glasgow landscape rife with drugs and violence, in search of answers. As any good piece of tartan noir should, it introduces you to a slew of questionable characters who definitely muddy the waters between good and evil, although in 1970s Glasgow maybe this was…
Read MoreLife lessons we can learn from our distant past
To see the world through the eyes of acclaimed archaeologist and television presenter Neil Oliver, if only for a day, would be a true gift – and Wisdom of the Ancients: Life Lessons From Our Distant Past is about as close as it gets. It pays testament to Oliver’s enthusiasm for the history woven into…
Read MoreThe fascinating story of a woman taken to St Kilda
Based on a true story, The Unreliable Death of Lady Grange is a rollickingly good piece of historical fiction. Lady Grange is presumed dead, but in reality is whisked away from her family by the man she loves to live out her life in seclusion. The story of a stormy relationship ending in the worst…
Read MoreHeading to the great outdoors for a fantastic tour
Once again, Cameron McNeish, the grand old man of Scotland’s wild places, takes us on a tour of his favourite hills, glens and islands, celebrating those he has met along the way. But this time it’s more about the smaller observations of an expansive landscape and refl ecting on past adventures than making the summit.…
Read MoreA look around some of the most stunning gardens
Aspiring to promote interaction with the natural world, photos are divided into categories that encourage the appreciation of the planet’s diversity. Particularly for nature enthusiasts, the staggering range of nature’s beauty is astonishingly captured from a multitude of perspectives and locations. It could benefit from more narrative, but definitely one for the coffee table. International…
Read MoreA collection of poetry that is non-conformist
This vast collection from one of the leading lights of Scottish poetry feels distinctly and excitingly non-conformist. The first poems certainly pay homage to Edwin Morgan’s experimental style, although they are less engaging as a result. However, the rest are eye-catching as they stunningly convey the poet’s love for Glasgow. The traditional structure is interjected…
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