Books
Celebrating the British Army’s oldest regiment
Anyone with a keen interest in the history of the British Army will enjoy this well-illustrated book, which focuses on its oldest regiment. The Highland battalion, the kilted 9th Royal Scots, became affectionately known as the Dandy Ninth. Gilhooley carefully documents the formation and mobilisation of the regiment and the campaigns they fought including the…
Read MoreLoss, trauma and familial relationships
Haunted by the disappearance of 13-year-old Lindsay Mathieson, a family is forced to deal with another crisis 30 years later. I felt drawn into this story right from the beginning as author Moira Forsyth manages to breathe life into her characters within the first few chapters. Faced with loss and the resulting trauma Forsyth examines…
Read MoreThe battle between progress and conservation
Born and brought up around Dalbeattie, Patrick Laurie shares his experiences of establishing himself as a farmer and the many challenges he and his wife faced along the way. Laurie carefully examines his own relationship with the changing landscape of Galloway. His fascination with the natural world leads him to focus particularly on the plight…
Read MoreThe freedom of a life in the countryside
Set in 1856, a young wife and her doctor husband have left the bustling city of Glasgow behind to live on the banks of Loch Katrine. While her husband is on hand to medically assist those working on a huge engineering project to bring water to Glasgow, Isabel Aird is drawn towards the freedom of…
Read More‘Living palette’ of Skye captured in beautiful oil paintings
Skye-based artist Diana Mackie has captured the untamed ‘living palette’ of the island which has served as an abundant source of artistic inspiration. A beautiful collection of oil paintings, she has captured the ever-shifting drama of the seas, skies and landscapes magnificently. She has an eye for even the smallest details, picking out vivid colours…
Read MoreA facinating in-depth study of the common buzzard
Sean Walls and Robert Kenward leave no stone unturned when researching the buzzard. They know all about this incredible raptor, having studied its feeding and breeding habits, as well as its origins, for over three decades. Their writing style is heavily academic and will suit only those twitchers with a vested interest in the species,…
Read MoreA celebration of the work of Carolina Oliphant
Despite writing over 90 songs, some of which rival Burns’ in popularity, I was surprised at how little was documented about Carolina Oliphant, whose latest biography dated to 1900 prior to Freeland Barbour’s reassessment of her work. Lady Nairne lived from 1766-1845, whose work was influenced by the Jacobite cause. This is a fitting tribute…
Read MoreBoswell Book Festival goes global in 2021
The world’s only book festival dedicated to biography and memoir goes global with its first virtual edition 10-16 June 2021. A new website will allow audiences to register for events as they are announced. The festival is normally held each year at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, but has had to move online because of the…
Read MoreHandy guide to fascinating spots to visit in the Lothians
Being a tourist in your own country is woefully underrated, and Jack Gillon reminds us of that in 50 Gems of the Lothians. Taking the reader on a tour of The Lothians, he looks into the region’s extensive architectural and cultural heritage, delving into the history of much-loved landmarks like Edinburgh Castle as well as…
Read MoreA gripping tale with a murder mystery on Islay
A gripping, gruesome tale of five corpses that are dug up by a peatcutter on Islay. The pace of the first few chapters feels a little slow, owing to the characters’ extensive dialogue, and the flashbacks require some concentration, but stick with it – a grisly subplot surrounding the political landscape of Britain intertwines seamlessly…
Read More