This book is a blend of memories of a boyhood spent, just after the war, at Craigag, the earl of Morton’s Victorian shooting lodge near Glenfinnan, and a study of the history of that small once-Gaelic place.

Drawing on diverse sources, including ‘traditional’ historical sources as well as literary and ‘lived experience’ documents, this collection of essays opens up new avenues of research and features groundbreaking work.

A rich and captivating insight into life in a Scottish farm town in the mid nineteenth century. Together with Willie Gavin, Crofter Man and The Cornkister Days, this volume forms a remarkable trilogy on life in rural Scotland.

With an introduction by Jack Webster.

Amanda Beam offers an alternative perspective to the Balliols who have continuously been cast as weak and ineffectual throughout Scottish history. Beam provides an interesting insight and removes any misconceptions.

A bittersweet novel set in Glasgow in the Forties and Fifties.

This is a story of the inhabitants of Lewis and Harris – a tale of a people as indomitable as their landscape and a faith as profound as the Hebridean sea.

Birlinn Limited is pleased to announce a forthcoming high-quality reproduction of Victorian Scottish Architecture. Reduced to two volumes from its original four, this special Limited Edition loses none of its integrity compared to its original counterpart to reveal once again over 200 engravings of exquisite architecture. Introduction by Ian Gow.

Delving into Bath’s history, this book gathers a collection of stories about these weird individuals and their duels, telescopes, cakes, fizzy drinks, Bath Buns, Sally Lunns and plasticene.

This book looks at the response of the Jewish community in Glasgow to its health problems and the complex community based welfare infrastructure it created.

’Banks is the real thing,’ - Marcel Berlins, The Times

The biggest race riot in Manchester’s history and his brother’s death have left PI Callum Innes a physical and emotional wreck. He’s about to leave his newly established agency to partner Frank Collier when the word comes through that his erstwhile nemesis Mo Tiernan has gone missing.

A collection of the Scots poems and songs from the eighteenth century which created a literary tradition of vernacular directness which Burns drew upon and shared.

'Absorbing and adventurous' - Guardian

'The kind of intellectually fleet-footed work only a poet and critic could produce' - Scotland on Sunday

The Beginning and the End of the World tells the stories of several pioneering Scottish photographers. Yet it also places them within the extraordinary intellectual life of an eccentric society rich in sometimes apocalyptically-minded Victorian inventors and authors whose work has had an international impact

'Really good reminiscences from hosts of Scottish rugby greats about a host of great Scotland rugby occasions. Weighty in all respects' - Stephen Jones, Sunday Times

Based on exclusive interviews with players past and present, Behind the Thistle gives a unique insight into the drama and emotion of representing Scotland in that most rarefied of environments – Test match rugby. Absorbing, illuminating and compelling, this is a must-have for all supporters who have dreamed the dream of playing for Scotland.

An extraordinary novel, haunted by a sense that the living and the dead are separated by no more than a narrow and disputed borderland. These tales are now recognised as among the most remarkable explorations of the supernatural to appear in Victorian times.

'I love the familiarity of the characters, and the voyeuristic feeling you get in reading about their lives. It's a bit like popping in on neighbours and getting to see behind the scenes, the reality of what they're thinking and feeling' - Book Bag

The story of Bertie and his dysfunctional family continues in this seventh instalment alongside the familiar cast of favourites - Big Lou, Domenica, Angus Lordie, Cyril and others - in their daily pursuit of a little happiness.

'I love the familiarity of the characters, and the voyeuristic feeling you get in reading about their lives. It's a bit like popping in on neighbours and getting to see behind the scenes, the reality of what they're thinking and feeling' - Book Bag

The story of Bertie and his dysfunctional family continues in this seventh instalment alongside the familiar cast of favourites - Big Lou, Domenica, Angus Lordie, Cyril and others - in their daily pursuit of a little happiness.

'The effortless lightness of Brown’s language is as triumphant as ever' - Times Literary Supplement

Thorfinn Ragnarson is the daydreaming son of a tenant farmer, avoiding both work and school despite the best efforts of family, friends and neighbours. Instead, the boy dreams up elaborate historical fantasies of himself as a Viking traveller, a freedom-fighter for Bonnie Prince Charlie and the colleague of a Falstaffian knight who participates in the Battle of Bannockburn.

A Polygon newcomer, Sam Meekings presents thoughtful, light and earthy poetry. Each poem a fleeting moment that demands a long pause of reflection and moves off once again leaving a pensive smile.

This handsome volume describes where and how best to see the wide variety of birds and their habitats and gives extra details about selected birds that are particularly characteristic of Colonsay and the Inner Hebrides.

Few writers in Scotland can catch a sense of place and time in the way that Bess Ross can. Her warmth and humanity have ensured her a growing audience over the years.

Michael Brown analyses the rise and fall of the family as the dominant magnates of the south, from the deeds of the Good Sir James Douglas in the service of Bruce to the violent destruction of the Douglas earls in the 1450s.     

Previously published as Children of the Sea, Black Friday tells of Scotland's equivalent to the 'Perfect Storm' and its tragic aftermath.

'Aitchison produces a vivid picture of a disaster waiting to happen' Daily Mail

Although best known as one of Scotland’s greatest modern poets, Iain Crichton Smith was also prolific as a writer of short stories. The pieces in this collection form a central part of his oeuvre, demonstrating the full range and versatility of his literary talent.

Introduced by Robert Hutchinson.

John Buchan skilfully weaves the story of young clerk Peter Pentecost, who has a claim to the throne, and a tale of intrigue against King Henry VIII, where ’under the blanket of the dark all men are alike and all are nameless’.     

A moving and satisfying blend of tragedy and comedy, Blood Hunt, Gunn’s second last novel, has a powerful message – the triumph of love over anger and of the unending renewal of nature. It is a masterly novel by a writer in full maturity.

Set in Rome during Nero’s reign of terror, this is a disciplined historical novel tracing the destruction of one cell of the early church, thorough in its historical interpretation and in its determination to make the past accessible and readable.

'The Edinburgh underworld may have emitted a collective sigh of relief at the departure of Inspector Rebus, but just as they thought it was safe to reclaim the streets of Auld Reekie it seems that a fresh avenger of evil, DS Alice Rice, has come of age,' - Scottish Field

In this thrilling police-procedural from new crime writer Gillian Galbraith, we are introduced to Alice Rice, Edinburgh’s latest fictional detective.

Dr Simon Forman finds himself accused of harbouring enemies of the state after a night of revelry. In his haste to clear his name he gets caught up in a secret spying mission and death stalks him as he tries to discover the identity of a murderer.

"An outstanding record of the Scots at war on the sea and will surely entertain all who have an interest in Scotland and its history." - The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord

A brilliant, insightful and unique portrait of the Scottish war at sea, examining an array of skirmishes including the Wars of Independence, the Napoleonic Wars, the Second World War, and cold war spying missions.

"Funny, moving, horrifying and compelling," - Times Literary Supplement

Returning to Scotland to organise her wedding, Catriona is overcome with the jitters. She decides to tie up loose ends before settling permanently in Tuscany, and seeks out her ex-boyfriends. Only problem is, they all end up dead and Catriona is the prime suspect.

"A writer to be reckoned with," - Doug Johnstone, The Herald

A thrilling tale for lovers of action from the author of The Devil's Staircase.

"Hilarious," - Guardian

Sixty-four-years-old and resolutely single, Servant spends his days with a small number of trusted associates pursuing unlikely business opportunities, giving stern views on current affairs and ‘chasing skirt’. Both the book and the Bob Servant character are being developed for television and radio by the BBC.

Stuffed with superb illustrations, this brilliant book will have you bounding through the heather on an exciting escapade with Bonnie Prince Charlie! Blood-spattered Scottish history at its most wickedly entertaining.

'Meekings’s prose is exemplary, showing a desire not just to honour Chinese culture, but to contribute to it' - The Herald

'Sam Meekings writes well. The language flows beautifully' - Book Bag

The Book of Crows follows the influence of the mysterious, eponymous Book as it touches the lives of a range of people over hundreds of years including a young girl kidnapped and taken to an isolated mountain brothel, and a low-level bureaucrat searching for a missing colleague. Epic, exotic and enigmatic, it is a stunning journey through Chinese life and history

'Meekings’s prose is exemplary, showing a desire not just to honour Chinese culture, but to contribute to it' - The Herald

'Sam Meekings writes well. The language flows beautifully' - Book Bag

The Book of Crows follows the influence of the mysterious, eponymous Book as it touches the lives of a range of people over hundreds of years including a young girl kidnapped and taken to an isolated mountain brothel, and a low-level bureaucrat searching for a missing colleague. Epic, exotic and enigmatic, it is a stunning journey through Chinese life and history.

Stuart Kelly provides a wry and erudite account of books destroyed, misplaced, never finished, or never even begun – from ancient Greek and Arabic masters through Shakespeare, Dante and Hemingway right up to the present day.

The Book of St Andrews juxtaposes poems, stories and memoirs with scant regard to chronological order, but in the confidence that each contribution, lively in its own right, may also enhance the others. Here are specially written stories by Meaghan Delahunt, A. L. Kennedy, and Sarah Hall; new poems by Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, and Don Paterson; memoirs by Kay Redfield Jamison and Ian Rankin.

'An important contribution to Scottish history as well as to our understanding of international relations and military organisation.' - The Historian

Scottish military offensives against England from 1369 were largely the product of government policy, were launched with careful timing and in the reign of Robert II Involved close co-operation with France.

‘One of the best things I’ve read in ages’ – Ali Smith

'An unexpectedly bittersweet portrait of the world before 9/11.' - Sunday Herald

A boy, four wheels, a car named Belinda speeding through the night and life on a wild ride. A special tenth anniversary edition of Alan Bissett's moden classic of growing up in a small town and on the back seat of a fast car.

Lavishly illustrated throughout with stunning archive images, Elspeth Wills uncovers the human story behind the building of the Forth Bridge: the story of the Briggers. It is a story that has never been told before – of ordinary men working on an extraordinary structure in an often hostile and dangerous environment.

The first major study of its kind to be undertaken for a Scottish Gaelic singer. Forty-eight songs and nine folktales by Lauchie MacLellan are included in the collection, transcribed from field recordings and presented as the singer performed them, complete with English translation.

In an attempt to put her past behind her, retired Secret Service agent Mirabelle Bevan takes a job at a debt collection agency run by the charismatic Big Ben McGuigan. But the mysterious case of Romana Laszlo brings Mirabelle back to her roots.

Mirabelle Bevan, bereaved and alone, draws on her wartime skills in surveillance and detection in this gripping tale, set in 1950's Austerity Britain.

This is the first appearance in book form of a popular long-running serial from the Caithness weekly paper, the John o' Groat Journal.

'In this major new study of Campbell's life - a formidably learned work which is the product of 20 years' research - Allan Macinnes provides a highly detailed portrait of Argyll, which offers especially vivid insights into the British political context in which he operated,' - BBC History Magazine

The interplay of roles of the Marquess of Argyll, as clan chief, Scottish magnate and influential British statesman, make him a worthy counterpoint to Cromwell. This history rehabilitates Argyll’s reputation as a Covenanting hero rather than a Covenanting villain.

A comprehensive reference guide published in association with the Flag Institute, providing information and advice to HM Government organizations and individuals on all matters relating to flags.

Brow of the Gallowgate is Doris Davidson’s bestselling novel and follows Albert and Bathie Ogilvie as they by the shop they’ve always dreamed of and live above it with their eight young children and their nursemaids, Mary, Jeannie and Bella.

Bruar’s Rest is an epic tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of World War One.

The first popular synthesis to be attempted of what life was like in the new communities of Perth, Aberdeen, Elgin, Edinburgh and Glasgow, grown from planned medieval burghs in the 12th century.

The sensational true story behind possibly the most prolific murder doulbe-acts in history - Burke and Hare, and the West Port murders. 

James Kelman provides a brilliantly executed, uncompromising slice of Glasgow life – an intelligent, funny and humane novel. First published by Polygon in 1984.    

Butcher’s Broom is Neil Gunn’s epic recreation of the Highland Clearances of the nineteenth century, when great changes swept through the country and its people.