Books
An exclusive short story for Scottish Field readers
Scottish Field Online is this week proud to present an exclusive short story for our readers. Kate Macdonald, who is originally from Aberdeen but recently moved to Bath, is behind Handheld Press, and has handpicked stories from the past and the present. Kate’s company Handheld Classics offers reprints of excellent forgotten fiction, novels and stories…
Read MoreBook review: Scotland’s buses in the 1980s
If you’ve lived in central Scotland, then you’ll immediately recognise the names of Clydeside, Kelvin, Stagecoach, Strathtay and Magicbus as Scottish bus companies. They first appeared after the deregulation of the bus industry in 1986, which led to these companies all springing up. The companies had the bright idea of buying redundant London Routemaster red…
Read MoreFishing future can be as bright as the past
In Silver Shoals, Charles Rangeley-Wilson travels across the British Isles in an attempt to discover the true history of our most iconic fish – carp, cod, eel, herring and salmon. As he investigates not just the fish, but also the lives of the fishermen who catch and protect them, he eventually comes to the heartening conclusion that…
Read MoreShooting from the lip is his speciality
Nothing and no-one is able to escape the sharp wit of Alasdair Mitchell in this collection of columns from his weekly Sharpshooter column in the Shooting Times. One of the reasons for Mitchell’s popularity is his ability to discern the truth from a collection of mistruths and his powerful yet calm writing style. This amusing…
Read MoreReview: Salmon Fishing on the River Thurso
Anyone who has ever fished the Thurso would benefit from this scholarly and comprehensive tome. It is packed with information and anecdotes on this major salmon river. Tracing the history of salmon fishing on the Thurso back to 1700, Dutchman-Smith uses the experience of his 40 years of angling on the river to give a…
Read MoreFamily history and the story of a beautiful home
In this gorgeous book written by the current Duke of Buccleuch, the true beauty of the Bowhill House and the intriguing history of the family that lives there is described not just through words, but in stunning photography and artwork. The book explores the part Bowhill house played in history, from the people who lived…
Read MoreGrowing up in Glasgow in Hometown Tales
The Glasgow edition of Hometown Tales includes two unique stories that document personal accounts of living in, or experiencing the Dear Green Place. The first tale by Kirsty Logan, The Old Asylum in the Woods, is the intensely moving and highly persdonal story of her life growing up in the shadow of Woodilee Hospital. The…
Read MoreA gripping read for those who love a mystery
William A Graham’s debut crime novel Vermin introduces a detective who takes on a missing person case that escalates into so much more. The story takes place in Dundee, in homage to the author’s birthplace. Allan Linton is a self-employed private detective, helped by his associate Niddrie, who specialises in minor and insignificant cases. However…
Read MoreNovel with lost souls on the Portobello coast
Set on Portobello’s coast, It Takes One to Know One is a heart-warming yet harrowing story, embellished with Isla Dewar’s needle-sharp humour and effortless narrative gift for storytelling. The tale is based around Charlie Gavin, the lost and hopeless founder of the Be Kindly Missing Person’s Bureau whose mission is to find other lost souls…
Read MoreThe battle of Culloden – from a new angle
The battle at Culloden Moor, the last pitched land battle on mainland Britain, is one of the most famous, and gruesome battles in our history and yet few authors focus on the battle itself. Instead they choose to write about the aftermath and the legends surrounding the infamous battle. Stuart Reid redresses that balance with…
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