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Arisiag and Morar, Norse and Gaelic, the 'river-mouth bay' and the 'great water', part of na garbh Chriochan (The Rough Bounds), an area so rugged and desolate it was itself known as the Highlands of the Highlands. From Borrodale (fort-dale) to Kilmory (Maelrubha's chapel), from Druimindarroch (oak-tree ridge) to Eireagoraidh (shieling-corrie), the place-names echo the story of the landscape. This harsh environment was at the heart of the old Macruari and Clanranald estate; this was where Bonnie Prince Charlie first landed and last departed, where fugitive Jacobites skulked and languished, where the great poet Alexander Macdonald breathed his last lines, and whence the sail-ships Jane, Lucy and British Queen carried so many hopes to the New World. Where, despite clearance and emigration, potato blight and deer forest, poverty and hardship, a new road and railway were eventually driven, a fishing industry flourished, and where communities survived.

One of very few books available on Moidart in the north-west of Scotland, it evokes the enchanted, magical beauty of this much-loved area of the country. Margaret Leigh was already a successful author when her longing for freedom and independence led to her decision to become a crofter in the West Highlands. These memoirs describe her attempts to transform a deserted croft into a home, and her struggles to snatch land back from the wilderness. Although far from the Blitz, the effects of the war are felt throughout the Highlands, and the rationing of food and vital materials, the battles with bureaucrats who had no understanding of a crofter’s needs, and even the appearance of a Nazi mine off the coast, all frustrate Margaret Leigh’s efforts. But despite the hardships, the land and the people of the Highlands gave her a contentment and happiness she had never known before.

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.

In May 1933 Margaret Leigh took over the tenancy of Achnabo farm, in a beautiful corner of the West Highlands overlooking the isle of Skye. In this unsentimental yet exquisitely written book, she recounts a year of farming life there, from the burning of the land and ploughing in March, through planting and sowing in April to haymaking and harvesting in September. Incidental details – such as a visit to the smithy, the arrival of some new bulls and the annual journey of the cows to the summer shielings – provide fascinating insights into farming life. Local characters and customs feature too, adding another rich dimension to this reflective and poignant memoir of a world now vanished forever.

Feuding had an effect on the history of most of Europe. Scotland provides a fascinating focus for the study of the bloodfeud because feuding survived until remarkably late there, and thus is much better documented than in other European societies. This examination of the Scottish evidence shows its relevance to the wider European community to which the Scots belonged, reveals much about the nature of the bloodfeud in general, and explores the changes in society which at last brought about its suppression. The bloodfeud has been the subject of anthropological rather than historical investigation, partly because it largely disappeared at an early stage in the development of literacy in Europe and has never been a fashionable research topic for historians. In this study of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century feud in Scotland, Keith Brown focuses on its context in society, politics and the ideology that served to uproot the tradition. The book will be of value to historians of many different cultures and periods.

In viewing Galloway from the wider context of the northern British mainland, Irish Sea and wider Hebridean zone, it has been possible to explore the dynamics of state-building, dynastic interactions, and the close inter-relationships of the territories connected by the western seaways, which most traditional ’national’ histories obscure. From this wider perspective, the development of the lordship of Galloway can be considered in the context of the spreading power and regional rivalries of English, Irish and Scottish kings, and a reassessment of the emergence of the unitary lordship controlled by Fergus of Galloway and his family. Traditional interpretations of the relationship of Fergus and his successors with the kings of England and Scotland are challenged and new light is thrown on the beginnings of the processes of progressive domination of Galloway by, and integration into, the kingdom of the Scots. The end of the autonomous lordship in the 1230s is projected against the backdrop of the aggressive state-building activities of King Alexander II and the transformation of its rulers from independently minded princes and warlords into Anglo-Scottish barons.

'From the moment that these waters were given back their beavers, I knew that I would never wish to return to the time when they were without them . . .'In November 2021, in a major moment in Scotland’s history, a family of beavers was spared a death sentence and relocated to a Perthshire farm. Their arrival at Argaty, Tom Bowser's home, paved the way for a new era in human–beaver relations. In this deeply personal account, Tom tells of his attempts to save these incredible animals, of the support and opposition received and of the unimaginable gains that beavers ultimately brought to his home. He also explores the wider themes of rewilding and nature conservation in Scotland, meeting some of the leading lights of this exciting movement, highlighting the work they do, the challenges they face and showing why ecological restoration is so important for the future of our planet.

The 2000-plus years of Scottish history have seen a huge variety of events, from great national moments to personal achievements, each one helping to make and mould the character of the nation. This compendium takes note of the milestones – historical as well as cultural, serious as well as entertaining – but also of the many steps between them. Carefully chosen and researched for their interest and variety, they make a fascinating record: 150 vignettes form a 'family album' of the Scottish people from the Romans in Scotland in the first century CE to climate change in the 2020s. And everything in between.

In 1944, Glasgow received one of the greatest gifts ever made to any city in the world: a collection of over 6,000 artworks of many types spanning centuries and civilisations. The benefactors were Glasgow-born shipping magnate Sir William Burrell and Constance, Lady Burrell. Burrell’s business success him to amass an extraordinary collection, which he housed in the family home at Hutton Castle in the Scottish borders. When he decided to leave the collection to the nation, he considered donating it to London-based galleries before deciding on Glasgow Corporation, together with the residue of his estate to provide a suitable building. It was many years before the right location was found, and The Burrell Collection finally opened in 1983. This new biography is based on recent research, full access to the Burrell archive and in-depth knowledge of the collection. Sir William was a complicated and private man who shunned publicity, adored his wife, but had a tumultuous relationship with his daughter. In politics Conservative, he campaigned for better housing conditions as long as this didn’t cause further expense to the taxpayer. The authors take a candid and considered view of who William Burrell the man was, what sparked his passion for collecting, and what his gift continues to mean to the city.

Rona the Seal is looking for a singing teacher, but no one wants the job!The sea eagles fly for cover when they hear her sing, and the humpback whales dive into the deep. But then one morning she hears about the Seal Choir . . . and she realises she’s been looking in the wrong places all along. A beautifully illustrated, uplifting tale about using your voice – and finding your community.

This is a book about stories ? old stories of people and place, and of the more-than-human world.A vivid account of a journey through the Scottish Highlands, The Bone Cave follows a series of folktales and myths to the places in which they?re set. Travelling mostly on foot, and camping along the way amid some of Scotland?s most beautiful and rugged landscapes, Dougie Strang encounters a depth of meaning to the tales he tracks ? one that offers a unique perspective on place, culture, land ownership and ecological stewardship, as well as insights into his own entanglement with place.Dougie sets out on his walk at the beginning of October, which also marks the start of the red deer rut. The bellowing of stags forms the soundtrack to his journey and is a reminder that, as well as mapping invisible landscapes of story, he is also exploring the tangible, living landscape of the present.Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize

Surnames give us a sense of identity and belonging. Even in today's mobile society they can have strong links with particular areas. They are keys to our family history. And they always have an original meaning. This new collection of some 400 names, gathered from Shetland to Galloway, provides an informative and reliable  guide to Scottish surnames from Abercrombie and Abernethy to Younie and Yuill. In each case the original meaning is given, along with the original location and its first recorded appearance. Historical details of particular interest are also noted. Scottish Surnames informs, entertains and may even settle (or start) some arguments. It's an essential item for any Scottish-interest bookshelf.

Emma Propeller is trying to swerve the wreckage of her marriage. When her husband returns from rehab with a new lover, Emma bolts with her baby on a midnight train to a castle in the Scottish Highlands. A job as a live-in driver for a glamorous marchioness promises safety and the chance to reinvent herself. Everything seems to have fallen into place. But the castle is no sanctuary. Dark secrets stalk its halls, the marchioness’s behaviour spirals into the unhinged and someone, Emma suspects, is following her. She hasn’t steered herself out of danger – she’s driven straight into it. 'I completely adored this sad, quirky and funny caper . . . Full of warmth, sympathy and hard-won wisdom, this is definitely my read of the week' – Daily Mail 'An intriguing debut . . . a beguiling mash-up of domestic absurdity and psychological thriller as Emma takes the reader into her confidence with her Fleabag-esque confessional narration. We’re her co-conspirators and completely on her side, especially when her new life starts to fall apart' – The Scotsman 'This darkly delicious debut, peppered with humour, explores the trials of motherhood, and the courage it takes to steer a new course in life' – Sunday Post

A poet’s skill lies in their ability to distil complex themes into a few paragraphs; to pick out the fundamental quality in people that make us unique; they can describe nature in a way that makes us see its majesty. The poet traverses contents and political divides; they help us understand where we have come from which in turn allows us to figure out where we are going. And no one does this better than Alexander McCall Smith. He has brought – through his novels – many wonderful characters to vivid life and entertained readers all over the globe. And in his third collection of poetry, he guides the reader by the hand and takes them through time and place exploring the majestic themes of nature and the complexities of relationships and what it is that makes us human with his trademark warmth and humour.

It was the Vikings, not Christopher Columbus, who made the first European discovery of America. It was the Vikings, not the Pilgrim Fathers, who were the first Europeans settlers in America, and it was probably the Vikings who first used the name America. Around a thousand years ago the Vikings crossed the North Atlantic and established their settlements on the American continent. Yet today both Europe and North America treat the Vikings in North America as if it were no more than a curious footnote to their histories – as if the Vikings made just a handful of voyages with little impact. This book challenges this outdated view. We now know that the Vikings travelled widely in North America, both on the east coast and in the high Arctic and Hudson Bay. Today we realise that Viking presence in America lasted nearly five centuries, and its legacy inspired much of the post-Columban exploration of North America.

Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. Mollie Hughes has explored some of the wildest environments on earth, from the top of Mount Everest to the vast frozen continent of Antarctica, where at the age of 29 she skied solo from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole in a journey of over 700 miles through storm-force winds, eight-day whiteouts and temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees Celsius. With reference to her all-extreme experiences, and backed with psychological research,Breathe encompasses tales of bravery, risk and pressure on an epic scale and expertly turns them into valuable lessons that can be applied to more everyday challenges. In doing so, Mollie shows how we can unlock our potential, regulate emotion, overcome fear, cope with psychological pressure and understand the importance of silence and headspace in our mental wellbeing.