Books
Witches, pirates, skeletons and more – in Fife
Following on from The Weem Witch, Leonard Low again delves into the rich past of his local area in Fife. He has uncovered some intriguing facts and stories from 1600 year old skeletons to pirates, shipwrecks and witchcraft. A great book to take on a trip to the East Neuk, this will tell you all…
Read MorePupils booked up for an exciting train journey
Pupils at a Scots school received a visit from the authors of an exciting new book. Prior to schools closing with the coronavirus pandemic, more than 150 East Lothian school children listened to bestselling and award-winning author Maya Leonard and her co-author Sam Sedgeman talk about their brand new book, Adventures on Trains: The Highland…
Read MorePolitics, myths and Scottish independence
Bannockburns is an intelligently written and rigorously researched book revealing how much the political is entwined with the literary imagination. Crawford uses Scotland’s myths and stories to shed light upon the romance behind the nation’s bid for independence. The 2014 Referendum, Crawford points out, coincided ‘mischievously’ with the 700th anniversary of the Scots victory at…
Read MoreTenth Boswell Book Festival delayed till October
The Boswell Book Festival, the world’s only event dedicated to memoir and biography, has been postponed. The programme for the 10th Boswell Book Festival was to have been announced with a line up of writers proving that great lives make great stories. However, the festival which had been due to take place from 8-10 May…
Read MoreA novel take on the five sisters of Robert the Bruce
Sisters of Bruce is a hefty novel, giving novel gives voice to the five sisters of Robert the Bruce, highlighting the challenges they faced as sisters of Scotland’s great hero. It is certainly refreshing to hear the female voice within history’s discourse of wars and battles that is so often dominated by men. The story…
Read MoreGet booked up to see Scotland’s beauty
A celebration of Scotland’s stunning natural beauty is set to be released next month. Scotland Revealed is a stunning collection of images from photographer Shahbaz Majeed, revealing the beauty of Scotland in all its many facets. Our nation boasts a huge variety of landscapes, from spectacular mountain and moorland scenery, beautiful lochs, remote islands and…
Read MoreMary Queen of Scots put under the spotlight
Donald Smith’s third historical novel readdresses the conventional, biased readings of the enigmatic Mary Queen of Scots as either: a deceitful adultress or a pious martyr. The chronicler of the story is the personable character James Maitland, son of the Secretary of Scotland and the principal lady in waiting to Mary Queen of Scots. In…
Read MoreThe life and crimes of author Craig Robertson
Crime writer Craig Robertson confesses to a fondness for cemeteries and his local 19th-century pub, as well as taking plenty of inspiration from his home town of Stirling. I could probably be accused of being a bit of a fraud in one aspect of my writing. All but one of my books are set in…
Read MoreA very human story – in English and Gaelic
From the very first page of this poetic novel the reader can witness the story shimmer into life. Writing simultaneously in Gaelic and English, Campbell evokes the haunting beauty of the Western Highlands in this romantic tale of chance encounters and missed moments. When the narrator passes a girl on the staircase of a ferryboat,…
Read MoreHow the other half live in country houses
Country House Camera is a stunning glimpse into how the other half used to live. This collection of photographs taken at some of Britain’s grandest houses provides a fascinating insight into the advent of family photography. They are highly personal and revealing of a long gone but never to be forgotten way of life. Country…
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