Books
Scots poetry collection with new artwork
Renowned poet and novelist Ron Butlin conjures up Scotland’s past, present and future in this collection, The Magicians of Scotland. It is taken from the poems he wrote during his time as the Edinburgh Makar, as well as previously unpublished work. Illustrated with energetic line drawings by Jim Hutcheson, the collection will appeal to Butlin fans…
Read MoreBoswell Book Festival returns for its 10th outing
The 10th Boswell Book Festival will take place at Dumfries House in Ayrshire later this year. Running from 8-10 May, the event was founded to celebrate the life and work of the great writer and long recognised inventor of modern biography, James Boswell of Auchinleck. Set in the beautifully restored house, saved for the nation…
Read MoreAn anti-rhino poaching adventure for young adults
The story of Finn Summers’ African holiday takes unexpected twists and turns in Annabel Claridge’s latest novel. The tale about the illegal rhino horn trade and a bid to save these animals has relatable characters and excellent descriptions of the surroundings transporting you into the story alongside Finn. The Rhino Farm, which raises awareness of…
Read MoreBook festival brings millions to Scots economy
The Wigtown Book Festival generated £4.3 million for the Scottish economy last year – up from £2.3 million since 2013. The new economic impact study, by Bellerby Economics, also underlined the annual festival’s importance in supporting jobs and attracting visitors to Dumfries and Galloway. The study included the results from 400 face-to-face interviews with visitors…
Read MoreA handy guide to Scotland’s skiing scene
This is, so the blurb informs us, Scotland’s first guide to off-piste skiing and snowboarding. The book focuses on the mountains around Ben Nevis and the Nevis range and contains route descriptions and gradings as well as entry diagrams and some stunning photography of each of the featured ‘Back Corries’ or off-piste runs. It’s a…
Read MoreA chaotic childhood led to a life in nursing
Mary J MacLeod’s childhood memoirs tell the chaotic story of her upbringing – from an idyllic childhood, her mother’s death changes everything. Passed from one family member to another, she finds herself seen as more of a housemaid. The story follows her early life and then through the war as she breaks from the shackles…
Read MoreWhen the landlords kept their tenants in state of terror
In None Dare Oppose, a study of Highland landlordism, author John MacLeod paints a portrait of Victorian Scotland. For two decades, the people of Lewis lived in terror, oppressed by corrupt land owners, before rising above the regime and marching to Stornoway in a gripping finale. MacLeod captures the essence of the time with vibrant characters and…
Read MoreAn exciting thriller with clever plot twists
The body of a woman is found bludgeoned and dumped in the water of Loch Lomond, while Iain Fraser of Helensburgh, who put her there, is living with his guilt. Nearby, DI Alex Morrow and her team have been shadowing a woman they believe to be involved in drug smuggling, but she disappears without a…
Read MoreOpening the windows of the memory with photos
Old photographs can feel very remote to the modern viewer. However, in this collection of short stories based on old photographs, Alexander McCall Smith ingeniously proves that with a little imagination, photographs, no matter how old, can transcend time and place. Smith creates big stories from the tiniest of visual clues to take the reader…
Read MoreHow Glasgow survived the devastation of WW2
Glasgow At War 1939-45 is an important account which focuses on the devastating impact of the Luftwaffe’s relentless bombing of the city in WW2. The text is at times a little dry, but the sections where Armstrong retells the horror of the raid on Clydebank in March 1941 which killed over 500 and left only…
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