Books
Writer Val McDermid shares her favourite locations
To mark World Book Day, bestselling Scots author Val McDermid is taking readers to her favourite locations from her books in a new video. Last year, the number one seller released a book, My Scotland, which takes readers to the landscapes she has known all her life, and the places where her stories and characters…
Read MoreA superb introduction to tasting whisky
For amateurs like me who are desperate to learn more about the water of life, Tasting Course 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…
Read MoreA fascinating insight into museums’ model ship collection
On the back of the success of Glasgow Museums’ ship model collection, they have created this extraordinary coffee table book. Taking a decade to compile, it covers all 676 ship models produced by Clyde shipyards and Glasgow-based ship owners. Ranging from the majestic RMS Queen Mary and famous Royal Navy battleship HMS Hood to the…
Read MoreA fast-paced thriller – not for the faint of heart
Firstly, if you suffer from a delicate or nervous disposition, A Song for the Dying is certainly not the book for you. MacBride is a renowned writer of crime fiction and this is the second book starring Detective Inspector Ash Henderson. Fans of tartan noir will devour this fast-paced and in places shocking criminal thriller,…
Read MoreCelebrating the Great Tapestry of Scotland
This attractive book celebrates the creation of The Great Tapestry of Scotland, an outstanding piece of art bringing together over a thousand stitchers from across the country. The tapestry itself is the longest in the world, consisting of 165 panels, each illustrating a momentous event in the history of the nation. The beauty of this…
Read MoreExciting page-turner on the streets of Glasgow
The Longest Shadow is a great example of the ‘tartan noir’ genre that is currently going from strength-to-strength. This offering is the third book in the Gus Thoroughgood series and follows the Detective Sergeant at break-neck speed as he pursues his quarry through the streets of Glasgow. A fast-paced and immensely enjoyable page turner that…
Read MoreA celebration of influential Scots painter Bellany
Bellany is a suitably hefty tribute to the most influential Scottish painter of the last century. With an introduction by the director of the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, this book is a well-produced and glorious journey through the work and mind of the Port Seton-born artist John Bellany, who drew inspiration from the sea…
Read MoreScots surgeon writes a fascinating memoir
A doctor who spent 45 years as a transplant surgeon in Scotland has written his memoirs. As a surgeon who trained in Glasgow, worked in Oban and now lives in St Andrews, Dr David Hamilton has a first-hand insight into the Scottish NHS. His new book Waiting for the Urine: Reminiscences of a Scottish Transplant…
Read MoreExplore Scotland’s inspirational literary locations
Sir Walter Scott, JM Barrie, Irvine Welsh and JK Rowling are among a few of the greatest writers influenced by Scotland’s beautiful landscapes. The mysterious closes of Edinburgh, the untouched wilderness of Dumfries & Galloway and the romantic Shetland coastlines have all painted literature for generations. From page to place, come to Scotland and discover the locations where the stories of famous characters Peter Pan,…
Read MoreHistorical adventures after Culloden
I’m normally a fan of historical novels so Son of a Jacobite sounded right up my street. Beginning at Culloden in 1746, Thomas Lovat enters the world on the same day that his father is killed in action. Inspired by the author’s family heritage to the Clan Fraser of Lovat, the novel takes its protagonist…
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