Books
A guide to the nation’s breweries and distilleries
A comprehensive and colourful guide to over 340 breweries, cider mills, vineyards and distilleries across Britain is set for release. Recent years have seen a huge increase in the number of these places all over the country not only operating but also welcoming visitors, from small single-man producers working from home to large, world-famous labels,…
Read MoreScottish trivia compiled in one little book
Did you know that approximately 71 per cent of the sand dunes in Britain are located in Scotland? Neither did I. This wee gem of a read is packed full of interesting, little known and weird and wonderful facts about Scotland. The casual narrative style and informative little chunks of information make this a great…
Read MoreThe story of Scotland’s sea eagle population
Sea eagles divide opinion; they’re a treat for birdwatchers but are despised by some crofters. John A Love was part of the team that brought the birds back to Scotland in the 1970s and chronicled their reintroduction in his 1993 book, The Return Of The Sea Eagle. Twenty years later, he brings the story up…
Read MoreScotland’s proud history on the seas
The joy of Nick Robins’ history of Scotland’s maritime prowess is not just his comprehensive and engaging text but also the array of images that accompany his words. From full-rigged sail ships like Thermopylae and Timaru through to the famous oceanliners such as Aquitania and Queen Mary, Robins chronicles Scotland’s ship-building history. But it isn’t…
Read MoreSix book shortlist for the Walter Scott Prize
The judges of the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction announced its eleventh shortlist today. The six-book shortlist is: The Narrow Land by Christine Dwyer Hickey (Atlantic); The Parisian by Isabella Hammad (Jonathan Cape); To Calais, In Ordinary Time by James Meek (Canongate); Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor (Harvill Secker); The Redeemed by Tim Pears…
Read MoreThe fascinating story of historic Dumfries House
Dumfries House holds a very special place in Scottish history. When the foundation stone was laid in 1754, it became the first home to be designed by John, Robert and James Adams, the architects whose practice became arguably the most famous in the UK. The house hit the headlines in 2007 when Prince Charles, the…
Read MoreThe secret gardening life of Beatrix Potter
This delightfully illustrated book reveals a little known aspect of Beatrix Potter’s life. She was a gardening enthusiast and how her evident appreciation and knowledge of gardening informed her work. McDowell writes beautifully, painting a charming portrait of Beatrix Potter and her garden at Hill Top Farm through the seasons. Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, by…
Read MoreThe life and times of author Amy Liptrot
The journalist and author of The Outrun talks about addiction, hitting rock bottom and why leaving London to return home to Orkney saved her life. I was 18 when I went off to Edinburgh University. I could not wait to experience life in the city. I wanted to go to the nightclubs and watch bands…
Read MoreA life less ordinary for a former policeman
Alex Lochrie has led a fascinating and fast paced life. After a stint in advertising, he joined the Glasgow police force, learnt to fly, attempted suicide and then spontaneously moved to Paris to join the French Foreign Legion, which took him all over the world. Lochrie’s engaging and honest style tells a gripping and insightful…
Read MoreA handy guide to the castles of the north
This is the first of four volumes on the history of fortification in the north of Scotland and is the product of eight years of research. This site-by-site study covers the Findhorn valley and Moray lowlands taking in family intrigue and local power-play alongside the national context of the time, from the invasion of the…
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