New Scottish Books

The Scottish Mountains. Scotland's mountain landscapes are among the most striking and fragile in northern Europe. Their magic casts a spell over all who come to behold them. This collection of panoramic photography captures the physical power of Scotland's mountains, and their ever changing beauty. Photographs by Alan Gordon and introductory text by Hamish Brown. The Scottish Mountains.

Reform and Re-creation: Scotland, 1488-1587: New Edinburgh History of Scotland Pt. 6: Scotland, 1488-1587: 4. Reform and Re-creation: Scotland, 1488-1587. From the death of James III to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, the story of the Scotland is told from the perspective of its regions and of individual Scots, as well as incorporating the view from the royal court. This book explains how the country was re-formed as the relationship between church and crown changed, with these two institutions converging, merging and diverging, thereby permanently altering the nature of Scottish governance. Society was also transformed especially by the feuars, new landholders who became the backbone of rural Scotland. The Reformation Crisis of 1559-60 brought the establishment of a Protestant Kirk, an institution affecting the lives of Scots for many centuries, and a diplomatic revolution that discarded the 'auld alliance' and locked Scotland's future into the British Isles. Although the disappearance of the pre-Reformation church left a patronage deficit with disastrous effects for Scottish music and art, new forms of cultural expression arose that reflected Protestant sensibilities or were transposed to secular settings. Alongside, the dramatic events and slow transformations of cultural, social, economic, political and religious life, in 1587 much remained as it had been in 1488, with Scots deeply rooted in their country through their abiding sense of place and people..

St Kilda: Island on the Edge of the World St Kilda, Island on the Edge of the World. For more than 2000 years the people of St Kilda remained remote from the world. Its society was viable, even Utopian; but in the nineteenth century the island was discovered by missionaries, do-gooders and tourists, who brought money, disease and despotism. St Kildan culture gradually disintegrated and in 1930 the few remaining islanders asked to be evacuated.

The First Frontier: Rome in the North of Scotland The Antonine Wall, which runs across Scotland from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde, has been described as 'Rome's Last Frontier', as it was the Empire's most northern outpost. But the real outpost, about which modern excavation is revealing more and more information, was the Gask Ridge in Perthshire. Research over the last 50 years has revolutionised our picture of the Roman occupation of the north of Scotland, well before the time of the famous governor Agricola. Moreover, the Roman remains can now be set more firmly in the context of the pre-existing native society.

Battle for the North: The Tay and Forth Bridges and the 19th Century Railway Wars The first Tay Bridge collapsed into the sea in 1879 only 18 months after it had opened, drowning 72 people travelling by train to Dundee. Shock reverberated through Britain, and the public demanded answers. The bridge had been hailed as a triumph of construction, and its fall shook society's confidence in the excellence of Victorian engineering. This epic tale of engineering follows the rise and fall of the career of engineer Thomas Bouch, ostracised from the engineering community when his bridge crashed into the Tay estuary. Over four decades, a fierce and dirty railway war drove forward the construction of the two largest railway bridges in the world, symbols of a modernising Scotland. Charles McKean offers new conclusions about why the first Tay Bridge collapsed and tells how the Forth and Tay bridges eventually became reality. He follows the railway battle for Scotland from 1845 - 95 and the people it involved: from the Victorian entrepreneurs, poets, journalists, lawyers, town councils; to the engineers, briggers, excavators and rivet boys; to the pioneering and inventive contractor William Arrol - who constructed the bridges that stand today. Meticulously researched and vividly told, "Battle for the North" explores the complicated reality underlying the Victorian pursuit of progress.

The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women The Biographical Dictionary Of Scottish Women. This biographical dictionary presents the lives of individual Scottish women from earliest times to the present. It explores the experience of women from every class and category in Scotland and the worldwide Scottish diaspora. Each entry seeks to tell a story rather than simply offering information.

On the Crofter's Trail In the Clearances of the 19th century, crofts, once the mainstay of Highland life in Scotland, were swept away as the land was put over to sheep grazing. Many of the people of the Highlands and islands of Scotland were forced from their homes by landowners in the Clearances. Some fled to Nova Scotia and beyond. David Craig sets out to discover how many of their stories survive in the memories of their descendants. He travels through 21 islands in Scotland and Canada, many thousands of miles of moor and glen, and presents the words of men and women of both countries as they recount the suffering of their forbears.

Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland The sheer diversity of Scotland's rocks and landforms are the physical reminders of a fascinating physical and chronological journey which shows that the land that makes up Scotland today has travelled the world from the Equator to the South Pole and back north again, and has not always even belonged to the same continental landmass.

Adrift in Caledonia: Boat-hitching for the Unenlightened One clear morning in May, Nick Thorpe left his Edinburgh flat, ducked off the commuter route and hitched a ride aboard a little white canal boat, heading west towards the sea. It was the first mutinous step in a delightful boat-hopping odyssey that would take him 2500 miles through Scotland's canals, lochs and coastal waters, from the industrial Clyde to the scattered islands of Viking Shetland. New Scottish Books.

West Coast Tales: Riveters, Wrecks and Ring-netters Responsible for the sea-worthiness of countless vessels and therefore the lives of their captains and crews, Weyndling's job took him the length of the coast and introduced him to many entertaining characters along the way. West Coast Tales, like Weyndling's first collection of stories Ferry Tales, is a collection of memories from the beginning of his career as an apprentice in a Glasgow shipyard in WW2 to his time working as a ship surveyor on the East and West Coasts of Scotland. Designed throughout with original photographs and drawings, the book offers a comprehensive view over the twentieth-century Scottish boat industry, looking at fishing boats, small craft, ferries, boatyards and shipyards. The dangers of the sea-faring life are also examined in Weyndling's examinations of marine casualties. Although it is a book about boats, it is also a compelling portrait of life on the Western Coast and on the Islands. It is the people whose lives are connected so closely to ship and sea who are most vividly remembered by Weyndling, from taciturn skippers and stubborn captains to East End Londoners turned Islay farmers. Comic yet moving, West Coast Tales has a gentle and reminiscent tone, perfectly capturing the attitudes of the time whilst taking the reader on a journey through Scotland's boating history.

Sinners of Cramond Between 1651 and 1851 successive clerks to the Kirk Sessions of Cramond carefully recorded the allegations of misbehaviour that were brought against parishioners. Almost all of those who appeared before the session were 'working-class' men and women, and not all of them were as ready to confess and express their repentance as minister and elders wished. So while the eleven volumes of Cramond's session minutes over that time give a vivid picture of the sinners and their unallowable activities (as well as of the neighbours who reported on them), they also reveal the difficulties faced by a group of earnest men (some more likeable than others) who were charged with exercising godly authority over their community. The account is set against the background of national events as they affected Cramond and its kirk. It concludes by sketching some of the changes that have made the modern Edinburgh suburb so different from its forerunner of earlier centuries. New Scottish Books.

The Law Killers: True Crime from Dundee True crime from Dundee, covering the most fascinating and chilling cases from the last century.Every town has its monsters. But only when their rage explodes and unspeakable crimes are committed do we realise we hold them in our midst. Some are unpredictable psychopaths, others achieve notoriety after a moment of madness when a single out-of-character act changes their lives forever. One thing is for certain, homicide comes in many guises – the only thing most have in common is a corpse. New Scottish Books.

Vendetta: Turning Your Back on Crime Can Be Deadly Vendetta tells the astonishing inside story of what happened next to Paul Ferris. And it’s a story of international gangsters, hit contracts, murders, bank scams, Essex-boy torturers, corrupt politics, crack-head hit-men, knife duels, securi-wars, drugs, guns, Yardies, terrorists and more. In Vendetta, Paul Ferris slashes open the underbelly of Britain’s streets and exposes the dark forces that police them as well as revealing the truth about what really happened to him and about the conspiracies and corruption that won’t leave him alone. New Scottish Books.

The Stornoway Way The Stornoway Way is a provocative, lyrical novel which chronicles the misadventures of an idiosyncratic young Scotsman in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland who rails against the constraints of his extraordinary but vanishing island culture as well as western civilsation as a whole. A debut novel with refreshing and arresting style, humour and insight. New Scottish Books.

The Thistle and the Rose: The Centuries Old Tale of Love and Hate Between Scots and English Scotland's leading commentator and novelist unveils for the first time the complex web of rivalry, collusion, affection and hostility that has bound the Scots and the English for 500 years The thorny relationship between the thistle and the rose has been central to our history since the first attempt at dynastic union, the Rough Wooing between Margaret Tudor and James IV. New Scottish Books.

Of Fish and Men: Tales of a Scottish Fisher A heart warming and often amusing collection of anecdotes and personal observations from over forty years of fishing, linked by a commentary on the Scottish author's life and times. New Scottish Books.

Pointless The inside, in-depth and possibly indiscreet story of a season with Britain's worst football club - East Stirlingshire. New Scottish Books.

A Gift from the Gallowgate Doris Davidson recounts her growing up in Aberdeen in the '20s and '30's, the war years, her marriage and the unexpected paths her career has followed. With her novelist's skill, she brings into vivid focus a life of rich experience in a book every bit as riveting as her works of fiction. New Scottish Books.

The Knife Man The vivid, often gruesome portrait of the 18th century pioneering surgeon and father of modern medicine, John Hunter. New Scottish Books.

A Sense of Belonging to Scotland Ewan McGregor says, The photographs in this book will inspire the beautiful melancholia experienced by Scots away from home all over the world. Sir Cameron Mackintosh says, A ravishing book, with some of the most beautiful shots of Scotland I have ever seen. New Scottish Books.

The Wreckers: A Story of Killing Seas,... From the bestselling author of The Lightouse Stevensons, a gripping history of the drama and danger of wrecking since the eighteenth century, and the often grisly ingenuity of Scottish and British wreckers, scavengers of the sea. A fine wreck has always represented sport, pleasure, treasure, and in many cases, the difference between living well and just getting by.

Gordon Brown The gripping inside story of the complex and ambitious Chancellor of the Exchequer's time in power. Gordon Brown's arrival at the Treasury in May 1997 was greeted with great excitement, not to mention anticipation. Officials of every rank looked on expectantly to see what miracles the chancellor would work. And so, as Master of the New Era, Brown created relationships across every Whitehall department and extended his influence to every aspect of government.

Chinook Crash The 1994 crash of a Chinook helicopter with top Northern Ireland intelligence experts on board into the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland has remained the source of intense speculation ever since. The book is not only a full account of the incident itself and the subsequent and on-going controversy over blame, but also attempts to solve the mystery about this accident. New Scottish Books.

Volcanoes and the Making of Scotland Scotland's mountains and glens retain the secrets of the long and frequently violent geological history that has gone into their making. Volcanoes have played a major role in the creation of Scotland and while the youngest, a mere sixty million years old, were responsible for much of the scenic splendour of the Inner Hebrides, the rocks composing many of the famous Scottish landforms as, for example, those of Glencoe and the Edinburgh district are also the direct result of volcanism.

Ian Donald - a Memoir Ian Donald was a vibrant, controversial character who deserves to be remembered for many things in addition to his enormous contribution to the development of medical ultrasound, although this inevitably stands out as his greatest achievement.

Heartland A man tries to build for his future by reconnecting with his past, leaving behind the ruins of the life he has lived. Iain Martin hopes that by returning to his Hebridean roots and embarking on a quest to reconstruct the ancient family home, he might find new purpose. But as Iain begins working on he old blackhouse, he uncovers a secret from the past, which forces him to question everything he ever thought to be true.

Whalehunters: Dundee and the Arctic... Few trades were so demanding and dangerous as whaling. The hunt for the whale and its precious oil, bone and ambergris took sailors to the frozen ends of the earth, on voyages that lasted years at a time. Harpoons were thrown by hand from an open boat, which at any moment the whale could reduce to matchwood with a single blow of its tail. This book is not a history of whaling, but the story of the whalehunters themselves. It tells of the experiences of men from little Scottish ports who risked everything for a tiny share in whatever their whaling ships managed to catch. Making a living in this way involved extraordinary adventures, harrowing ordeals and grinding labour: and a courage that was prepared to confront the mystery and terror of the sea.

The Scottish Farmer's Market Cookbook Scotland has an enviable reputation for producing some of the finest food in the world. Langoustines from the West Coast of Scotland are eaten at tables all over Europe; the Scottish Aberdeen Angus has long been the byword for quality meat; Scottish soft raspberries and tayberries are considered the finest available, and so the list goes on!

A Strange and Wild Place.At the age of twenty-two the author cut short her nursing career in Edinburgh to marry, against enormous family pressure, the charismatic Euan Macpherson, her psychology tutor and twenty years her senior. Not long after, Euan inherited the family estate of Glentruim in Badenoch and Sandra Macpherson found herself the lady of a large and dilapidated manor. Despite an extraordinarily frosty reception by the staff of the house and other members of the Macpherson clan, who considered her too young to take on the role of lady of the house, Sandra rose to the challenge. This is her engaging and entertaining account of life at Glentruim, in an isolated and often harsh environment where the family were often snowed in for weeks at a time with no electricity or telephone. New Scottish Books.

Magic and Witchcraft in Scotland. This major new book examines beliefs and practices regarding the magical universe of ordinary people in Scotland. This includes details of calendar festivals, healing and divination rituals, and the use of holy or healing wells, stones and talismans. New Scottish Books.

Battles of the Scottish Lowlands:.... This historical guide retells, in graphic detail, the story of nine of the most important battles to be fought in Scotland south of the Highland Line, stretching from Aberdeen to the Firth of Clyde. The battles range from medieval period to the time of Jacobite Rebellion. They show how weapons and equipment, tactics and strategy, and the make up of the armies themselves changed over the course of almost 500 years.

Aberdeenshire and Royal Deeside: A... The first book of colour photographs dedicated to capturing Aberdeenshire and a worthy companion to our recent publication "Aberdeen - A Celebration in Pictures". The North East of Scotland, from St Cyrus to Sandend, in glorious colour photographs taken by the established Deeside based landscape photographer Jim Hendersen and drawn from his extensive work over 20 years.

Gathering the Clans: Tracing Scottish... Ancestry. This title provides a complete guide to using the internet as a tool for tracing your Scottish Ancestry.

A History of the Clan Campbell: From the.... The Clan Campbell is the largest of the Scottish Highland clans. Their history is central to the history of the nation. This is the third and final volume of a history of the clan, written by the Duke of Argyll's archivist.

Shut Yer Pus: A Wee Book of Scots Slang.

Journey Through Britain: Landscape,.... For the last three years David St John Thomas has travelled through Britain, exploring the fascinating and diverse character of Britain today. The result is a 700-page travelogue/commentary in the tradition of J.B. Priestley's English Journey. Often erudite, constantly perceptive and always eye opening and sympathetic to Britain's national condition, this is a breezy and entertaining account of Britain as it really is.

Journey's Beginning: The Gateway Theatre.... The Gateway Theatre Company between 1953 and 1965 was a major force in developing modern Scottish theatre, moving in 1965 to become the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company. The Gateway Theatre and its company were therefore highly influential in the development of theatre in Scotland. This book provides authoritative, brief histories of the building and the company incorporating much original research, an essay on the links between the theatre and the Church of Scotland (its landlord post-World War II), and appreciations of two leading figures in the operation of the theatre and the company. These are Sadie Aitken and Robert Kemp.

Walking the Coastline of Shetland:.... The Eastside Mainland of Shetland and the islands of Noss, Out Skerries, Bressay and Whalsay offer all who enjoy walking the delights and challenges of exploring remarkable landscapes.

Made in Scotland: Household Names That... Began in Scotland. Of the wide range and diversity of British products that are now household names, both at home and abroad, the Scots can take pride in the fact that many of them began in Scotland. When people first spread Robertson's Golden Shred Marmalade on their toast, it was by courtesy of Paisley man James Robertson. How would the housewife have thickened her sauce without cornflour, first produced in Paisley by Brown & Polson in 1854? The world's first concentrated fruit drink was Rose's Lime Juice cordial, invented by Leith man, Lachlan Rose; Pringle of Hawick gave the world the first knitted twin-set; J & P Coats of Paisley, whose origins go back to 1830, grew into the largest thread manufacturer in the world, and the UK's number one comic, The Beano, was born in Dundee.

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