Best Scottish Literature

From Treasure Island to Trainspotting, Scotland's rich literary tradition has influenced writing across centuries and cultures far beyond its borders. Here, for the first time, is a single volume presenting the glories of fifteen centuries of Scottish literature. In Scotland's Books poet Robert Crawford tells the story of Scottish writing and its relationship to the country's history. Stretching from the medieval masterpiece of St Columba's Iona, the earliest surviving Scottish work, to the imaginative, thriving world of twenty-first-century writing with authors such as Ali Smith and James Kelman, this outstanding collection traces the development of literature in Scotland and explores the cultural, linguistic and literary heritage of the nation. It includes extracts from the writing discussed to give a flavour of the original work, full quotations in their own language, previously unpublished works by authors and plenty of new research. Informative and readable, this is the definitive guide to the marvelous legacy of Scottish literature. Scotland's Books: The Penguin History of Scottish Literature.

Best Scottish Wild Flowers

The bestselling guide to over three hundred and fifty species of wild flowers to be found throughout Scotland. An ideal pocket guide to over three hundred and fifty plant species found throughout Scotland. Each species is illustrated in full colour with a comprehensive description, plus the plant's English, Latin and Gaelic names. For ease of use, the plants are grouped together by the type of habitat in which they can be found, including Scottish Highlands, Scottish Lowlands and Scottish Coasts. A places to visit section details over thirty five of the best sites for finding some of the most attractive and special species of wild flowers in Scotland. Scottish Wild Flowers.

Best Scottish Gatherings

Highland Dancing at the Strathardle Highland Gathering in Kirkmichael, Perthshire, Scotland. A traditional, friendly Scottish Highland games located in beautiful Highland Perthshire, near Pitlochry, Blairgowrie and Glenshee.

Best Scottish Food Drumlanrig Pudding

Drumlanrig Pudding. This wonderful Scottish pudding is named after Drumlanrig Castle which was built around 1680 just north of Dumfries.

Two pounds of rhubarb.
Six ounces (175 g) of caster sugar.
Six large slices of white bread.
One tablespoon of water.

Chop the rhubarb and put into a saucepan with the water and sugar. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for about fifteen minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. Grease a two pint (1.15 litres) pudding basin or pie dish. Put a layer of bread in the base. Pour some rhubarb over the bread. Add another layer of bread followed by some more rhubarb and continue adding layers until the dish is full, finishing with a layer of bread. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and put a weight on top. Leave the pudding in a cool place for at least twenty four hours. Loosen the pudding around the edges and turn out on to a serving plate. Serves 6-8.

Best Scottish Cooking.

Best Scottish Humor

Best Scottish Humor.

Best Scottish Emblems

Best Scottish Emblems. This ancient emblem of Scots pugnacity, is represented on various species of royal bearings, coins, and coats of armour, so that there is some difficulty in determining which is the genuine original thistle. The origin of the
badge itself is thus handed down by tradition:

Best Scottish Quotes

The waves have some mercy, but the rocks have no mercy at all.


" I will go tomorrow, " said the King.
" You will wait for me, " said the wind.

Scottish Quotations.

Discover Your Scottish Highland Heritage

Discover Your Scottish Highland Heritage on an Ancestry Tour of Scotland. Best Scottish Tours, Best Scottish Food, Best Scottish Hotels, Small Group Tours of Scotland.

Best Scottish Songs Broom Of The Cowdenknowes

Broom of Cowdenknowes is one of my favourite Scottish songs. I recall when I first heard it, many years ago, at St Andrews Folk Club. It was sung wonderfully well by Andy M. Stewart. As with many Scottish songs, this song describes a banishment.

How blithe each morn was I tae see
My lass came o'er the hill.
She skipped the burn and ran tae me,
I met her with good will.

O the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom
The broom o' the cowdenknowes.
Fain would I be in the north country
Herding her father's ewes.

We neither herded ewes nor lamb
While the flock near us lay.
She gathered in the sheep at night
And cheered me all the day.

Hard fate that I should banished be
Gone way o'er hill and moor,
Because I loved the fairest lass
That ever yet was born.

Adieu, ye cowdenknowes, adieu.
Farewell all pleasures there
To wander by her side again
Is all I crave or care.

Meaning of Scottish words:
tae = to
burn = small stream
fain = loving

Download Scottish Music.

Best Scottish Quotes

Who indeed, that has once seen Edinburgh, with its couchant lion crag, but must see it again in dreams, waking or sleeping ?

Charlotte Bronte.

Best Scottish Quotes.

Best Scottish Food Caledonian Cream

Caledonian Cream.

Two tablespoons of Dundee Marmalade.
Two tablespoons of brandy or whisky.
Juice of half a lemon.
A half pint (300 ml) of double cream.
One ounce (25 g) of caster sugar.

Put the marmalade, sugar and the lemon juice into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the cream and the brandy or whisky. Whisk the mixture until thick. Spoon the cream into individual glasses and chill. Serves 4-6.

Best Scottish Cooking.

Best Scottish Songs Flower of Scotland

The Flower of Scotland

O flower of Scotland
When will we see
Your like again
That fought and died for
Your wee bit hill and glen
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again

The hills are bare now
And autumn leaves lie thick and still
O'er land that is lost now
Which those so dearly held
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again

Those days are passed now
And in the past they must remain
But we can still rise now
And be the nation again
And stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again

Words and music: Roy Williamson. (c) The Corries (Music) Ltd.
Website: http://www.corries.com/

Best Scottish Photographs

Hi Sandy, I really enjoyed your Scottish Photographs and as we are coming to Scotland in September or October it made it even more interesting for us, we are looking forward to having a good look round. Ceres is of interest as my Ancestors came to New Zealand in 1860 from Ceres and on my husbands side his Ancestors came out from Wilton and Edrom they came out to New Zealand in 1860. Thanks for the great Photos. Vivienne and Bryan Blakie.

Best Scottish Humor Thrifty Scots

Take longer steps my son, and you will not wear out your shoes so fast.

Best Scottish Quotes

But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed:
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white, then melts forever.

By Robert Burns.

Best Scottish Quotes.

Best Scottish Food Dundee Cake

Dundee Cake. Popular in the nineteenth century in Dundee this cake became famous throughout the country. It should be covered with whole almonds.
10 ounces (275 g) of self-raising flour.
A teaspoon mixed spice.
A pinch of salt.
8 ounces (225 g) of butter.
8 ounces (225 g) of caster sugar.
5 eggs.
Grated rind of one lemon.
2 ounces (50 g) of ground almonds.
6 ounces (175 g) raisins.
6 ounces (175 g) currants.
6 ounces (175 g) sultanas.
2 ounces (50 g) chopped mixed peel.
3 ounces (75 g) blanched whole almonds.
One tablespoon of brandy.
A little milk to mix.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time with a little of the flour to prevent the mixture from curdling. Sift in the remaining flour, salt, ground almonds and the mixed spice stirring gently. Stir in the grated lemon rind, the raisins, currants, sultanas and the mixed peel. Stir in the brandy and enough of the milk to make a fairly soft dropping consistency. Turn into a greased and lined eight inch (20 cm) cake tin. Smooth the top with a palette knife and arrange the almonds to cover the surface of the mixture. Place a circle of greaseproof paper on top of the cake and leave it to rest for a couple of hours. This helps to prevent the dried fruit from sinking.

Best Scottish Cooking.

Best Scottish Eggheads

Hello Sandy,
I’m writing to you from the BBC's cult entertainment quiz show Eggheads, which is returning for its 8th series. I wondered if you may be able to help us in anyway. We're searching for teams of 6 with great personality to take part in the brand new series with the chance of winning a big cash prize, to take on our resident Eggheads.

We would be very grateful if you could relay our details to your staff, family or friends who you think may be interested in applying. We will be holding auditions in Edinburgh on Tues 4th September.

I look forward to hearing from you!
Kind regards, Laura x

12 Yard Productions and the BBC are pleased to announce that the hit quiz show Eggheads’ is back for an 8th Series! We’re returning with 80 shows so we’re looking for 80 fantastic new teams to challenge our resident quiz show Goliaths! What’s it all about? Eggheads is hosted by Dermot Murnaghan, BBC Newsreader and regular Breakfast presenter, and everyday, a new team of challengers take on our intellectual goliaths, The Eggheads.

Who are the Eggheads?
The ‘Eggheads’ are 5 of TV’s greatest Quiz Show Champions ever.

Judith Keppel: Who was the 1st person to win a million pounds on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Kevin Ashman: Who is currently the World Quiz Champion. He also has the highest ever score on Mastermind with no passes. C.J De Mooi: Has been a winner on the Weakest Link and Beat the Nation. Daphne Fowler: Is one of the few women to win the Brain of Britain title and she’s won the Grand Final of 15 to 1, twice! Chris Hughes: Is the reigning Brain of Britain AND International Mastermind Champion.

How does it work?
In every show there are 4 individual question rounds, in which a player is asked up to 3 multiple choice questions each on subjects such as Sport, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Arts and Books, Politics, History, Geography and Science.

The winner of each round secures themselves as an extra brain to play for their team in the final General Knowledge Round! The more category rounds a team wins the more players to confer with in the final round.

In each show there’s a minimum of ONE THOUSAND pounds up for grabs but if the Eggheads win then this money rolls over to the next show!

Who can apply as a team?
We are looking for fun and enthusiastic teams of 6 that would like to give it a go.
Anyone and everyone can apply for the show. You don’t even need to be an existing quiz team, why not create a team of friends, family or workmates? The only rule is that you know one another.

Who’s taken part in the past?
We’ve had a complete array of teams on previous series including;

The Everton Ladies Football Team.
Jade Goody and her Salon girls.
The London Community Gospel.
A team of Brothers and their Best Men.
Truck Drivers.
Miss Englands.
Ex Housemates, 40 years on.
Family Teams.
Teams of Friends.
Methodist Ministers.
Primary School Teachers.
Prison Wardens.
Radio DJs.
A Team of Psychics.
A Team of Postmen.
The Handlebar Club, Hirsute Appendages with graspable extremities!
Insurance Brokers.
And that’s just to name a few…

How do you apply?
Call Laura on 020 7432 2487
Or E-mail: laura.cowcher@12yard.com

What happens next?
We will be speaking to teams over the next few weeks, and we are already auditioning. Selected teams will be invited to an audition where we will play the game and explain the casting process etc.

Best Scottish Humour

Best Scottish Humour.

There was a young Scottie
named Sandy.
Who went to a pub
for a Shandy.
He lifted his kilt, too see
what he'd spilt.
And the barmaid said, blimey,
that's __________________

What was her last word ?

Scottish Jokes.

Best Scottish Food Barley Scones

Scottish Barley Scones, Makes 8.
8 ounces (225 g) of barley flour.
One half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.
One half teaspoon cream of tartar.
One half ounce (15 g) of butter.
A pinch of salt.
About one quarter pint (150 ml) of buttermilk.
Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt together.
Rub in the butter. Add enough of the buttermilk to make a soft dough.
Knead the dough lightly on a floured board.
Roll out to make a large circle about half an inch thick.
Cut the circle into eight triangles.
Bake the scones on a hot girdle for about five to ten on each side.
Wrap in a clean cloth and cool on a rack.

Discover Your Scottish Fishing Village Roots

Discover Your Scottish Fishing Village Roots on the Best Scottish Tours. Tour Scotland, on an Ancestry Tour of Scotland. Best Scottish Tours, Best Scottish Food, Best Scottish Hotels, Small Group Tours of Scotland.

Best Scottish Weather

Good weather today in Scotland, it is the best Scottish weather we have had for quite a long time. A good day for the beach.

Best Scottish Tours Quotes

Did not strong connections draw me elsewhere, I believe Scotland would be the country I should choose to end my days in. Benjamin Franklin.

Best Scottish Music

Life With You by the Proclaimers.
1. Life With You.
2. In Recognition.
3. New Religion.
4. Sorry.
5. No One Left To Blame.
6. Here It Comes Again.
7. Blood Lying On The Snow.
8. Harness Pain.
9. Long Haul.
10. Lover's Face.
11. Whole Wide World.
12. Calender On The Wall.
13. If There's A God. Life With You.

Best Scottish Music

Best Scottish Music. Cuilidh by Julie Fowlis.
1. Hug Air A Bhonald Mhoir.
2. Mo Ghruagach Dhonn.
3. A T-Aparan Goirid 's A T-Aparan Ur: Oran Do Sheasaidh Bhalle Raghnaill.
4. Ille Dhuinn, 'S Toigh Leam Thu.
5. Puirt-a-beul Set 'S Toigh Leam Fhin Buntata 'S Im/Tha Fionnlagh Ag.
6. Set Of Jigs.
7. Mo Dhomhnallan Fhein.
8. Turas San Lochmor.
9. Oran Nan Raiders.
10. Bodaich Odhar Hoghaigearraidh.
11. Mo Bheannachd Dhan Bhaillidh Ur.
12. Aoidh, Na Dean Cadal Idir. Cuilidh.

Best Scottish Bridal Cake

Bride's Bonn. This is a recipe from the Shetland Islands and is also known as Bride's Bun and Bridal Cake. The cake was traditionally made on the wedding day by the bride's mother who then held it over her daughter's head and broke it as the bride entered her new home as a married woman. The bride and bridegroom had to eat all the pieces of the cake to ensure a happy marriage.
5 ounces (150 g) of self-raising flour.
One teaspoon of baking powder.
2 ounces (50 g) of butter.
One ounce (25 g) of caster sugar.
One half teaspoon of caraway seeds.
A little milk to mix.
Sift the flour and the baking powder into a bowl and rub in the butter.
Stir in the sugar and caraway seeds.
Add enough milk to make a stiff dough.
Knead the dough lightly on a floured board and roll out into a round about one inch thick.
Cut the round into quarters.
Bake on a hot girdle for 5 to 10 minutes in each side.
These are best served the same day.
Best Scottish Cooking.

Best Scottish Food Raspberry Jam

Raspberry Jam.
Makes about 4-5 pounds. The area around Dundee on the east coast is well-known for its raspberries.
Three pounds of raspberries.
Three pounds of granulated sugar.
Thoroughly wash the raspberries and put them into a preserving pan or a large saucepan.
Cook very gently over a low heat for about ten minutes.
Warm the sugar and add to the fruit stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring rapidly to the boil and boil for two minutes only then remove from the heat.
Pour the jam into dry, warm jars.
Place a circle of greaseproof paper over the jam and seal.
Best Scottish Cooking.

Best Scottish Food Glasgow Toffee

Glasgow Toffee. Glaswegians were fond of making sweets in the 18th and 19th centuries
as sugar was readily available, imported from the West Indies. The women who made these sweets and then sold them on the streets were named Sweety Wives.
4 ounces (100 g) of butter.
8 ounces (225 g) of sugar.
A half pint (150 ml) of milk.
6 ounces (175 g) of golden syrup.
2 ounces (50 g) of plain chocolate.
A few drops of vanilla essence.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the sugar, milk, golden syrup and pieces of chocolate.
Stir the mixture over a low heat until the sugar and syrup have dissolved.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until the point when the toffee will harden when a little is put into a cup of cold water.
The temperature should reach 250 degrees F or 120 degrees C.
Take off the heat and leave for a few minutes to cool slightly.
Beat in the vanilla essence and pour the toffee into a greased shallow tin.
Leave until the toffee has almost set then cut into squares.
The toffee should be wrapped in wax paper and kept in an airtight tin.
Best Scottish Cooking.

Best Scottish Food, Oatmeal Pastry

Oatmeal Pastry. This is an excellent pastry for fruit tarts. It makes enough to line an eight inch (20 cm) flan ring.
3 ounces (75 g) of self-raising flour.
3 ounces (75 g) of fine oatmeal.
2 ounces (50 g) of butter.
1 ounce (25 g) of lard.
A half ounce (15 g) of caster sugar.
A little cold water to mix.
Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the oatmeal.
Rub in the lard and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar.
Add enough cold water to make a fairly stiff dough.
Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a floured board.
Use to line an eight inch (20 cm) flan ring.
Bake blind in a hot oven for ten minutes to set the pastry before adding the filling. Oven: 400 degrees F/200 degrees C. Gas Mark 6.

Best Scottish Tales

Culloden Tales Stories from Scotland's Most Famous Battlefield. Culloden was the last battle on British soil. It marked the end of clan culture and was the harbinger of the Highland Clearances. It ensured the inevitability of the American Revolution and increased the outpouring of Scots across the globe. It is the only battle that British Army regiments are not permitted to include in their battle honours; the only battle that Bonnie Prince Charlie ever lost; and the only battle that the Duke of Cumberland ever won. Culloden is a battlefield, a graveyard and an iconic site that draws people from all parts of the world. And as they come, they bring with them their stories and their father's father's stories. These stories tell of civil war, of love, of the unexpected and even of the supernatural. They are peopled by the second-sighted, by clan chiefs and by others who have kept family secrets for centuries. The battlefield is a poignant location, resonant with past deeds and emotive memories. These Culloden tales are offered as a unique record to the power of the place. Culloden Tales: Stories from Scotland's Most Famous Battlefield.


Tales of St Kilda. St Kilda and the Wider World, Tales of an Iconic Island. St Kilda, now a World Heritage Site and once home to the most remote community in Britain, has long been seen as a place of tragedy. Sepia images of intrepid seabird hunters and the abandoned village street have been used to evoke a heroic, ultimately doomed 'struggle for existence'on the edge of the Atlantic, a struggle that ended with the evacuation of 1930. This book, the first general account for thirty years, reconsiders the islanders' story and presents a radical new interpretation. Adnrew Fleming argues that this tale of inevitability doesn't do the St Kildans justice. They have often been regarded as exotic, but as the photographs of ordinary children in the book show, they were not so very different from other Hebrideans. The archipelago was settled by a hard-working, viable community well before 2000 BC; in prehistoric and Norse times, St Kilda may in fact have played a pivotal role in the region. Well into the Victorian period St Kilda was a well-organised, economically diversified and culturally rich community, which dealt effectively with outsiders and won their sympathy. Indeed the St Kildans themselves colluded with the wider world to create the iconic island of today. Andrew Fleming retells a fascinating tale and reveals a wealth of new archaeological discoveries into the bargain. This is an essential book for all those fascinated by the realities of island life. St Kilda and the Wider World: Tales of an Iconic Island.


Tales of the Morar Highlands. Beyond Fort William, on the road to the Isles, lies Morar, the Highlands of the Highlands and centre of the Rough Bounds, that wild, desolate, but uniquely beautiful part of Scotland that was once the homeland of the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Lords of the Isles. Inspired by bards, writers and images of the past, Alasdair Roberts has collected and revitalised a huge number of traditional tales which transport the reader to the heart of this remote and beguiling landscape. Tales of the Morar Highlands is a book packed with extraordinary incident and remarkable characters, from mysterious loch monsters and fugitive princes to lords, priests and smugglers, as well as the ordinary people who have made this fascinating part of Scotland their home for thousands of years. Tales of the Morar Highlands.

Scottish Traditional Tales. All over the world traditional tales used to be told at the fireseide until their place came to be taken by books, newspapers, radio and television. This is an entertaining collection from Scotland, recorded and collected by researchers from the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University over the past fifty years. Taken from a variety of sources, from the Hebridean Gaelic tradition to recordings of Lowland cairds, travelling people, some are well-known tales which have equivalents in other cultures and languages, whilst others are unique to Scotland. The tales are arranged by theme: tall tales, hero tales, legends of ghosts and evil spirits, tales of fate and religion, fairies and sea-folk, children's tales, trickster tales, tales of clan feuds, robber tales This is a book that quickly established itself as a classic. Scottish Traditional Tales.


Best Scottish Tales. Tales of the Picts. For many centuries the people of Scotland have told stories of their ancestors, a mysterious tribe called the Picts. This ancient Celtic-speaking people, who fought off the might of the Roman Empire, are perhaps best known for their Symbol Stones ? images carved into standing stones left scattered across Scotland, many of which have their own stories. Here for the first time these tales are gathered together with folk memories of bloody battles, chronicles of warriors and priestesses, saints and supernatural beings. From Shetland to the Border with England, these ancient memories of Scotland?s original inhabitants have flourished since the nation?s earliest days and now are told afresh, shedding new light on our ancient past. Tales of the Picts (Luath Storyteller).

Best Scottish Paintings

Monarch of the Glen Landseer in the Highlands. Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873) was the greatest British animal painter of the nineteenth century, and for his contemporaries the greatest artist of the age. The secret of his success lay in his ability to invest the natural world with feeling and imagination, allied to brilliant descriptive powers. Landseer was born in 1802, the son of the author and engraver, John Landseer, and his wife, Jane Potts. A child prodigy, he first exhibited animal studies at the Royal Academy in 1815, when he was just thirteen. By the time of his first visit to Scotland in 1824, he had already made a name for himself with works like Fighting Dogs Getting Wind and Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveller Scotland became an inspiration for his finest works. In his paintings he caught the spirit of what it was that attracted visitors to Scotland: the wildness and splendour of the landscape, the sense of space and solitude, and the spectacle of nature red in tooth and claw. Landseer's enthusiasm for the Highlands extended to the Highlanders themselves, whose simple lives and rugged characters he so admired. His superbly detailed scenes capture the very essence and texture of Highland life and contribute to a Romantic vision of Scotland that is still with us today. In 1840, at the height of his powers, Landseer suffered a severe mental breakdown, and his later years were to be clouded by bouts of instability. In spite of this handicap, his imaginative powers showed no signs of deterioration. On the contrary, he produced some of his most memorable and moving images in the period after 1840, among them his great deer pictures. His heroic stags exhibit strength, courage, fearlessness, defiance, loyalty and endurance and none more so than the aptly named The Monarch of the Glen. Often the victims of man, they also offer inspiration to him in their character as free and sovereign creatures of the high hills, a counterpoint to the sturdy independence and bravery of the British people. Monarch of the Glen: Landseer in the Highlands.

Lovers and Other Strangers. The painter Jack Vettriano emerged form the unlikely background of the Scottish coalfields, unknown and untutored, and has seen his canvases hung in the Royal Scottish Academy. His first exhibition sold out, as did the second and he has since become Scotland's most successful contemporary artist. Vettriano's images are neo-realist, real in the sense that he portrays recognizable people in believable situations, yet heightened to that level of dramatic or romantic intensity which fuelled the fiction of the Hollywood dream factory or the novels of Raymond Chandler or F. Scott Fitzgerald. They are tales without text, storyboards about love and lust, possession and longing, pursuit and conquest. He seems to understand perfectly the stylish sexiness and intrigue that occurs when high life and low life collide. His men are predators, gamblers, hard-edged but possibly soft-centred, Bogartian in period and attitude. His women are vulnerable, pliable, probably playthings if the price is right. And beyond the implied narrative of his paintings there is a curious remembrance of times past and lost, of squandered youth on blissful beaches. Critics have linked Vettriano with the bleak paintings of Hopper, the sleazy photographs of Brassai, yet he is unique, identifiable at fifty yards. Anthony Quinn has written an elegant biographical portrait of the man from childhood to present, encompassing his family, schooling and career as well as pausing at significant moments in his career. Lovers and Other Strangers: Paintings by Jack Vettriano.


The Scottish Colourists 1900-1930. F.C.B. Cadell, J.D. Fergusson, G.L. Hunter and S.J. Peploe are now amongst the most admired of early twentieth-century British artists. Their direct contact with French Post-Impressionism and early knowledge of the work of Matisse and the Fauves, encouraged them to produce paintings which are considered some of the most progressive in British art of the early twentieth century. During their lifetime the Colourists developed an international reputation, exhibiting in Paris, London and New York as well as Scotland. Since their deaths they have often been overlooked in histories of British art, but in the last twenty years there has been a dramatic revival of interest in their work. Featuring essays describing the artists' lives and their involvement with the avant garde in Paris in the early years of the twentieth century, this book is richly illustrated with over 100 of the Colourists' most stylish and inventive paintings. The Scottish Colourists: 1900-1930.

Dictionary of Scottish Painters, 1600 to the Present. This work contains alphabetically arranged entries on some two thousand painters, both major and minor figures, who have worked in Scotland since 1600. Each artist is placed in an art historical context and given full biographical details. There is also a series of generic entries covering artistic institutions and groupings ranging from the National Galleries of Scotland and the Trustees' Academy to the Glasgow Boys and the Colourists. This edition, containing illustrations up to and including the most recent Scottish artists, Watt, Bellany, Conroy and Vettriano, is a useful reference work for collectors, dealers, galleries and museums, as well as anyone with an interest in Scottish painting. The Dictionary of Scottish Painters: 1600 to the Present.


Best Scottish Paintings. Beyond the Sun,Scotland's Favourite Paintings. For years, Scotland has nurtured the connection between literature and art. This collection adds a further dimension to this flowering connection between poetry and painting. Topping the list of Scotland's favourite paintings is Salvador Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross, but also included are poignant classics such as Avril Paton's Windows in the West and Sir Henry Raeburn's Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch. Edwin Morgan, Scotland's National Poet, was so fascinated and inspired by the paintings that he wrote a poem to honour each one. The result is a wonderfully moving collection. Beyond the Sun: Scotland's Favourite Paintings.

Best Scottish Dictionaries

The Concise Dictionary of Great Scots. In terms of landmass and population Scotland is a small country but, throughout the centuries, the Scots have regularly punched above their weight when it comes to providing people who have made an impact on the world. The Scottish contribution to the world has encompassed many fields. Historically, people tend to think of the Scots as a nation of engineers and certainly the country has produced a good few of these. Thomas Telford, James Watt and John MacAdam are cases in point. However, the Scots have also demonstrated their talent and expertise in many other areas. It is difficult to say which of the inventions in the world have been of greatest benefit to mankind, but medical advances are certainly among these and Scotland has produced many doctors and surgeons who have furthered medical knowledge. Among these is Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin and made way for the extensive range of antibiotics that we have today. Before the discovery of penicillin a huge proportion of the population died of infections and diseases which are now curable. But Scotland has not rested on its laurels and its doctors have continued to make a valuable contribution to medical advances. In particular, Ian Donald invented the first practical ultrasound scanner and developed its use in monitoring the development of the foetus in the womb. This has greatly relieved the anxiety levels of mothers-to-be during pregnancy. Scots have not confined their talents to the world of science, though. They have also made a significant contribution to the arts. In the world of literature there are few names so famous in the world as that of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, and the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh has had a major influence on designers throughout the world. There has been something of a literary renaissance in modern Scotland and there is currently an exceptional number of Scottish writers producing successful works. Scots writers today, notably Ian Rankin, seem to be particularly good at crime fiction. Scotland has given the world a whole range of famous people, from explorers such as Mungo Park, to football managers such as Jock Stein, and film actors like Sean Connery who has become something of a Scottish icon. Acting is another area which is enjoying a renaissance in Scotland today. Obviously this is a small book. Its very size imposes restrictions on the number of people included and the information given about each. Obviously not all well-known Scots were admirable. As the title would suggest, for the most part, this book highlights commendable Scots and omits the criminals, such as serial killers. Apologies if your favourite Scot is missing. Still, there is enough here to whet your appetite. Great Scots.


Scots Dictionary. Collins Gem Scots Dictionary is by far the most popular guide to the language of today's Scotland, with nearly eighteen hundred everyday words and phrases from all over Scotland clearly explained in full sentences and with lots of helpful examples of usage. Scots Dictionary (Collins GEM).


Collins Dictionary of Scottish History. As perhaps at no other time in recent memory, Scottish affairs are commanding centre stage and Scottish history in particular is the focus of intense media and popular interest. Alphabetically arranged, "The Collins Dictionary of Scottish History" provides an inclusive guide to major and minor events and personalities from Scotland's story since the tenth century. It contains key articles on major themes and issues, and all entries are fully referenced with guidance to further reading on each major topic or personality. Collins Dictionary of Scottish History.

Best Scottish Photography

The Scots A Photohistory. Following its invention in 1839, a craze for photography ripped through Scotland, and over the next 100 years Scottish photographers captured an impressive visual record of their land and its people, their mixed fortunes, hopes and aspirations. Their achievements document a century of profound contrasts, of division, upheaval and change that recast forever the character of Scotland. This volume presents the triumphs of a self-confident Scotland, the completion of the Forth Bridge and the stream of vessels that slid down the slipways of the Clyde to bind together a far-flung empire, but also its injustices, the story of the rural and urban poor, and the Clearances that drove people from the land to seek work in the cities or new hope in emigration to the New World. Gordon Highlanders drinking whisky from enamel buckets in the New Year celebrations of 1890; the caves of Staffa and their association with the mythical Celtic hero, Finigal; the grandeur of Edinburgh Catle; a portrait of John Logie Baird, Scottish scientist-hero and inventor of the television; the golfers of Scotscraig a mere decade after the invention of photography; or salmon fishing in the Ness Islands, this visual history brings the country to life not only for those of Scottish descent but for everyone who has enjoyed the rich character and landscape of this nation. The Scots: A Photohistory.


Scotland's Coast A Photographer's Journey. Joe Cornish has turned his attention to the magnificent scenery of Scotland's 6,000-mile coastline. He has travelled from the Mull of Galloway in the south to the tip of Unst in the Shetlands, the northernmost point in the British Isles, and from remote St Kilda out in the Atlantic to the Sands of Forvie National Nature Reserve on the North Sea to capture the enormous variety of scenery that characterises the Scottish seacoast. Some of the sites he has photographed, like St Kilda or the sandstone peaks overlooking Loch Torridon, belong to the National Trust for Scotland, but many others are privately owned; some, like the majestic Cuillins on Skye, are well-known to tourists, others are hidden coves or remote sea stacks that few visitors will ever have seen. Whatever the subject, be it a wide Hebridean vista or fragmentary patterns of ice on a frozen beach, Joe Cornish, with his artist's eye and his dramatic use of light, helps us to look at it afresh and reveals new and unsuspected beauties. In the text which accompanies his photographs he explains the aspects of each particular landscape that made it special to him, its geology, its flora, its history or its associations. The result is a stunning book book which will delight Cornish's legion of admirers and all those who have found enchantment on Scotland's wonderful coastline. Scotland's Coast: A Photographer's Journey.


Scotland The Wild Places. This latest collection of panoramic photographs by award-winning photographer Colin Prior celebrates the breathtaking scenery of Scotland's wildland areas. It follows the longstanding success of his earlier book Highland Wilderness. Whereas Highland Wilderness focused on the issues involved in conserving the Highlands, this time Prior presents a mature reflection on the space and silence of those wild places, a salutory reminder to people that even in today's world such places do exist. His remarkable images encourage stewardship of the Highlands by inspiration rather than rhetoric. Scotland: The Wild Places.


Islay and Jura Images of Scotland. The most westerly point of Argyll, Islay and Jura occupy a special place in Scotland's history, home to MacDonald, 'Lords of the Isles', as well as to the famous blend of Bowmore's Whisky Distillery. The fields and hills hold an abundance of wildlife, making it an ideal spot for farming, fishing and rambling, while its ruins speak of the impact of the nineteenth century's mass emigration and the clearances. Lord George Robertson brings his perceptive eye and lens to these different aspects of two of Scotland's most beautiful islands. This book forms part of a new series of images of Scotland's most beautiful scenery taken by some of its finest photographers. These books are not simply pictures of what we can see from our car window, nor simply misty landscapes but photography which gets to the heart of both the landscape and its human component. While covering all the main attractions in an area the photographers have sought out the quirky, the curious and the unknown to give a new dimension to a land we all thought we knew. Islay and Jura (Images of Scotland).