Romance, politics intrigue and crime in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Yuletide 1743, and Redcoat officer Robert Catto would rather be anywhere else on earth than Scotland. Seconded back from the wars in Europe to captain the city’s Town Guard, he fears his covert mission to assess the strength of the Jacobite threat will force him to confront the past he tries so hard to…

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When vampires came to the Scottish Highlands

I have always been a fan of the vampire genre, but this is a first for me: a tale of blood sucking horror set in the Highlands of Scotland. Despite the odd juxtaposition of genres, this is an enjoyable tale that I found difficult to put down. The lead character, Mark Campbell is well developed…

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A third serving of some delicious recipes

The Lady Laird of Ballindalloch had no intention of serving up third helpings of homemade recipes, but I am thrilled she did. This instalment is packed with delectable ideas, and includes a special nod to the country’s exceptional game. As a pudding fiend, I’m taking note of her banana, orange and passion fruit soufflé which…

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How to trace your Scottish roots and ancestry

Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church & State Records is a thorough guide to Scotland’s genealogical landscape and is a useful tool for researchers of the diaspora to have at hand. Paton examines common records used by family historians, including censuses, tax records and registers of land ownership. A basic knowledge of the legal system…

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Overcoming her grief in the mountains

This beautifully candid memoir follows the life of Munroist, Sarah Jane Douglas, and her battle with grief. After losing her mother to cancer, Douglas finds solace in climbing Scotland’s forbidding mountains. A heart-wrenching read, it is testament to the cathartic nature of the wilderness. True stories do not always see the ‘happily ever after’ ending,…

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A 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…

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Historical 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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The perfect book for Scottish lighthouse fans

If, like Sarah Kerr, you are an avid pharologist (the technical term for lighthouse enthusiasts) then this guide is the perfect purchase for you. It’s the only one of its kind to provide a comprehensive listing of more than 600 lighthouses in Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. The…

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Charting Scotland’s long history through verse

An anthology of poetry charting Scotland’s journey through the high and low points of its history using the medium of verse. This unique poetic saunter through the centuries also includes a useful little explanation of the background and the events that led to the penning of each poem. This book is the perfect way to…

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World War I – as seen first hand in the trenches

Mud and Bodies is a fascinating collection of letters and extracts from the war diaries of Captain NAC Weir during the period 1914-1920. The diaries were found by his grandson shortly after his death and provide a first-hand account of the life of a young soldier on the Western Front during WW1. It includes an…

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