Reviews
Swapping Glasgow to Skye in the formative years
One of the most fascinating aspects of reading autobiographical books about Scotland is learning the life experiences of others in their formative years. Whether you’ve grown up in pleasant suburbia, on a country estate, or even a council house, people from all walks of life have different stories to tell. Raymond Moore’s Skye Stories –…
Read MoreA moving novel with a forgotten Scottish shame
In 1950s Scotland, thousands of children were removed from their families for a ‘better life’ in the rural idyll of the Scottish Highlands as ‘boarded-out’ children. In Mick, by Willie Orr, he has crafted the moving story of Mick Crossan, removed by social services from his widowed mother and slum home in the Gorbals and…
Read MoreThe mystery of the missing Roman legion
The disappearance of Lego IX Hispana has long been a mystery, sparking debate and theories for decades. In this fascinating book, Missing Legion, Simon Elliott sets out in great detail the evidence for some of these theories. Elliott’s writing style makes the book easy to follow and understand even if you are not familiar with…
Read MoreA fascinating tale based on true-life events
In a Veil of Mist is based on the true life but little-known event of Operation Cauldron. In 1952, during the Cold War, germ warfare experiments were taking place on a ship off the coast of the Isle of Lewis. The book delves into the lives of two locals who begin to suspect something is…
Read MoreTwo cases in a thrilling read set in 1970s Glasgow
The April Dead, the newest novel following detective Harry McCoy, takes place after a homemade bomb explodes in a Glasgow flat. With little evidence at his disposal, McCoy must unearth who is to blame before the situation worsens. At the same time McCoy has to deal with a missing American who vanished from the nearby…
Read MoreRegenerating a beautiful Scottish estate
Mar Lodge Estate is nestled in Royal Deeside and provides the backdrop of this beautiful book. In 1995 the National Trust for Scotland took over the estate in a bid to improve and conserve its landscape. Painting, the assistant ecologist at Mar Lodge Estate, details the work that has occurred over the last 25 years…
Read MoreComing to terms with a family past of slavery
Blood Legacy: Reckoning With A Family’s Story Of Slavery is a highly reflective book about how, by coming to terms with one’s past, we can advocate for a better future. Author Alex Renton explains how, rather than disinterested bystanders, the Scots were enthusiastic participants who were up to their oxters in slavery. Through tracking his…
Read MoreA fascinating look at the life of the shearwater
A beautiful mix of memoir and natural history, Roger Morgan-Grenville explores the life of the majestic shearwater. He follows it as it travels solo from the British Isles to the waters of the South Atlantic at the tender age of just two weeks old. Morgan-Greenville paints an extraordinary picture of one of nature’s most remarkable,…
Read MoreA light-hearted tale set in the Scottish Highlands
The Peacock is light-hearted read set in a dilapidated castle in the Highlands. Following a group of investment bankers who rent out a space for a weekend of team building, they find themselves at Lord and Lady McIntosh’s stately home. Slapstick humour reigns supreme as most of their plans go awry and new stumbling blocks…
Read MoreOne young man’s musical hopes and dreams
The Lighthouse Keepers is a moving story of a young man, Max Bruford, who, against his parents’ wishes, wants to have a career as a musician – aiming to become the best in the world. After a bad reaction to the news of his aspirations, Max comes across two lighthouse keepers, who are swallowed with…
Read More