Book - Hugh Miller: Stonemason, Geologist, Writer

Hugh Miller was born in 1802 in Cromarty, Ross-shire. He started his working life as a stonemason's apprentice; he later became a social commentator and crusader. His was a household name in his lifetime, not only in Scotland but across the English-speaking world. With the benefit of recent research for the 2002 conferences, this biography does full justice to the self-educated man, a figure of renown in the 19th century, whose literary genius and scientific acumen still resonates in the 21st.

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Book - Clyde Built: The Blockade Runners of the American Civil War

The Blockade of the US's Southern ports during the American Civil War is well known and thoroughly documented, the conflict defined as a massive game of chess between two steely opponents - the aggressive Navy of the Federation and the determined Confederate States. However, this black-and-white interpretation of events neglects the role of Scotland in this historical siege, sidelining the Scots to mere shipbuilders and suppliers. In reality, their role in the Blockade was much more pronounced. The Blockade Runners illuminates the events of the Blockade as viewed and experienced from Scotland. The shipbuilding industry was overwhelmed at the scale of profit available, and these financial rewards stimulated much ship building activity in the Clyde. Aside from being the principal provider of steamers and armed cruisers to both sides of the American Civil War, the Scots saw further opportunity in promoting private ventures, both on the water and off, as they sent privately owned Blockade runners into the stand-off, and also provided a location for secret agency activity from both sides. The ideological conflict unfolding between American anti-slavery supporters and anti-abolitionists also spread to the other side of the Atlantic and forced the Scots to examine their own values, polarising opinions and forcing the individual to reassess their position on the most basic human rights.

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Book - The Wallace Book

Through his personality, ingenuity and ability, he initiated a resistance movement which ultimately secured the nation's freedom and independence. Yet, Wallace was reviled, opposed and eventually betrayed by the nobility in his own day to re-surface in the epic poetry of the fifteenth century as a champion and liberator. Eventually, his legend overtook the historical reality, a process which has continued for centuries as manifested in modern media and film. A team of leading historians and critics from both Scotland and England investigate what is known of the medieval warrior's career from contemporary sources, most of which, unusually for a national hero, were created by his enemies. His reputation, from the time of his horrendous execution to the present, is examined to ascertain what the figure of Wallace meant to different generations of Scots. Too dangerous perhaps for his own era, he became the supreme Scottish hero of all time; the archetypal Scot who would teach kings and nobles where their duty lay, and who would live free or freely die for the liberty of his nation.

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Book - The Battle of Prestonpans 1745

This is the first history of the Jacobite battle fought on 21st September 1745 between the forces of the Hanoverian regime and Prince Charles Edward Stuart, better known as 'Bonnie Prince Charles'. Lieutenant-General Sir John Cope, the leader of the English army, has been ridiculed, in song and in history books, for losing the Battle of Prestonpans - the first major battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. His defeat led to the invasion of England, in which the Jacobites almost drove King George II from the throne. But was Cope really to blame? The Jacobite Risings occurred after Parliament ousted King James Stuart in 1688 and installed a new dynasty. Stuart loyalists, many of them based in Scotland, took up arms repeatedly in futile attempts to restore James' descendants. The 1745 Rising, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, was the last. Martin Margulies traces Scottish history up to 'the '45', describes the sharply contrasting weapons and tactics of the opposing armies, and follows the Prestonpans campaign from the time Charlie landed, almost alone, on the remote Isle of Eriskay through the moment his tiny force destroyed Cope's regulars in an early morning highland charge.

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Book - The Hidden Places of Scotland

The Hidden Places of Scotland has been extensively updated and
contains a wealth of interesting information on the history, the
countryside, the towns and villages and the many places of interest such as
churches, castles, monuments and great mansions. The guide is beautifully
illustrated and explores Scotland in a relaxed narrative style.

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Book - In Famed Breadalbane

This is a history of a district of the Grampian Mountains in western Perthshire, bordered by Lochaber and Atholl on the north and Strathearn and Menteith on the south. We long have been in pursuit of this elusive regional history, which begins with an account of the region in earliest times and proceeds through the coming of the Scots, the Celtic church, the coming of the Campbells, the establishment of the Campbells of Breadalbane, down into the 20th century. It is of particular relevance for the Campbell, MacNab, Buchanan, Cameron, Dewar, Drummond, MacDonald, MacDougall, MacEwen, MacFarlane, MacGregor, MacIntyre, Mackay, Mackenzie, MacNaughton, and Menzies families, as well as many others. A wealth of local history!

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Take a Pride in Perthshire - Aberfeldy win 3rd place

Aberfeldy flower power. Thanks to a fantastic effort by the committee of Aberfeldy's Move2Improve, volunteers, local community and local businesses the town won third place in the large village category in this years Take a Pride in Perthshire competition.

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Childrens Activities - Victoria Park - Aberfeldy

Victoria Park in Aberfeldy has a recently upgraded fantastic play area. It includes safety surfacing, earth mounding and natural play logs, boulders and planting, challenging rope climbs, various swings, slide and a silicon-glass shade sail (7mx7m) which will provide some much needed shelter in the park along with a wide range of seating. This new area adjoins the existing skate park.

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Book - Highland Reflections by Donald Fraser(Aberfeldy)

Donald Fraser’s book Highland Reflections is a fascinating insight into a lifetime spent in and around forestry. It is also an account of life in the Highlands, and offers a very personal reflection on the often radical changes seen and experienced by that society over recent generations.

Highland Reflections is the story of a Perthshire man brought up on a highland estate in the 1930’s, who spent the majority of his life working for the Forestry Commission based in a variety of locations in central and highland Scotland.

As well as being the story of a forester, the book charts Donald’s life and is populated by an array of lively characters encountered over his period of service and beyond. Highland Reflections also includes accounts of general and historical interest directly related to forestry life. It unfolds at a gentle, conversational pace and will reinforce the views held by many on the nature of rural life and its qualities.


Highland Reflections takes readers on a lifetime’s journey starting in Blair Atholl, and includes life in Fife, Inverness, Angus and Lochtayside. The story also takes in visits to Avoch in the Black Isle, Islay, and RAF national service in the 1950s England.

This is the diverse narrative of a career in and around forestry and it offers readers an often lighthearted insight into a highland man’s life spent in a very specialised industry.

Highland Reflections by Donald Fraser (Wm Culross & Son, Coupar Angus)ISBN 1 873891 80 6

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Aberfeldy Bed and Breakfast

This comfortable, modern bungalow can be found in a peaceful location within minutes of the town centre of Aberfeldy, at the heart of Highland Perthshire, one of the most beautiful and scenic areas in Scotland.

A warm welcome is given to every guest by the host, Cathy Ross, ensuring a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. A large spacious lounge is available for all guests where you can watch TV or chat with the other guests. A large traditional Scottish breakfast is served at separate tables in the dining room or in the conservatory with picturesque views of the surrounding hills.

Aberfeldy is situated by the beautiful River Tay which flows from the picturesque Loch Tay. There is a fine selection of coffee shops, restaurants, gift shops and galleries along the main street which runs through the town.

From the town square you can walk the "Birks of Aberfeldy", originally known as the Den of Moness, made famous by the poem of the same name by Robert Burns. He wrote this poem while visiting Aberfeldy in 1787. The spot where he sat is now marked with a plaque. The Birks(birch trees) is now one of the most popular walks in Perthshire.

Aberfeldy is an excellent base for touring Highland Perthshire and the rest of Scotland as it is geographically placed almost in the very centre of the country which allows trips to Loch Ness, Glencoe, Oban, Edinburgh and the Trossachs to be undertaken in one day without the need for moving accommodation.

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Birks of Aberfeldy

The Birks of Aberfeldy which is a steep sided, wooded glen and the Falls of Moness are among the most spectacular and accessible walks in Perthshire. The circular walk, also a nature trail, follows the path alongside the Moness Burn reaching the highest point where it crosses the bridge above the Falls of Moness. There are seats and viewpoints on the way. The map shows the car parks and footpaths. The main walk can be extended by taking the path through the "Lower Birks" into Aberfeldy town centre.

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Scottish Cookery Book - Celebrations

Celebrations By Baroness Claire Macdonald

"Celebrations" is written for anyone who likes to eat and drink well, and to celebrate the milestones in their lives. Almost any event can be an excuse for a party or a feast - birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, christenings, or even just a summer party or barbecue - and Claire Macdonald, who runs a family hotel at Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye, offers a host of delicious recipes to help even the most hard-pressed cook celebrate life.

Menus range from romantic dinners for two, to lunch or dinner parties for twenty or more. Celebrations also includes a stunning selections of the puddings for which Claire Macdonald is so justly famous. Above all, the recipes are supremely practical and many can be prepared in advance; "Celebrations" is aimed at those of use who love to entertain but have to cope with busy lives as well.

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Scottish Fiction Book - Poverty Castle

Poverty Castle By Robin Jenkins

There is a long list of famous Scottish authors of fiction including JM Barrie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alistair MacLean, Gavin Maxwell, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Ian Rankin. This is a list of some of their books and some of the less well known authors' offerings.

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Scottish History Book - The Reivers: The Story of the Border Reivers

The Reivers: The Story of the Border Reivers By Alistair Moffat

Only one period in history is immediately, indelibly and uniquely linked to the whole area of the Scottish and English Border country, and that is the time of the Reivers. Whenever anyone mentions 'Reiver', no-one hesitates to add 'Border'. It is an inextricable association, and rightly so. Nowhere else in Britain in the modern era, or indeed in Europe, did civil order break down over such a wide area, or for such a long time. For more than a century, the hoof-beats of countless raiding parties drummed over the border. From Dumfriesshire to the high wastes of East Cumbria, from Roxburghshire to Redesdale, from the lonely valley of Liddesdale to the fortress city of Carlisle, swords and spears spoke while the law remained silent.

Fierce family loyalty counted for everything while the rules of nationality counted for nothing. The whole range of the Cheviot Hills, its watershed ridges and the river valleys which flowed out of them became the landscape of larceny while Maxwells, Grahams, Fenwicks, Carletons, Armstrongs and Elliots rode hard and often for plunder. These were the Riding Times and in modern European history, they have no parallel. This book tells the remarkable story of the Reivers and how they made the Borders.

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Scottish History book - Scottish Queens 1034-1714

Scottish Queens 1034-1714 By Rosalind K. Marshall

The lives of the Scottish queens, both those who ruled in their own right, and also the consorts, have largely been obscured and neglected. Rosalind K. Marshall addresses this oversight with a collection of mini-biographies, illuminating the fascinating lives of these unusual women, who all found themselves at the helm of a kingdom, and reacted in very different ways.

One of the earliest known Scottish queens was none other than the notorious Lady MacBeth. Was she really the wicked woman depicted in Shakespeare's famous play? Was St Margaret a demure and obedient wife? Why did Margaret Logie exercise such an influence over her husband, David II, and have we underestimated James VI's consort, Anne of Denmark, frequently written off as a stupid and wilful woman? These are just a few of the questions addressed by Dr Marshall in her entertaining, scholarly study.

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Scottish History book - Companion to Scottish History

Companion to Scottish History By Ian Donnachie; George R. Hewitt

This is a fully updated, revised and extended edition of an authoritative and comprehensive survey of Scottish history from the tenth century to the present day. As well as fully referenced entries and suggestions for further reading, there are also key articles on major themes and issues. An easy-to-use reference work that will also satisfy the browser, this is the perfect source for anyone wishing to understand and explore Scottish history.

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Scottish History book - I Crossed the Minch

I Crossed the Minch By Louis MacNeice

In 1937 Louis MacNeice and his wife Nancy visited the Hebrides in 1937. Following loosely in the footsteps of Johnson and Boswell, MacNeice describes with distinctive candour the people, customs and landscapes of the Hebrides. Alienated from the way of life he encountered in the islands yet utterly fascinated by it, Louis MacNeice provides a unique insight into a now vanished culture and, as such, the book is a fascinating social historical document of Scottish rural life in the late 1930s.

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Scottish Interest Books - The Yellow on the Broom

The Yellow on the Broom: The Early Days of a Traveller Woman
By Betsy Whyte

Betsy Whyte was born into a family of travellers who roamed the Scottish countryside between the wars. The summers were the best times, out on the open road, while the winters were spent in houses, pining for the first sign of spring - the yellow on the broom. Betsy Whyte's vivid description of a childhood on the road amidst a misunderstood people is a rich evocation of a vanishing world.

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Scottish Interest Books - Bruar's Rest

Bruar's Rest - By Jess Smith

The story open in the Highlands as the twentieth century begins. The gypsy wife of wild drunkard Rory Stewart dies giving birth to their second son. Many years pass, and Rory and his sons are rootless travellers on the roads of Scotland. One night, during a winter storm, they
save another traveller family from freezing to death in a blizzard. Bruar Stewart and one of the girls he rescues, the hot-blooded and beautiful Megan, fall in love. But the First World War is declared, tearing their lives apart. Bruar is reported missing in action, an Megan sets off on a
long and perilous journey to find him...

An epic tale of love and loyalty by the author of the spellbinding autobiographical trilogy, Jessie's Journey.

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Scottish Interest Books - Tears for a Tinker

Tears for a Tinker - By Jess Smith

In the first two books of her autibiography, Jessie's Journey and Tales from the Tent, Jess Smith told the story of her wandering years on the road with the last of Scotland's travellers, hawkers and gypsies. This third volume in the trilogy is Jess's at-times painful farewell to the travelling lifestyle which she loved.

Settling down to 'scaldy' (non-traveller) existence - marriage, kids and domesticity in a small council house - was never going to be easy for her. But though there were some tears, laughter is never far away. We move from a story of the car with no floor to a medical emergency, from the tall tales of her husband Dave's duck-hunt to his seafaring experiences, and from a chilling seance to a startling experiment with peroxide hair-colouring. There are more memories of Jess's early years on the road with her family in the old, blue bus.
Through it all are scattered wondeful gems from Jess's treasury of traditional tales - what the Loch Ness Monster really is, the strange fate of Blind Harry, and the ominous appearances of shapeshifters and werewolves. Handing on the tales told to her as she grew up, Jess reminds us that though most travellers have gone from the roads, their approach to life, understanding of nature and precious cultural legacy lives on, no matter how times may change.

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Scottish Interest Books - Tales from the Tent

Tales from the Tent: Jessie's Journey Continues
By Jess Smith

In Tales from the Tent, Jess Smith - Scottish traveller, hawker, gypsy, 'gan-about' and storyteller - continues the unforgettable story of her life on the road. Unable to adjust to settled life working in a factory after leaving school, she finds herself drawn once again to the wild countryside of Scotland.
Having grown up on the road in an old blue bus with her parents and seven sisters, Jessie now joins her family in caravans, stopping to rest in campsites and lay-bys as they follow work around the country - berry-picking, hay-stacking, ragging, fortune-telling and hawking. Making the most of their freedom, Jessie and her family continue the traditional way of life that is disappearing before their eyes, wandering the roads and byways, sharing tales and living on the edge of 'acceptable' society.

Intertwined with the story of Jessie's loveable but infuriating family, incorrigible friends, first loves and first losses are her 'tales from the tent', a collection of folklore from the traveller's world. As Jessie travels through Scotland's silver-birch woods, along the salty shores of the west coast and over the border into England, she tells intriguing tales of romance, mythical beasts, dreams, ghostly apparitions and strange encounters.

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Scottish Interest Books - Jessie's Journey

Jessie's Journey: Autobiography of a Traveller Girl
By Jess Smith

Jessie's Journey, the first book in Jess Smith's autobiographical trilogy, is an unforgettable account of a way of life that has all but vanished. It is the story of Jessie, her seven sisters and their unconventional childhood roaming the country in an old blue Bedford bus. In this moving, honest and heart-warming memoir, Jess describes her life among an extraordinary people and their never-ending sruggle to survive as free travellers.

Jessie's parents lacked material wealth, but they clung to 'the richness that comes from freedom, a traveller's freedom'. Living as they did on the edge of "respectable" society, prejudice was never far away, but their world was brimming with laughter, love and adventure. Earning their living hay-stacking, beachcombing, ragging, midden-raking, berry-picking, fortune-telling and hawking, Jessie and her family travelled the length and breadth of Scotland and beyond.

Reflecting on the friendships, feuds, trials and tribulations of her boisterous family, Jess recalls a magical childhood, surrounded by the sea spray, birch woods and wild places of a Scotland few of us will ever know.

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Scottish Interest Books - Wherever the Saltire Flies

Wherever the Saltire Flies
From Luath Press Ltd

Considering the history of these organisations, their members and influence in their respective locations, they note the changing nature of Scottish culture as it flourishes amongst international diversity. Written as a series of specially conducted interviews with each chapter, a new location and new organisation "Wherever the Saltire Flies" investigates many and varied personalities.

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Scottish Interest Books - Land of Mountain and Flood

Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland
By Alan McKirdy, John Gordon, Roger Crofts

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. This book, published by Birlinn in association with Scottish Natural Heritage will help the reader to understand Scotland's place in the geological history of the planet.

Three eminent geologists introduce and trace the country's development, unravelling and explaining what is seen now in the landscape and why it came to be the way it is. They show readers exactly where they can find evidence of these natural changes in the country's landscape on the ground in different parts of Scotland. The Geology of Scotland is an essential book for anyone who is interested in the natural world around them and who wishes to develop a good knowledge about the original formation of their country. It is accessible and beautifully presented, contains a huge amount of detailed information told in clear, comprehensible language and is enhanced throughout with specially commissioned illustrations, diagrams and photographs.

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Scottish Interest Books - Women of the Highlands

Women of the Highlands
By Katharine Stewart

THE HIGHLAND FREE PRESS, 16 March 2007
`the grande dame of mainland Highland literature'

Dundee Courier,23 March 2007
"But when 92-year-old Katharine Stewart decided to write her latest in a long line of books on Highland culture, she made a conscious effort to explore the contribution of WOMEN to Highland history, charting the development and preservation of the yarns, myths and songs that contributed to the development of Gaelic civilisation, and the impact women specifically have had on Highland history through the ages."

Scottish Review of Books,13 May 2007
`an uncomplicated look at history, the kind of take on historical continuity that reassures and comforts, rather than disturbs or unsettles.'

`her over-riding argument - that women of the Highlands contributed just as much to the culture of the region as well as to its survival as its menfolk did - is hard to refute.'

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Scottish Interest Books - The Hired Lad

The Hired Lad - By Ian Campbell Thomson

Ian Campbell Thomson relives his time as a young farmworker on a Stirlingshire farm after the Second World War.

It is a touching coming-of-age tale: we see the author make new friends and romances while finding his own way in a changing world. He describes the passing of age-old country ways, as technology begins to replace traditional farming methods.

The book is dedicated to Donald and Blossom, the magnificent pair of Clydesdale horses with which he ploughed, until the sad day when they were replaced by a smart Fordson tractor. Of those early times he writes: ` I often wondered how far I walked in a day behind the plough. My guess was somewhere between 12 and 15 miles...the words "the ploughman homeward wends his weary way" just about sums up the end of the day trudge back to the farm, with darkness closing in and the stable work to be done.'

Peopled with memorable characters including the hard-working `boss', and the wise Aunt Kit, this is a unique tribute, full of humour and nostalgia
to a disappearing culture.

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Scottish Interest Books - Queen Amang the Heather

Queen Amang the Heather: The Life of Belle Stewart
By Sheila Stewart

Belle Stewart (nee MacGregor) was born in 1906 in a bow tent on the banks of the river Tay, into a travelling family of tinkers and pearlfishers. When she was seven months old, Belle's father died, and the family was no longer able to travel full-time. They settled in Blairgowrie, scraping a living picking fruit and potatoes. Growing up, Belle was surrounded by stories and songs that had been passed down over centuries through the generations of Scottish travellers. She continued learning, singing and writing songs as she travelled around Scotland and Ireland with her piper husband Alec Stewart, who she married in 1925. Perhaps her best known song, "The Berryfields o' Blair", spread amongst the travellers and was collected by Hamish Henderson in the 1950s. He managed to track down Belle as the writer of the song and so began to record the songs and stories of her family.

The 'Stewarts o' Blair', as they were known, became stars of the folk scene, performing in concerts all over Europe and the United States. Belle's performances were compelling. Dazzling audiences with her warmth and elegance, she was awarded a BEM by the queen for her contribution to folk music. She died in 1997. In "Queen of the Heather", Sheila Stewart tells the moving story of her mother's life and career. Interspersed with the Stewarts' songs and stories told in Perthshire cant, this biography is an insightful and personal tribute to one of Scotland's most renowned folk singers, as well as to the rich culture of the travelling people.

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The Flowers of the Forest: Scotland and the Great War - by Trevor Royle

In "A Strange and Wild Place", Sandra MacPherson recorded her extraordinary life as a Highland chieftain's wife on Glentruim estate, weaving her own story with tales of infamous Macphersons of old. In her latest book, she broadens her horizons to include the whole of Badenoch and Strathspey, introducing a multitude of old and new tales from the area, as well as providing more personal recollections of her experiences there.

In addition to stories featuring members of her own MacPherson clan, she also includes tales of love, battle, adventure, intrigue, danger and dark secrets, as well as chilling accounts of witchcraft, the supernatural and the unexplained. Together, these stories paint a vivid picture of this very special corner of the Highlands - not only of its richly varied landscape made up of farmland, forest and stark, imposing mountains, but also of the people who have lived and loved there through the centuries, and of the changes over time that have inevitably affected and continue to mould their lives.

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People of the Wild Cat Country: Tales from Badenoch and Strathspey - by Sandra Macpherson

Today we are as far away from the First World War as the Edwardians were from the Battle of Waterloo, but it casts a shadow over Scottish life that was never produced by the wars against Napoleon. The country and its people were changed forever by the events of 1914-1918. Once the workshop of the empire and an important source of manpower for the colonies, after the war, Scotland became something of an industrial and financial backwater. Emigration increased as morale slumped in the face of economic stagnation and decline. The country had paid a disproportionately high price in casualties, a result of the larger numbers of volunteers and the use of Scottish battalions as shock troops in the fighting on the Western Front and Gallipoli - young men whom the novelist Ian Hay called 'the vanished generation [who] left behind them something which neither time can efface nor posterity belittle.'

There was a sudden crisis of national self-confidence, leading one commentator to suggest in 1927 that 'the Scots are a dying race.' Royle examines related themes such as the overwhelming response to the call for volunteers and the subsequent high rate of fatalities, the performance of Scottish military formations in 1915 and 1916, the militarisation of the Scottish homeland, the resistance to war in Glasgow and the west of Scotland, the boom in the heavy industries and the strengthening of women's role in society following on from wartime employment.

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The Union: England, Scotland and the Treaty of 1707 - by Michael Fry

The story of modern Britain began 300 years ago, with the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland in 1707. In this fresh and challenging look at the origins of the United Kingdom, the first full study for four decades, Michael Fry traces the fault-lines of the present time right back to the treaty drawn up between the ruling classes of Scotland and England three centuries ago. In many previous histories this has been interpreted as mere dictation by England, which Scotland accepted for the economic gains it was supposed to bring.

Fry rejects the idea that the economy was of overwhelming importance and shows how Scots were able to exploit English ignorance of and indifference to their country, as evident now as then, to steer the settlement in their own favour. That left the future of Scotland, England and Britain open, not closed. The full implications are only being worked out in our own time. While focusing on the few years which led up to the Union, Fry's reassessment casts its net wider than existing interpretations. He includes the political history of England as well as of Scotland, all set against the backdrop of war in Europe and the emergence of imperialism. He compares the fate of the Scots with that of other small nations.

By a close, comparative reading of the evidence he manages to reconstruct the human as well as the political story, in the voices of the people where they can still be discerned, in plots and conspiracies long lost from view, in reports from battlefields and in the impassioned debates of the Scots Parliament as the nation steeled itself for the loss of independence which, even so, it would not allow to become irrevocable.

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The Summer Walkers: Travelling People and Pearl-fishers in the Highlands of Scotland - by Timothy Neat

The Summer Walkers is the name the crofters of Scotland's north-west Highlands gave the Travelling People - the itinerant tinsmiths, horse-dealers, hawkers and pearl fishers who made their living 'on the road'. They are not gypsies, but are indigenous Gaelic-speaking Scots, who, to this day, remain heirs of a vital and ancient culture. The Summer Walkers documents an archetypal and vanishing way of life.

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The Pearl-fishers - by Robin Jenkins

When the beautiful pearl-fisher, Effie Williamson, arrives in a rural Scottish village, with her grandparents and siblings, the residents react in many different ways, from hospitable warmth to outright rejection, exacerbated when the religious, gentle Gavin Hamilton takes the family into his home, the Old Manse. A difficult love blossoms gradually between Effie and Gavin under the scrutiny of the watchful locals.

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Clap Hands for the Singing Molecatcher: Scenes from a Scottish Childhood - by Roderick Grant

Laughter, tragedy and dramatic incident thread their way through the life of a growing boy and the lives of the people he observes. Roderick Grant's book is not merely one of nostalgic recall. It is a richly evocative memoir of a time and place when horses still drew ploughs and children walked seven miles or more each day to reach their school; and where shepherd and gamekeeper, farmer and labourer, forester, railway worker, teacher, laird and minister, and their families, were all part of a community, close-knit in its isolation from the changing post-war world.

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Tales and Travels of a School Inspector - by Wilson John

John Wilson was an Inspector of Schools during the latter half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. His career in education spanned 50 years, during which time he inspected many schools in the Highlands and Islands, including Jura, Islay, Orkney, Argyll, Heisker and Iona. First published in 1928, the personal account of his experiences is both compassionate and humorous, providing a valuable insight into the social and educational conditions in the Gaelic Highlands and Islands following the 1872 Education Act.

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Isolation Shepherd - by Iain R. Thomson

In August 1956, a young shepherd, his wife, two-year-old daughter and ten-day-old son sat huddled in a small boat on Loch Monar in Ross-shire as a storm raged around them. They were bound for a tiny, remote cottage at the western end of the loch which was to be their home for the next four years. "Isolation Shepherd" is the moving story of those years. More than simply a sensitive and richly detailed account of the shepherd's life through the season, Iain Thomson's book also vividly captures the splendour of one of Scotland's most awesome landscapes, and depicts the numerous incidents that shaped the family's life there before the area was flooded as part of a huge hydro-electric project.

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Mountain Biking in Scotland

A mountain bike holiday in Scotland is a great way to see and enjoy the beautiful countryside of Scotland. Some of the best mountain biking in Europe can be found in the mountains and forest tracks of Scotland. Cycle as a family, a group on your own or with just a few friends. There is a wide range of accommodation available for tourists that participate in the "Cyclists Welcome" scheme. They provide additional services to assist the cyclist and their specific needs.

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Mountain Biking in Scotland - Books

Mountainbike Scotland: The Highlands
This is a mountain biking guidebook to Scotland. It includes 50 selected routes, single and multi-day routes, spread over the whole of the Highland region, i.e. Argyll, the Southern, Central and Northern Highlands and the Cairngorms.

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Mountain Biking in Scotland - Books

Southern Scotland and the 7stanes: Bikefax
This tightly packed guidebook manages to cram in the beta for over 50 rides
in the region. With full route descriptions, detailed trail maps, local information and inspirational full colour photographs, this guide is as happy at home on the coffee table as it is out on the trail. If you think you've done every trail in the area, then this guide will force you to think again.

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Mountain Biking in Scotland - Books

101 Mountain Bike Routes in Scotland
Features detailed descriptions of mountain-bike routes from all over Scotland, chosen for variety, interest for all abilities and for scenery. Maps and photographs are accompanied by advice on the terrain and any special equipment required.

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Mountain Biking in Scotland - Books

Bike Scotland Trails Guide: 40 Best Routes in Scotland

Now there is a guide that does Scottish cycling justice. Richard Moore and Andy McCandlish's beautifully produced book is part of the Pocket Mountains series, and combines insider knowledge of the landscape with McCandlish's excellent photographs. Moore's two-page descriptions of the trails are crisply turned but adrenalin-packed, giving readers not just practical information on the terrain they will encounter but also a deeper feel for the pace and flow of each of the 40 routes.

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Mountain Bike Guide - Inverness and the Cairngorms
30 mountain bike routes of mixed variety from 15km low level for family parties to plus 50km over high ground for the fit. Easy to follow route descriptions plus maps.

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Scottish Antiquarian, Rare and Out of Print Books

Dunkeld Books have a wide ranging and constantly changing selection of around 5,000 antiquarian, out of print and rare books with some unusual titles currently in stock.

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Canoeing in Scotland Books

This guide is aimed at those looking for calmer waters ... rivers, canals, inland lochs and sheltered sea lochs. Routes described cater for all tastes, from those seeking an idyllic afternoon's paddle to those looking for a multi-day canoe-camping expedition. The guide follows a similar format to the acclaimed Scottish White Water guide. It uses thumb guides and simple maps to provide instant information and backs it up with detailed text. It is easy to navigate, and colour photos provide a flavour of the experiences to be had.

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Canoeing in Scotland Books

Welcome to the wonderful world of Scottish white water, and the 2nd edition of the white water guide. One of the most notable achievements of the first edition is that it inspired many people to get out there, get off the beaten track and paddle something new. In an age where park and play is becoming ever more popular, it's been great to see paddlers once again seeking out the wilderness experience that for me is such an important part of what makes paddling special. Published in 2001, we had no idea that the 1st edition would sell out so quickly. So many thanks to everyone who bought a copy and helped raise money for the access fund, and also to everyone who wrote in with corrections, comments, suggestions and new descriptions for the 2nd edition. Once again, all proceeds from this guide will go towards the SCA access fund, and if you bought direct from the SCA, even more of your money will go towards promoting and improving access in Scotland. In this edition, we have tried to give more information on all those tantalising runs just mentioned last time round. We have also included 2 completely new sections and a total of 42 new rivers. So why not push the boundaries, go somewhere new and discover what those less well-known runs have to offer. For those who like the unknown, there's still more out there waiting to be explored, so it's not too late to make your mark and see your name in print next time around! The 2nd edition has also given us a chance to update paddlers on the access legislation that came into force in Scotland in the autumn of 2004, to tell you more about the threat that our wonderful rivers face from new hydro-electric developments and to let you know about the Water Levels Website developed by the SCA to help paddlers find out which rivers are at a good level. I hope you enjoy this guidebook and that, like its predecessor, it will inspire you to try new things, go new places and come back full of the wonder of Scottish white water.

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Canoeing in Scotland Books

So here it is at last, the long awaited guide to Scottish white water, written by paddlers for paddlers. Scottish Whitewater opens the door to a host of adventures, epics and fun days on the river. Here you will find descriptions to both well-known classics and little known gems. Covering the length and breadth of Scotland and providing something for everyone, whatever the conditions. Whether you are a white water novice or an out and out hair boater, you need this book. With maps, pictures and first hand accounts, here is a guide that captures something of the spirit of Scottish white water. The proceeds of the sale of this book will go towards protecting and enhancing access to the rivers that we all enjoy.

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Canoeing in Scotland Books

This is an account of a canoe journey from Bowling to Kyle of Lochalsh with numerous stops along the way, made by Alastair Dunnett and Seumas Adam. The book recounts how they spent a heady late autumn in the early 1930s meandering up the West Coast of Scotland.

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Canoeing in Scotland Books

Eddy has chosen his favourite twenty-five inland touring routes and described them in loving detail. The routes are beautifully illustrated with numerous colour photos and specially commissioned maps. The selected routes are suitable for open canoes, sit-on-tops and touring kayaks. Many of them are multi-day trips that can be tackled as a single voyage or a series of day trips. Great variety is provided, the journeys taking place on inland lochs, sheltered sea lochs and rivers of up to Grade 2. This is a wonderful book for planning, dreaming of future voyages, or sharing your experiences with non-paddling friends.

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Canoeing in Scotland Books

At last, here it is ... Scotland's first guidebook for sea kayakers wishing to explore its amazing coastline and magical islands. It brings together a selection of fifty great sea voyages around the mainland of Scotland, from the Mull of Galloway in the SW to St Abb's Head on the east coast, as well as voyages in the Western Isles, ranging from day trips to three day journeys. Illustrated with superb colour photographs and useful maps throughout, it is a practical guide to help you select and plan trips. It will provide inspiration for future voyages and a souvenir of journeys undertaken. As well as providing essential information on where to start and finish, distances, times and tidal information, the book does much to stimulate and inform our interest in the environment we are passing through. It is full of facts and anecdotes about local history, geology, scenery, seabirds and sea mammals. A fascinating read and an inspirational book.

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Canoeing in Scotland Books

This is a fantastic book for anyone, whether you're a kayaker or not.

Brian Wilson appears to be a natural author - it was his first book. It reads fluidly and quite poeticly. It's a real page-turner.

He writes from the heart and very honestly. The book covers an amazing adventure, from the initial idea right through to the end. During his journey around the coast of Scotland he experiences intense highs and lows in the course of his adventure. Blissful moments through to depression and near-death!

The book also gives you interesting snap-shots of local folklore and history which is hard to find elsewhere. He gives his own thoughts on the environment and our treatment of it.

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