Book review – Exploring Glasgow

Glasgow, known for being one of the most architecturally exciting cities in the world, has an extremely diverse range of buildings. This book by Robin Ward captures almost 500 structures, detailing their architectural credentials as well as their social and historical significance. Arranged by area, this book includes maps on which the locations of all…

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Book review – Orkney: A Special Place

For Richard Clubley there is no better place on earth than Orkney. This keen island hopper for whom ‘every journey to an island begins with a quickening of the pulse’ has been, seen and done it all. Yet Orkney is where he and his family have decided to make their home. In this magnificent book Clubley…

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Book review – Scotland in Photographs

Scotland is renowned for its beautiful and diverse landscapes and this book is a breathtaking collection of images captured by Dundee photographer Shahbaz Majeed. Taken all over Scotland, the images capture the magic and mystery of the landscape and his images of water in particular effortlessly capture the movement and mood of an area. Readers…

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Book Review – The Red Squirrel: A Future in the Forest

The Red Squirrel: A Future in the Forest is the Big Picture’s first launch in a series of breathtakingly astonishing conservation books. Before you start to think that this isn’t the book for you, let me tell you there is something for everyone as you flick through these pages tdone in the october mago discover…

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Book review: Downhill From Here

As he approached his mid-forties, Gavin Boyter wondered what his life was all about. This is the tale of an ordinary runner undertaking an extraordinary feat by attempting to conquer Britain by running its length from John O’Groats to Land’s End, the longest linear run in the UK. Boyter’s engaging and witty writing captivates the…

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Book review: St Valery and its Aftermath

In many histories of the Second World War, much is written about great generals and momentous battles while the story of the ordinary soldier goes untold. This is not the case in Stewart Mitchell’s superbly researched work. Through personal accounts, often told here for the first time, Mitchell tells the story of the men of the…

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Book review – Making For Home: A Tale of the Scottish Borders

A former art historian, farmer and writer, Alan Tait has lived in the Moffat Water Valley for over 40 years. He describes his third book as a memoir, a meditation on the nature of buildings in the area and a history of the valley. Tait skillfully weaves together the history and tales of the landscape…

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Book review – Enlightenment Edinburgh: A Guide

Edinburgh was the intellectual hub of the western world in the 18th century, with treatises and lectures on science, medicine, law, architecture, philosophy and political economy being delivered in the city. At the heart of this was the New Town area, with the buildings of the period being celebrated in this guide, carefully detailed by…

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Book review: Alexander Henry – Rifle Maker, by Donald Dallas

The fascinating story of an acclaimed Scots rifle maker is chronicled in a fascinating new biography. Released as a private publication for Donald Dallas, this book gives an in depth history of Edinburgh rifle maker Alexander Henry. Alexander Henry (1818–1894) was in business in Edinburgh for only a short period, 42 years, but in that…

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Book review: Follow The Dead by Lin Anderson

Forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod returns in the 12th book of her series by the exquisite Lin Anderson. Follow the Dead takes her to the Cairngorms, joining a mountain rescue team after a mysterious plane has crash-landed, while one person is missing and three are dead on a climbing trip nearby. As if that wasn’t enough,…

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