If you think that Scotland's contribution to civilization is limited to golf, tartan & single malt whisky, then this is the book to set you straight. Arthur Herman takes the reader on a journey to the origins, as well as the furthest limits, of what we call the modern age. Scotland's turbulent history, from William Wallace to the Presbyterian Lords of the Covenant, laid the foundations for the Scottish miracle. Herman shows how a remarkable circle of 18th-century Scottish thinkers, including David Hume & Adam Smith, gave birth to the key assumptions that underlie modern politics, economics, morals & cultural life. The Scots went on to become the mainstays of the British Empire, transforming it from a system of exploitation into a genuine world community. Immigration to America brought inspiration for the Revolution, & the Scots were key to the rise of America's capitalist democracy. ...

Scottish produce is celebrated the world over. The demand for game, for example, far exceeds what can be supplied, & Scottish cheeses surpass many from mainland Europe. In this book Claire Macdonald celebrates the very best of home-grown ingredients
- from oatmeal, dairy produce, meat & fish, fruit & vegetables & even whisky
- in 60 imaginative recipes for starters, main course & puddings, as well as for sauces, dressings, baking & other treats. Recipes include: Grilled goat`s cheese on stir-fried beetroot with orange & Balsamic vinegar Chocolate oatmeal biscuits Iced honey & whisky creams Herb crepes with smoked salmon, creme fraiche & diced cucumber Steam-baked cod with lentils, coriander & lime Venison fillet with green peppercorn, ginger & port sauce

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The Scottish Highlands form the highest mountains in the British Isles, a broad arc of rocky peaks & deep glens stretching from the outskirts of Glasgow, Perth & Aberdeen to the remote & storm-lashed Cape Wrath in Scotland`s far northwest. The Romans never conquered the region
- according to the historian Tacitus, the Highland warrior chieftain Calgacus dubbed his people `the last of the free`
- & in the Dark Ages the island of Iona became home to a Celtic Church that was able to pose a serious challenge to the Church of Rome. Few travellers ever ventured there, however, disturbed by the tales of wild beasts, harsh geography & the bloody conflicts of warring families known as the clans. But after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden the influence of the clans was curbed & the Scottish Highlands became celebrated by poets, writers & artists for their beauty rather than their savagery. In the nineteenth century, inspired by the travel reportage of Samuel Johnson, the novels of Walter Scott, the poems of William Wordsworth & the very public love of the Highlands espoused by Queen Victoria, tourists began flocking to the mountains
- even as Highlanders were being removed from their land by the brutal agricultural reforms known as the Clearances. With the popularity of hiking & the construction of railways, including the famed West Highland line across Rannoch Moor, the fate of the Highlands as one of the great tourist playgrounds of the world was sealed. Andrew Beattie explores the turbulent past & vibrant present of this landscape, where the legacy of events from the first Celtic settlements to the Second World War & from the construction of military roads to mining for lead, slate & gold have all left their mark.


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Fully revised & updated, this is the only book with detailed information & maps on every Scottish isl&. With the author`s own paintings liberally illustrating it, this beautiful guide will take you everywhere, whether by armchair or yacht. From the abandoned crofts of Mingulay & the standing stones of Orkney to the white beaches of Colonsay & the spectacular Cuillins of Skye, this is the first complete gazetteer to cover all of Scotland`s many hundreds of islands, including those which are uninhabited & those which are notoriously difficult to reach. Packed with information on access, anchorages, points of historical or natural interest & things to do & see, this fascinating compendium provides indispensable information for touring, for browsing, for reference, & for all of those travellers who wish to experience some of the most beautiful & remote places in the world. No other book begins to emulate the range & depth of the information contained in The Scottish Islands. Illustrated with full-colour illustrations & relief maps of all the main islands, this is both an impressive work of reference & a fascinating personal view of Scotland`s distant outposts. ...

Part of a trilogy on Scottish history, T.M. Devine`s ” The Scottish Nation: A Modern History” traces the epic story of a nation from the Union with England to today`s debates on the possibilities of Scottish independence. Drawing on extensive research & exploring everything from the high politics of the devolved parliament to the everyday effects of huge & growing levels of social inequality, this bestselling history places Scotland firmly within an international context & provides a key focus for the ongoing debate regarding Scotland`s future. Ranging from high politics to everyday life, ” The Scottish Nation” is the most read modern history of Scotland at home & abroad: vital to understanding an ancient nation at a crucial time. ” Outstanding.. .if you are after answers to the big questions of Scottish history, Devine is your man”. (Niall Ferguson). ” Magnificent.. .a high achievement, a history of modern Scotland which, rarely for the subject, endows with sweep & power the changes that have created the country we live in”. (Michael Fry, ” The Herald”). ” The work of a compendious historical mind.. .the first history of Scotland which both a nationalist & a unionist Scot can keep on their shelves with pride, & that is a large achievement in itself”. (John Lloyd, ” Financial Times”). ”A formidable work.. .quite remarkable”. (Donald Dewar). ”A fiercely intelligent account of Scotl&... Devine is the country`s most prominent historian, & from the evidence of this book, rightly so”. (Rosemary Goring, ” Scotland on Sunday”). T.M. Devine, OBE is University Research Professor & Director of the Research Institute of Irish & Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen. His other books include ” The Scottish Nation” & ” To the Ends of the Earth”. ...

New title in the same series as bestselling The Stornoway Black Pudding Bible, The Italian Sausage Bible & The Macsween Haggis Bible Salmon can be eaten any time, & makes excellent starters, main courses, breakfasts & snacks, & there suggestions for all of these in this book. Due to its high protein content, omega-3 fatty acids & vitamin D, salmon is one of the most nutritious fish available, with many health specialists recommending that it should be eaten three times a week. In this handy & varied collection of recipes, award-winning chef Claire Macdonald demonstrates the enormous versatility of salmon in forty mouth-watering recipes which show you could eat salmon seven days a week & still never tire of it. Hot-smoked salmon, cold-smoked salmon, salmon fillets & Gravalax (salmon cured with sugar, salt & dill) all feature, together with a huge range of imaginative accompaniments, from beetroot, cheese & cream to bananas, tomatoes, garlic & prosciutto. ...

' Thaim wi a guid Scots tongue in their heid are fit tae gang ower the warld.' In The Scottish World, renowned broadcaster Billy Kay takes us on a global journey of discovery, highlighting the extraordinary influence the Scots have had on communities & cultures on almost every continent. While others have questioned the self-confidence of the Scots, Kay has travelled the world from Bangkok to Brazil, Warsaw to Waikiki & found ringing endorsements for the integrity & intellect, the poetry & passion of the Scottish people in every country he has visited. He expands people's view of Scotland by relating remarkable stories of the wealthy Scottish merchant community in Gdansk; of national geniuses of Scots descent, such as Lermontov in Russia & Grieg in Norway; of an American Civil War blamed on Sir Walter Scott & initiated in the St. Andrews Society of Charleston; of inspirational missionaries in Calabar & Budapest; of Scotch Professors establishing football in soccer strongholds like Barcelona & Sao Paulo; of pioneers like Sandeman & Cockburn & the Scottish roots of many of the great wines of Europe; & of our amazing involvement in liberation movements in Malawi, Chile, Peru, Greece, Corsica & India. The Scottish World is a celebration of the enormous contribution the Scots have made to the modern world. ...

Detective Sergeant Harry Challenor is undoubtedly one of the most controversial policeman of all time. Born into grinding poverty in 1922, Challenor served with the prestigious Special Air Service during World War Two, was parachuted behind enemy lines, was captured twice, escaped twice & was awarded the Military Medal for his bravery. Joining the post-war Metropolitan Police, Challenor began his one-man crime crusade. After four years with the elite Flying Squad, Challenor was sent to London`s West End to clear up crime in Soho. Pimps, racketeers & crooks were rounded-up & often found themselves in possession of a bewildering assortment of armaments of which they denied all knowledge. More sensible gangsters, like Reg & Ron Kray, took off as soon as his name was mentioned. A reward of GBP1000 was offered by the gang leaders to anyone who could successfully bring sufficiently damaging allegations to have Challenor transferred, but in the end, it was not needed. During a political demonstration in 1963, half-bricks were planted on innocent protesters which resulted in three young policemen being imprisoned & Challenor was certified as being a paranoid schizophrenic & sent to a succession of psychiatric hospitals & care homes. Policeman-turned-author, Dick Kirby, has interviewed former friends & colleagues of Harry Challenor & has meticulously studied court records & official documents to write the sensational & extraordinary story of the man whom became The Scourge of Soho. ...

Nothing experienced in human history, before or since, eclipses the terror, tragedy & scale of the Black Death, the disease which killed millions of people in Medieval Europe. ” The Scourging Angel” tells the story of Britain immediately before, during & after this catastrophe. Against a backdrop of empty homes, half-built cathedrals & pestilence-saturated cities, we see communities gripped by unimaginable fear, shock & paranoia. By the time it completed its pestilential journey through the British Isles in 1350, the Black Death had left half the population dead. Despite the startling toll of life, physical devastation & sheer human chaos it inflicted, Britain showed an impressive resilience. Amid disaster many found opportunity, & the story of the Black Death is ultimately one of survival. ...

scouts have been part of the fabric of British society since the Movement`s founding by Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell in 1907, & Scout training continues to provide young people with `instruction in good citizenship` to this day. Beginning with an outline of Baden-Powell`s life & influences, Susan Cohen here tells the story of the Scout Movement & its growth from an experimental camp held on Brownsea Isl&, Dorset, attended by a handful of boys, into a multi-cultural, multi-national movement involving (in 2011) some 400, 000 young people (including 60, 000 girls) in the UK & millions of others across the world. ...