A pictorial history of British airships. It looks at the bizarre "flights of fancy" of the 19th century, the heyday of the airship, its successful use during World War I and the disasters of the later period.

A unique insight into Harris life, industry and its people through the ages.

This book explores some of the remarkable stories of this ancient land, many of them appearing in print for the first time.

A facsimile re-print of the 1910 edition describing climate, geological formation, plants – their uses and their local and Gaelic names. Also legends, ruins and place-names.

The murder of David Beaton lies like a great shadow over the Scottish Reformation and this is the first modern account of this great prince of the church.

This important and detailed study describes and analyses the main features of the economy and social structure of the Isles in the seventeenth century. In geographical scope it covers the Hebrides from Islay in the south to Lewis in the north, as well as the island groups of Orkney and Shetland.

An impressive compendium which thoroughly investigates French and other prisoners of war during the period of the Napoleonic War.

Eigg: The Story of an Island is a revised and upated edition of the book first published by Polygon. It was shortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folkore Award in 1999. It contains written history and oral accounts about the history of the inhabitants from the earliest time to the present day.

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The only book on the turbulent last years of the Percy dynasty.

Alba: Celtic Scotland in the Medieval Era is the first such volume to scrutinise in detail the history of the Highlands and Islands incorporating the most up-to-date research.

Bill Lawson is the foremost authority on the detailed history of the Western Isles of Scotland, and he now follows his successful Harris in History and Legend with a companion volume of the neighbouring isle of North Uist.

This is the first major book to be written about one of the largest of the Inner Hebridean islands.

Argyll, Dalriada or Earra-ghaidheal, 'the Coastland' or 'Boundary of the Gael', is one of the most beautiful and historically significant parts of Scotland.

Combining exciting traditional tales that illustrate the background of the practice of Highland cattle-raiding with extensive historical research, School of the Moon shows that there is much yet to be understood about Scotland’s history, even of the last few hundred years.

The countryside we see today is largely a man-made creation. Three hundred years ago, the landscape looked very different; it had a confused, fragmented appearance, with clusters of small farms, narrow strips of cultivated ground in a bare landscape wi
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This major study of a formidable Scottish monarch is also the first in-depth treatment of four decades of crucially formative Scottish history.

Raymond Lamont-Brown presents in his insightful book the history of St Andrews bridging from the time of the Picts to the 21st century. A comprehensive and complete history of this remarkable Scottish town.

A book of extraordinary rarity, The Isle of Foula remains the classic account of this lonely and beautiful island off of Shetland.

This is a fabulous treasury of legend and wonder; tales of monsters who dwell in lakes, of small people who trap humans in earthen mounds where time stands still, and of dark, shape- shifting spirits whose cloak of human form is betrayed by the sand and shells which fall from their hair.

A personal account of a writer’s close relationship with a unique and evocative landscape.

A new and engrossing biography of the most significant Scottish politician of the Stewart age.

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.

An unusually detailed account of Highland and Scottish history, including clearance, landlordism, crofting life, emigration and migration.

Hidden Scotland is an indispensable guide to those keen to explore the more alternative histories and destinations on Scotland’s tourist trail.

During the two world wars, the chain of island groups ­ Orkney, Shetland, the Faroes and Iceland ­ linking Europe to North America, acquired great strategic significance.

In Lost Aberdeen, handsomely illustrated and rich in fact and lore, Diane Morgan investigates the history and fate of numerous city buildings which had considerable historic and architectural importance.

With new archaeological research, the ‘material culture’ of the Picts – their settlement, ways of life and burial practice – is slowly coming into focus and is fully represented in this fascinating book.

Crucial to control of the North Atlantic during the Second World War was knowledge of the weather: for the wolf packs and German raiders that lurked in these bitter seas this was the vital ingredient that would enable them to cut the vital arteries t
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A full-length history presenting the Stewarts with wit, sympathy and colour, giving emphasis to their passionate sexuality and sinister propensity for depression. The result is a story starring a startling collage of unforgettable personalities.

This photographic book captures the enduring allure of Edinburgh.

The first scholarly biography of the adult James V. This study concentrates on his style of governement and relations with his nobility, and challenging the widely-held view of a vindictive and irrational king motivated largely by greed, who antagonised most of his leading magnates and ultimately met his just deserts when they refused to support him in 1542.

This book provides the first comprehensive history of the Royal Scottish Corporation, covering four centuries of Scottish aid in the English capital from 1603-2003.

A fully-illustrated study of the written and iconographic material relating to the death of St Andrew, with discussion of the evidence which may help to determine when, where, and why the X-shaped cross was imported into the tradition.

This is a reprint in two volumes of the 1876 edition of Logan's famous work, edited with an introduction and memoir of the author by Alexander Stewart.

In presenting the full story of Bristol’s involvement in the slave trade, as well as its subsequent demise, Victoria Coules’ original and timely book shows how port cities around Britain profited from the slave trade.   

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.     

Superbly illustrated with photographs, paintings, maps and etchings from the county’s museums and art collections, Lost Devon provides a fascinating insight into Devon’s history, as Felicity Goodall explores what little remains of the past and discusses the events which have formed the county as it is today.    

This is a history of the ruthless and systematic expansion of the ambitious Clan Campbell in 16th-century Scotland.

This book details the abundance of superb archaeological remains and places of great historic interest to be found in this very particular region of Scotland.

Joyce M Wallace lovingly retells the history and heritage of these areas combined with lively anecdotes about the characters who populated them.

The Scottish Empire charts the involvement of the Scots in the British Empire from its earliest days to the end of the twentieth century. A fascinating and enlightening read.

A study of the main political parties in Scotland, examining in particular their electoral fortunes from the time of the First Reform Bill to the emergence of the Labour party.

Here are the stories of the famous people who came to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, why they came, how they travelled and what they found.

The story of one of the last of the great city reformations that took place all over Europe in the 16th century.

John Nicolson’s book offers a poignant glimpse into a way of life now lost forever and a celebration of one of Scotland's most beautiful islands.

A unique perspective on the history of Great Britain as we know it. Surpassing modern boundaries, Alistair Moffat brings together a country that was once united in its Celtic culture and history.

Dr Walker's report gives us a last opportunity to see the basis of the old island economy and the life and conditions of the inhabitants.

After examining the principal similarities and differences between England and Scotland at the turn of the seventeenth century, this book studies the integration of the political, economic, legal and religious institutions of the two nations after the
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For many years the reputation of James V has been overshadowed by the tragic glamour of his father, James IV, killed at Flodden, and his daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots. Princelie Majestie reveals that he was an energetic and innovative patron, who in a brief fourteen years created a court culture of remarkable quality and diversity.

An entertaining and witty book of Scotland’s most famous of islands.

Introducing a bizarre and intriguing collection of facts and fables about the people, events and places that have added colour to the history of the Grampian country over the centuries.

This new edition of The Legacy of Rome: Scotland’s Roman Remains, first published in 1986, incorporates a large amount of new material and is the only guidebook to Roman remains specifically in Scotland.

In this book - the first full account of the Argyll rising - Raymond Campbell Paterson places the events of 1685 in the context of late Stewart politics, both in Scotland and Britain as a whole.

Swords for Hire tells how a considerable proportion of the able-bodied male population of Scotland at one time sought service on behalf of almost every dynasty and monarch on the continent. Some were fleeing from justice, others went to seek fame and fortune – and found it.

This book examines the changes that took place in the area during the period following the 1745 Jacobite uprising.

This book is an exploration of some of the region’s hidden facets and lesser known places which are testament to a way of life experienced just a couple of generations ago.    

This book is the story of a remarkable quest; a search for the history behind a faded photograph album discovered in a second-hand bookshop in Stockport in 1986.

This book traces the story of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, from the slums of Victorian Glasgow to the shanty towns of present-day Africa and among the ‘new poor’ at home. It is a colourful story, but it is more. In many ways it is an exemplar of the fortunes of all religious Congregations, and a microcosm of the Catholic Church itself, over the past century-and-a-half.

Biographies have appeared of the various leading personalities involved, but this is the first systematic study to link up the various theatres of war and to discuss the effects of the Bruce Wars.

A team of leading historians and critics from both Scotland and England investigate what is known of medieval warrior William Wallace's career from contemporary sources, most of which, unusually for a national hero, were created by his enemies.

Based on stunning new archaeological evidence from across the pond and in Britain The Sword and the Grail details the involvment of the Order of the Knights of the Templar as the true discoverers of America.

Argyll's historical importance goes back for thousands of years. As the centre of the kingdom of Dalriada the area was of seminal importance in terms of Gaelic culture, and was also of extreme significance in the spread of Celtic Christianity.

On December 5th, 1600, Pope Clement VIII founded and endowed the Scots College in Rome for the training of priests and, at least initially, the education of the sons of Scottish noblemen.

In 1637 Scotland exploded in rebellion against King Charles I: the events that followed have traditionally been interpreted in terms of religious conflict, but while accepting the importance of religious inspiration, The Scottish Revolution prov
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In this history of Leith the emphasis is placed firmly on the lives of the ordinary people - their work, homes, lifestyle, interests, aspirations and opinions.

Award-winning journalist Marian Pallister has brought together historical fact and contemporary reminiscence to give a fascinating insight into the origins and development of human settlement in this beautiful outpost of Scotland.

The essays in this collection explore the uneasy relationship between Scottish History and Scottish Literature through the ages.

This is the first book to trace the complete history of the Abbey of Holyrood and its burgh of Canongate from prehistoric times to the present day.

Focusing on North Mull (north of Glen More, but excluding Craignure, Torosay and Brolas), this book is a wonderful anthology of the tales and traditions of Mull in the words of those who tell of them.

This book extensively covers the history of Islay up to the present day with a particular focus on the people of the island, those who have left their mark centuries ago and those who inhabit the island even today.

George IV’s great journey to Scotland in 1822 is one of the defining moments in the creation of our country. Prebble has created a thoroughly investigated book, which makes a great read for any history enthusiast.

This volume continues the story begun in The Scottish Revolution of the Covenanters’ sudden rise to power, but how their soaring ambitions and religious zeal in the end led Scotland to an unparalleled disaster.

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.

This readable yet informative book explores the castles of Hebridean myth.

The Reivers is an extraordinary book which tells the historical tale of a land that was at all times no-man’s-land but a land over which blood was shed on both sides of an invisible border.

A comprehensive guide, with a historical emphasis, to the ancient counties of Moray, Banff and Nairn.

This is a major contribution to the literature on the Scottish Enlightenment and an extraordinarily lucid insight into Edinburgh during the most exciting and stimulating period of its history.

Based on thirty years of research by Professor Tom Devine, this book is a collection of essays covering the great transformation of rural Scotland which broadly occurred between the 1760s and the middle decades of the nineteenth century.

In this new book by one of Britain’s foremost experts in mediaeval linguistics and history, Dr Graeme Davis counters popular historical belief by proposing that there was a Saxon settlement in both Orkney and Shetland during the fourth century AD.

This study seeks to restore the causal role of religion to its proper place in the story of Oliver Cromwell’s invasion and subsequent occupation of Scotland.

This book, the first about Vatersay, draws on detailed records to tell the remarkable story of the raiders: their struggle to escape from the poverty which, they claimed, the policies of the absentee landowner forced them to endure, the raiding and settlement of the island and the fraught process of dividing it up into crofts.

Exhaustively researched yet eminently readable, this first book-length account of the historical Somerled assembles, evaluates and interprets the full spectrum of evidence.

The Long Horizon is an extraordinary book. Much more than simply the chronicle of a life spent farming in the Scottish Highlands, it is also a wonderful collection of stories, both factual and fictional, which reflect the changes that have revolutionised Highland life and dramatically affected the natural environment over the centuries.

This book is the first modern account of one of the epic stories of Scottish History: the rise and fall of Clan Donald.

A long-awaited re-issue of a continual classic originally published in 1881.

This is the first fully documented study for many years of one of Scotland’s most emotive subjects.

This book is a parable: a moving story of stubbornly heroic resistance and of extraordinary personal achievement. It is the story of a statement made from the depths of one man’s heart in the most practical and indisputable of ways against the unnecessary destruction of his homeland.

Lewis in History and Legend is the first volume by Bill Lawson about the history of the Isle of Lewis.

A complete and comprehensive history of the ever mysterious yet famous Rosslyn Chapel.

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 comprehensive and complete guide to the mysterious islands of Orkney ranging in its breadth from prehistoric settlements to ongoing contemporary controversies of oil and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Scandanavian allegiance.

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.

This book is a critical account of the social, economic and cultural experience of consumption and luxury of the Highlands in the eighteenth century.

This volume surveys Scotland's complex religious landscape from an ethnological perspective. Bringing together 28 contributors and ranging from the arrival of Christianity to religious diversity in the twenty-first century, it provides an authoritative commentary on the role that religion has played over the centuries in all aspects of Scottish life and society.

This is the only book that offers a detailed account of this remarkable corner of the world, enhanced with numerous photographs by the award-winning photographer Gunnie Moberg.

A newly revised and extended edition of the very popular 1994 Life and Times of Falkirk, with many new illustrations.

A practical guidebook to this region of Scotland offering an extensive history from prehistoric to contemporary times.

As in Isles of the West, Mitchell’s narrative combines authoritative background information and personal interviews with local people, many enlivened by the measured dispensation of Scotland’s most famous aid to creative thought.

Isles of the West describes a three-month voyage made in the summer of 1996 around the Hebrides. The author explores the major issues peculiar to the islands as the century dawns.

In this fascinating yet poignant study, Marian Pallister introduces the many varied aspects of lost Argyll, showing how ancient and even relatively modern landscapes have changed inexorably, often with little thought for conservation or preservation.    

Frank Bardgett buttresses Rev. Alexander Young’s historical observations of the Highland Clearances providing further shrewd evidence in this tumultuous time in the early 20th century.

This book is a history of the small town of Cromarty, north of Inverness at the tip of the Black Isle peninsula. Although it has less than 750 inhabitants, Cromarty is viewed by its residents as a town rather than a village, which reflects the settlement’s beginnings as a royal burgh and its days as a leading port for the northern Highlands.  

Lewis in the Passing is a form of time-capsule, containing twenty-one autobiographical sketches of Lewis natives, all born before the Second World War. All the subjects are interviewed by fellow islander Calum Ferguson, who, in presenting their stories and journeys, reveals the magnetism and appeal of this rain- and wind-swept island.

This comprehensive collection of essays provides fascinating information about this part of Scotland. The natural, historical and cultural treasures of this popular part of Scotland are revealed here in all their glorious variety.

As the last Roman troops left Britain, a new phase opened in the history of what was to become Scotland.

This is the first overview of Highland society ever to be written which covers the period from the rise of Somerled to the first clearances.

In AD 800 Scotland was shared between four peoples: the powerful kingdom of the Picts, who held sway over most of the landmass of Scotland; the kingdom of Dalriada in Argyll; the kingdom of the Britons in Strathclyde; and the divided and declining king
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This book offers an enthralling trail through the rich tapestry of events witnessed by Rosslyn over the centuries. Andrew Sinclair, himself descended from Prince Henry St Clair.

The first popular biography for 40 years and an enthralling read. Colm McNamee is an expert on the Irish dimensions of the Wars of the Bruces.

The story behind one man’s incredible vision which developed into a nationwide charity - Scotland’s equivalent to Barnardos.

First full examination of one of the defining events in Scottish history.

Featuring new sections on the Wallace of literature and present-day perceptions, this book provides a more authentic picture of the greatest of Scotland’s heroes than has been previously available, placing the crude distortions and inaccuracies such as Braveheart in their proper context.

The composed and hierarchal country estate was once a great functional animal in the 1920s. It was efficient, structured and social, and is generally thought to be lost in the 21st century with the great rise of the Bourgeoisie. However, this interesting book reminds us of a time that still exists, quietly adapting with the demands of modern life.

In this fresh and challenging look at the origins of the United Kingdom, the first full study for four decades, Michael Fry traces the fault-lines of the present time right back to the treaty drawn up between the ruling classes of Scotland and England three centuries ago.

Robert McGeachy tells the story of a revolution – one that would extend to the rest of the Highlands and Islands – set in train when Argyll’s leading families turned their backs on clanship and embraced an explicitly capitalist approach to the management of their estates.

A commanding history of the most northern outpost of the Roman Empire.

First and foremost the Vikings were travellers, roaming far to the east, south and west in their magnificent ships - the lords of the seas.

This is an exciting and controversial reassessment of a period and a people who stood at the birth of Scotland.

This is a portrait of a complex and fascinating society which laid down patterns in the Scottish countryside, many of which still survive today.

Settlement and Sacrifice is an introduction to the people who lived in Scotland from around 1500 BC to AD 200. It was a time when people built impressive houses and settlements, but also one of war and human sacrifice as society was disturbed by quarrels over resources, land and wealth.        

This book is part of a newly updated edition of the acclaimed Making of Scotland series produced by Historic Scotland and Birlinn which provides lively, accessible and up-to-date introductions to key themes and periods in Scottish history and prehistory.

Aberdeen is a city shaped by its geography, climate and architecture. Like the land from which it grew, it projects qualities of hard work and fortitude, firm solidity, a bold self-confidence and soaring aspiration.

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This is the first book-length analysis of the Jacobite mind and it challenges the prevailing stereotypes about the kind of man who became a Jacobite.

A new account of the galloglas warriors written from a decidedly Scottish perspective, tracing the origins of six kindreds and investigating the circumstances which brought about their relocation to Ireland.

This book offers explorations of Scottish-American cultural relations in a variety of directions and periods from the eighteenth century to the early twentieth.

A detailed study of the estates before, during and after the annexations following the defeat of the Jacobites in 1746, providing a wealth of material on the effects of government policy and actions during this period.

This book provides an insight into the nature of Jacobitism and of the Tory party, and furthers our understanding of the confused politics of these momentous years.

Anstruther: A History is written by a local author with a deep understanding of Anstruther, who conveys her enthusiasm for her subject in elegant prose and well-chosen pictures.

The lives of the Scottish queens, both those who ruled in their own right, and also the consorts, have largely been obscured and neglected. Rosalind K. Marshall addresses this oversight with a collection of mini-biographies, illuminating the fascinatin
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This is the story of some pioneers who, during the nineteenth century, transformed the practice of surgery.

The Castles of Scotland is the most complete and comprehensive guide available to the nation’s wealth of castles. This new edition is the culmination of ten years’ research, and covers more than 2700 castles as well as mansions and historic houses.

This is the story of the beginnings of Mary, Queen of Scots, a rich and vibrant epic involving many of the major figures of early modern history. Henry VIII of England, Francois I and Henri II of France bestride the canvas, but even they cannot obscure the beguiling figure of the young Mary Queen of Scots.

This book analyses the origins, development and impact of British army recruiting in the Scottish Highlands in the period from 1739 to 1815.

This book aims to increase the passion of existing collectors of commemorative mugs and beakers, and to introduce new enthusiasts to this exciting field of collecting.

An entirely new account of the history of one of the oldest Hebridean clans from its origins in a remote Scandinavian past until its dispersal around the globe in modern times.

This text examines the lore of the birch-bark canoe, the mystery of its traditional Native American construction, its key role in exploring the wilderness.

The author brings together archaeology, legend and history to produce a textured tapestry of the region and its people.

During the turbulent reigns of Mary Queen of Scots and James VI, the Jesuists played a significant role in preserving Catholicism in the land of John Knox. This book examines the political and religious aims of the Society of Jesus at the time.

An important collection of essays dealing with aspects of the execution of Britain’s foreign policy at a crucial period in her emergence as a major international power.

This important collection of essays offers new perspectives on the development and character of the Scottish Enlightenment.

Older Scots Literature is a major set of nearly forty new studies on the literature of fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth-century Scotland.

This volume is one of a series of five which have been published as teaching and learning materials for the University of Dundee/ Open University Distance Learning Course in Modern Scottish History.

This volume is one of a series of five which have been published as teaching and learning materials for the University of Dundee/ Open University Distance Learning Course in Modern Scottish History.

This volume is one of a series of five which have been published as teaching and learning materials for the University of Dundee/ Open University Distance Learning Course in Modern Scottish History.

This volume is one of a series of five which have been published as teaching and learning materials for the University of Dundee/ Open University Distance Learning Course in Modern Scottish History.

This volume is one of a series of five which have been published as teaching and learning materials for the University of Dundee/ Open University Distance Learning Course in Modern Scottish History.

The reign of James VI (1567–1625) remains one of the most enigmatic in Scottish history. There are long periods within it which resemble black-holes in our knowledge.

A passionate defence of the importance to the Scottish educational tradition of a philosophical and generalist approach.

A sequel to George Davie's seminal study, The Democratic Intellect.

Charting the city’s literary past and present, this book is a fascinating portrait of a vibrant, cultural capital as seen and recorded by writers through the centuries.

Volume 10 of the Compendium of Scottish Ethnology brings together a series of essays by a diverse range of authors on the themes of oral literature and performance culture. The topics covered in this volume include: narrative collection and performanc
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This study explores the history of the western seaboard of Scotland in a formative but often neglected era: the central middle ages, from the mightly Somerled to his descendant John MacDonald, the first Lord of the Isles.

Based on contemporary documents and histories, Roderick Graham paints a unique picture of Mary, Queen of Scots, as a young girl adrift in the dangerous seas of sixteenth-century politics and examines the events that would tragically lead her to the executioner’s block.

This book is for those who are interested in the natural world and who wish to develop a good knowledge about the original formation of the formidable Scottish terrain. It is accessible and beautifully presented, contains a vast amount of detailed information told in clear, comprehensible language and is enhanced throughout with specially commissioned illustrations, diagrams and photographs.

Alistair Moffat brings to vivid life the half-forgotten kings and kingdoms of two thousand years ago, of the time of the Romans, the Dark Ages and into the early medieval period. It is a remarkable journey around a lost Scotland.

Based on thirty years of research by Professor Tom Devine, this book is a collection of essays covering the great transformation of rural Scotland which broadly occurred between the 1760s and the middle decades of the nineteenth century.

A team of leading historians and critics from both Scotland and England investigate what is known of medieval warrior William Wallace's career from contemporary sources, most of which, unusually for a national hero, were created by his enemies.

This book offers an enthralling trail through the rich tapestry of events witnessed by Rosslyn over the centuries. Andrew Sinclair, himself descended from Prince Henry St Clair.