Scottish recipes adapted for a vegan palate

With many of Scotland’s traditional recipes being laden with meat, butter and lots of other animal based ingredients, you’d be forgiven for assuming a Scottish vegan cookbook was impossible. Packed with nutritional side notes and lovely food photography, Jones offers vegan alternatives for breakfast staples like black pudding and lorne sausage. I’m yet to be…

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A joint win for Emerging Publisher of the Year

An Oban-based publisher was celebrating at the weekend after winning a top literary award. Alan Windram of Little Door Books was named joint winner of the Emerging Publisher of the Year award, together with Kay Farrell of Sandstone Press. The Saltire Litarary Awards were presented at a ceremony in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh,…

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Scottish folk tales from the best storytellers

Just looking at the cover of this book makes me want to curl up with a mug of something hot and dive into all the tales it has to tell. Put together by Scotland’s Storytellers and The History Press, this collection includes legends from all over the country, with each chapter signalling a change of…

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Murder and mystery grip Granite Noir 2020

With the very best in home grown and international crime fiction, a courtroom drama, poison cocktails, music and murder mystery escape games, Granite Noir returns to Aberdeen in February 2020. Now in its fourth year, Granite Noir is inspired by the Granite city – its history, its atmosphere and its strong sense of place –…

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War through the eyes of a Scottish conscript

The Adventures of a Highland Soldier, 1808-1814 reveals how the Peninsular War was seen through the eyes of an ordinary Scottish conscript. Few men from the 71st Highland Light Infantry who sailed with Wellington to Portugal returned six years later. The new rendition of this honest tale, edited by Paul Cowan, includes little-known diary entries…

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The life and loves of the Bake Off’s Prue Leith

A long career as a restaurateur, caterer, television presenter, journalist and cookery writer has provided Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith plenty of material for her novels. She tells Scottish Field of her life in kitchens, as a writer, and her favourite place to eat in Scotland. I grew up in Johannesburg in a…

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The perfect book for the Scottish film buff

The evolution of Scottish film culture resides in industrial, creative and critical changes since the 1970s. Reconsidering well-known films, such as The Last King of Scotland, as well as uncovering the overlooked, this refreshingly readable, if surprisingly expensive, book explores the diversity of Scottish culture portrayed in film. An essential for any student of British…

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The perfect book for the deer stalker

Ingeniously combining facts, trivia, advice and personal observation with fictional short stories, this is the perfect book for every deer stalking enthusiast. Covering everything from recipes to stalking techniques this book will surprise even the most well-versed deer aficionado while being easy going enough for the newly enthused novice. The Deerstalker’s Bedside Book, by Charles Smith-Jones,…

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Embrace the darkness with Britain at night

Dixe Wills embraces the darkness that is brought at sun-down by exploring Britain and sharing his thoughtful, and often riveting, experiences after sunset. From seeking supernatural thrills in the fables of mythical creatures to encountering the natural nocturnal habits of some of Scotland’s most  spectacular wildlife, Dixe illuminates the darkness and invites us to join…

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The Snowman revealed as Scots’ favourite festive read

The Scottish Book Trust today revealed that children’s picture book The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs, has topped a national poll as Scotland’s most loved Christmas book. The news comes as the charity launches its first ever festive fundraising appeal to provide books and support to teen parents and their babies. Findings from the Centre for…

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