Books
Scotland’s wildlife celebrated in a family book
100 Great Wildlife Experiences: What To See And Where is a family-friendly book, and author James D. Fair delivers exactly what he promises. Counting down 100 of the UK’s majestic fauna and flora, he takes his readers on a nationwide wildlife tour, recommending the best places to spot lapwings, willow warblers, pine martens and more…
Read MoreResearch your Scottish family history at home
Scottish Ancestry Through Church & State Records is a thorough guide to Scotland’s genealogical landscape and is a useful tool for researchers of the diaspora to have at hand. Chris Paton examines common records used by family historians, including censuses, tax records and registers of land ownership. A basic knowledge of the legal system is…
Read MoreSir Walter Scott’s love of angling is revealed
While on a tour of Sir Walter Scott’s glorious home Abbotsford, author Keith Harwood stumbled on the first hint of the writer’s life beyond poetry and literature, finding upon his hand-painted wallpaper the figure of an angler. In this book Harwood explores Scott’s love of fishing, detailing beautifully how he first caught the angling bug,…
Read MoreWriters give an insight into their fascinating work
Scotland’s book town is doing its bit to keep people entertained and informed during lockdown. From the personal to the national and international – the online Wigtown Wednesdays are a chance to explore change, renewal and vice. The free online sessions, organised by Wigtown Festival Company (WFC), have been a popular way for audiences to…
Read MoreA thrilling crime novel packed with suspense
Set in the familiar backdrop of bonnie Scotland, Douglas-Home has ingeniously tapped into the country’s intrinsic qualities to create a crime novel full of suspense. The journalist turned author juxtaposes the hustle of Edinburgh city centre with the eerily quiet hills of the Highlands, cleverly setting the perfect scene for crimes to be committed, and…
Read MoreTrying to find solace in Scotland’s mountains
Just Another Mountain is a beautifully candid memoir following the life of Munroist, Sarah Jane Douglas, and her battle with grief. After losing her mother to cancer, Douglas finds solace in climbing Scotland’s forbidding mountains. A heart-wrenching read, it is testament to the cathartic nature of the wilderness. True stories do not always see the…
Read MoreThe Scot whose book briefly outsold Dickens
The insatiable blood lust of celebrated big game hunters – and none was bloodier than a Scottish aristocrat whose books were briefly as popular as Dickens – sparked a Victorian craze for African safaris. Hunting big game for food may be an ancient practice – cave paintings depict early man hunting mammoth in groups –…
Read MoreThe perfect guide to discovering drams
For amateurs like me who are desperate to learn more about the water of life, this is a must-read. Ludlow’s whisky knowledge is clearly extensive, but by peppering his book with humour, helpful infographics and jargon-busting explanations, even I could follow the 20 at-home tastings, feeling I’d picked up a tip or two. The addition…
Read MoreThe perfect companion for model citizens
On the back of the success of Glasgow Museums’ ship model collection, they have created this extraordinary coffee table book. The Ship Models: A History and Complete Illustrated Catalogue has taken a decade to compile, covering all 676 ship models produced by Clyde shipyards and Glasgow-based ship owners. Ranging from the majestic RMS Queen Mary…
Read MoreAn essential guide mapping out the Munros
The result of a labour of love – and many long walks and aching legs – this colourful compendium maps all 282 Munros in all their glory. Published to mark the centenary of the death of Sir Hugh Munro, this reference book serves as the ideal starting point for any aspiring hillwalker or self-confessed Munro…
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