Reviews
A masterclass on how to cook venison
Senior chef and lecturer in culinary arts at Westminster Kingsway College in London, Jose Souto is a game expert who gives master classes on game cookery to chefs worldwide. Alongside world-renowned photographer Steve Lee, Souto has created a book which not only teaches the reader how to cook venison, but celebrates it. As venison becomes…
Read MoreStars shine brightly in this Scots novel
Cameron Sparks’ life isn’t going to plan, in Bright Stars by Sophie Duffy. He and his wife have separated and he is being forced to move back in with his widowed dad, plus he’s awaiting a disciplinary at work following an incident in the underground vaults of Edinburgh where he works as a Ghost Tour…
Read MoreSpending a season with the wild geese
It is impossible not to be charmed by the poignant and lyrical way in which Wintering effortlessly sketches vivid portraits of these often underappreciated birds. The reader is invited to share in the solace which Stephen Rutt finds in nature through the book’s elegant and very readable prose, which although soothing, never loses its poetic…
Read MoreDark secrets in Highland Perthshire
Highland Perthshire’s rolling hills may now be the picture of tranquillity. But as Mark Bridgeman’s book reveals, its picturesque villages conceal a dark past of murderous crimes and unsolved mysteries. From whisky smuggling to gruesome murders, con men to psychics, each of the 19 spine-tingling true stories are retold in vivid and compelling detail which…
Read MoreThe struggles of a community fighting to survive
Shrouded in negative stereotypes and widely misunderstood, the Scottish travelling community are at the forefront of this novel. Lorn Macintyre has created characters with real depth, who draw empathy from the reader throughout their journey and remind us to withhold hasty judgements. Set in the Scottish landscape, the book draws on the power of nature…
Read MoreA celebration of Edinburgh’s New Town architecture
I’m not normally an avid reader of architectural volumes. But this collection of essays which reflects on the intellectual, economic and political contexts which provided the impetus for the expansion of Edinburgh’s New Town can be appreciated for its depth, high-class imagery and superior finish. The writing is dense, but the book is far from…
Read MoreA book celebrating the Secret Life of Tartan
When we think of tartan, wedding finery and shortbread tins might first spring to mind. But in The Secret Life of Tartan, tailor and fashion designer Vixy Rae shows how our national cloth is worth so much more than a pastiche or parody of Scottishness. By exploring the origins of tartan and its deep connection…
Read MoreThe Scotsman who aided Lord Wellington
This is a long overdue account of a man who played a crucial role in Scotland’s military alongside Lord Wellington, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1827. George Murray’s life was one of intelligence, loyalty and unexpected scandal. Harding-Edgar carefully documents Murray’s life while depicting in great detail the complex historical tapestry which acts as…
Read MoreA stunning collection of photography from Skye
When visiting Skye or the West Coast of Scotland more generally, most of us cross our fingers and pray for sunshine. However, the same cannot be said for photographer Morten Hansen. Inspired by the Viking explorers who first christened Skye ‘cloud island’, Hansen sets out to present the island in all its rainy glory –…
Read MoreDesigns on success in creative Edinburgh
With its beautiful architecture, world heritage status, and world-class art galleries and museums, Edinburgh is a city which is truly steeped in creative history. Although a walk through the Georgian splendour of the New Town or the winding, medieval streets of the Old Town makes the city’s charm evident, what is not so obvious is…
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