Category Archives: Travel Guides
The Book of Bere: Orkney`s Ancient Grain
Bere is the native barley of Orkney. In the past it was an important multi-use crop and a staple of the Scottish diet, though its use declined as more easily-processed crops were introduced. Bere is still grown on Orkney farms by an agricultural contractor employed by the Birsay Heritage Trust who run the Barony Mill,
The Course of History: Ten Meals That Changed the World
Many decisions which have had enormous historical consequences have been made over the dinner table, and have been accompanied (and perhaps in influenced) by copious amounts of food and wine. In this book Struan Stevenson brings to life ten such moments, exploring the personalities, the issues and of course the food which helped shape the
Scotland: Defending the Nation: Mapping the Military Landscape
Scotland has had a uniquely important military history over the last five centuries. Conflict with England in the 16th century, Jacobite rebellions in the 18th century, 20th-century defences and the two world wars, as well as the Cold War, all resulted in significant cartographic activity.In this book two map experts explore the extraordinarily rich legacy
Glasgow: The Autobiography
Glasgow: The Autobiography tells the story of the fabled, former Second City of the British Empire from its origins as a bucolic village on the rivers Kelvin and Clyde, through the Industrial Revolution to the dawning of the second millennium. Arranged chronologically and introduced by journalist and Glasgowphile Alan Taylor, the book includes extracts from
A Human Love Story: Journeys to the Heart
Matt Hopwood set off with just a small bag and a walking stick, no possessions and an open mind to walk many hundreds of miles the length and breadth of the country. He relied entirely on the generosity of strangers for shelter and asked people to tell him their transforming stories. They did. All of
Oxford: Mapping the City
Over the past four and a half centuries, the magnificent city of Oxford has been mapped for many reasons, few of which have involved the mere finding of one`s way through the streets. Maps were produced as part of schemes to defend Oxford from rampaging Roundheads, raging floodwaters, and the ravages of cholera; to plan
Darien: A Journey in Search of Empire
The Company of Scotland and its attempts to establish the colony of Caledonia on the inhospitable isthmus of Panama in the late seventeenth century is one of the most tragic moments of Scottish history. Devised by William Paterson, the stratagem was to create a major trading station between Europe and the East. It could have
The Colouring Book of Scotland
A unique Scottish colouring book suitable for adults as well as children featuring 20 of the country`s most iconic places, including:Edinburgh Castle * Forth Rail Bridge * St Andrews * HMS Discovery, Dundee * Balmoral castle * Loch Ness/Urquart Castle * Dunrobin * Castle, Stromness, Orkney * Skara Brae * Callanish standing stones * Lews
A Life in the Hills: The Katharine Stewart Omnibus
Katharine Stewart, who died in 2013, was one of Scotland`s best-loved writers on rural life in the Highlands. A Croft in the Hills, her first book, tells the story of how a couple and their young daughter, fresh from city life, took over a remote hill croft near Loch Ness and made a living from
Scottish Baking
In recent times Britain as a whole can`t get enough of programmes like The Great British Bake-off and The Fabulous Baker Boys, but Scotland has always had a wonderful tradition of baking in both sweet and savoury recipes. Leading cookery writer Sue Lawrence has now combined her passions for baking and Scottish cooking into one
The Sticker Atlas of Scotland
This sticker atlas is a stimulating and fun way to introduce children to the various regions of Scotland and introduce the immense variety of the country`s landscape, flora and fauna, and places of cultural significance. Ben Blathwayt is renowned for his beautiful and detailed illustrative work, which is ideal for this medium.
The Cairngorms: A Secret History
Secret Histories of the Cairngorms is a series of journeys exploring barely known human and natural stories of the Cairngorm Mountains. It looks at a unique British landscape, its last great wilderness, with new eyes. History combines with travelogue in a vivid account of this elemental scenery. There have been rare human incursions into the
Wild Voices: Journeys Through Time in the Scottish Highlands
The journeys in this book are tales of adventure on foot and by canoe through some of the last wild places in Scotland. Each journey is haunted by the ghost of another writer – Neil Gunn, Iain Thomson, Rowena Farre – who has left behind the trace of his or her own experience of these
Shackleton`s Boat Journey
On August 1, 1914, on the eve of World War I, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his hand-picked crew embarked in HMS Endurance from London`s West India Dock, for an expedition to the Antarctic. It was to turn into one of the most breathtaking survival stories of all time. Even as they coasted down the channel,
The Railway Atlas of Scotland: Two Hundred Years of History in Maps
The rich diversity of Scotland`s railway network has never before been the subject of a specialist atlas. This book showcases 181 topographical and railway maps, telling the story of the country`s railways from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Researched and written by David Spaven – who co-wrote the best-selling `Mapping the Railways`
Edinburgh: Mapping the City
Maps can tell much about the story of a place that traditional histories fail to communicate. This is particularly true of Edinburgh, one of the most visually stunning cities in Europe and a place rich in historical and cultural associations. This lavishly illustrated book features 80 maps of Edinburgh which have been selected for the
The Scottish Berries Bible
The latest in Birlinn`s bestselling Food Bible series features the succulent soft fruits for which Scotland is so renowned – raspberries, Tayberries, redcurrants, blackberries – and shows how to get the best out of them. So much baking and cookery knowledge is packed into the compact Food Bible format, illustrated with Bob Dewar`s delightfully quirky
Wild Island: A Year in the Hebrides
This is a book for anyone interested in wildlife, for art lovers, for tourists wanting a memento of their holiday, for everyone who loves the west coast of Scotland. It depicts a year in the life of Oronsay, a remote island that is farmed by the RSPB for the benefit of wildlife, and follows artist
St. Kilda: A People`s History
St Kilda is the most romantic and most romanticised group of islands in Europe. Soaring out of the North Atlantic Ocean like Atlantis come back to life, the islands have captured the imagination of the outside world for hundreds of years. Their inhabitants, Scottish Gaels who lived off the land, the sea and by birdcatching
Confidante of Tyrants: The Story of the American Woman Trusted by the Us`s Biggest Enemies
“I had breakfast with Hugo Chavez, lunch with Bashar al-Assad, cocktails with Putin and dinner with Qadafi. Fidel Castro wooed me with flowers, perfume and cigars. Ahmadinejad told me he loved me. Chavez proclaimed me `The Girlfriend of Venezuela`. But I am not a spy, and I am not a traitor.”When US lawyer Eva Golinger
