Books
Scotland’s chocolate features in new guidebook
When asked about Britain’s chocolate output, you would be forgiven if you immediately thought of chocolate bars wrapped in iconic purple packaging, the compulsory Christmas selection boxes, or the legendary chocolate orange. However, Andrew Baker’s ‘A Chocolate Lover’s Guide to Britain’ reveals that the British chocolate industry is so much more than these much-loved, mass…
Read MoreA celebration of Christine Isherwood’s talents
A prolific and successful artist and illustrator who loved Scotland, is having her work celebrated in a new book. Christine Isherwood, who died two years ago, was a trained botanist who switched to art while bringing up the her three children with her husband. Using her encyclopaedic knowledge of plants and birds, she used her…
Read MoreA train of thought in turning back the clock
Industrial Locomotives & Railways of Scotland is the ninth volume of the ten-part series of regional books examining the industrial railways of England, Scotland and Wales. Gordon Edgar uses previously unpublished photographs accompanied by detailed captions to reflect on the changing face of the Scottish railway industry over the last six decades. The diversity of…
Read MoreJoin the Big Scottish Book Club this weekend
Have you ever been in a book club? If not, you’re invited to join one this weekend. The Big Scottish Book Club is a new four-part TV show, beginning on Sunday, 10 November, and as host Damian Barr says at the top of the show: “Welcome to the first ever episode of The Big Scottish Book Club.” Writer…
Read MoreExclusive crime event for Book Week Scotland
Ian Rankin will discuss his recently re-launched lost novel, Westwind, with bestselling crime author Stuart MacBride at an exclusive event during Book Week Scotland. Published for the first time in almost 30 years, the espionage thriller about spies, satellites and a global conspiracy of sinister surveillance, is strikingly relevant in today’s political climate. Tickets for the…
Read MoreA fascinating look at Edinburgh’s proud military past
Today, Edinburgh Castle is primarily admired by tourists and locals for the drama it adds to the landscape of our capital. Although a stroll down Princes Street on a (rare) sunny day might give the wanderer an appreciation of the castle’s aesthetic beauty, its historical importance to the defence of the city through the centuries…
Read MoreYou can’t go wrong with the definitive guide to Elgin
Jenny Main has written the definitive, fully-illustrated A-Z guide of Elgin’s history, people and places. Elgin has a wealth of history which is explored in Jenny Main’s A-Z Guide of the town. The last of the Pictish kings – Macbeth – ruled this area, with his rival, Duncan, dying of his battle wounds in the…
Read MoreCelebrating the most unique lighthouse in Scotland
On the extreme north-east point of the Scottish mainland lies the promontory of Kinnaird Head, home to the only lighthouse in the world to be built into a castle. The Kinnaird Lighthouse, originally constructed in 1571, has played host to lairds, lords and Jacobites over its five hundred year history. After being saved from various…
Read MoreA look at Stirling through its beautiful buildings
Stirling may be Scotland’s smallest city, but after being granted city status during the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, its history and heritage have begun to be fully appreciated. Jack Gillon takes the reader on a tour of 50 of Stirling’s finest buildings and structures, celebrating the city’s immense architectural heritage and ancient character. With…
Read MoreSee Them Run is a fascinating start for Scots detective
Fast–paced with a unique sense of place, See Them Run by Marion Todd is the debut novel in what is set to be a gripping series introducing detective DI Clare Mackay. The Scottish crime fiction market may seem saturated with much of the same run-of-the mill content, but Marion Todd’s welcome addition to the genre…
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