Search results for ""birlinn""

Oyster is the second collection from prize-winning Edinburgh poet Michael Pedersen. From Grez-sur-Loing and festive nights to sizzling summers stretched out in the Meadows and Portobello, Michael Pedersen’s unique brand of poetry captures a debauchery and a disputation of characters, narrated with an intense honesty and a love of language that is playful, powerful and penetrative; he vividly illuminates scenes with an energy that is both witty, humourous but also deeply intelligent. Oyster is iced, spiced, baked and beaming for your pleasure. Oyster features bespoke illustrations from Frightened Rabbit lead singer and songwriter Scott Hutchison.

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Sir Edward Leithen - perhaps the autobiographical of Buchan's characters - is dying of tuberculosis and has been given a year to live. After this prognosis, Leithen undertakes a profoundly heroic quest from London to the Canadian Northwest, tracking down a missing man who is literally 'sick at heart'. In the course of this epic journey, Leithen finds redemption for himself. Sick Heart River is John Buchan's most powerful novel, completed just days before his death. The rich, authentic descriptions of the rugged Canadian landscape were influenced by a voyage down the Mackenzie River in 1937, at which time Buchan was Governor-General of Canda. With an introduction by James Buchan. This edition is authorised by the John Buchan Society.

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On 4 June 1942 one of the most powerful figures of the Nazi regime died in agony from wounds sustained during an assassination attempt in Prague. This is the story of the killing of Reinhard Heydrich, a man of extraordinary intelligence, ruthlessness and ambition who had risen from obscurity to become head of the Nazi security police and Governor of Bohemia-Moravia. Regarded by many as Hitler’s most likely successor, he was feared and hated even by other high-ranking Nazi officials. Heydrich’s death caused shockwaves throughout the Nazi leadership, provoking ferocious reprisals against Czechs and Jews. Those who carried out the assassination were hunted down, and, trapped like rats in the cellar of a Prague church, committed suicide rather than face the certainty of torture and execution at the hands of the SS. Based on original archive material, interviews with surviving members of the Special Operations Executive, who trained the Czech assassins in the UK, and Czech military intelligence, Callum MacDonald’s book is a well-researched and gripping account of one of the most audacious assassinations of the Second World War.

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The Clearances are well known as one of the darkest periods of Highland history. Over a hundred-year period somewhere in the region of 150,000 people evicted from the land they had worked for generations; many were forced to start new lives overseas. The human cost was enormous, but there were huge consequences for the Highland economy too as the land was put to different uses.This book details the Clearances as they affected the island of Mull the Hebridean hub for the emigrant ships which left for the New World. Peter Macnab discusses the influences which changed crofting in the 18th and 19th centuries, the triggers for migration, the crofter protests, the Napier Commission of 1883 and the introduction of various laws to provide security of tenure.Having been brought up in what likely was the last poorhouse in the Hebrides, where his father was governor, Peter Macnab was able to hear directly the stories and about the cruelties suffered. This makes his book a uniquely fascinating pe

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In 1918 Lord Leverhulme bought the island of Lewis with ambitious plans to massively expand its fishing industry and increase its population. In 1923, when his plans had failed, he offered it free of charge to the islanders in two parts. One part, which included impoverished rural areas, was economically unviable. But the other, based around the busy fishing port and administrative centre of Stornoway, was a different matter. In accepting Leverhulme’s offer, the hardheaded, churchgoing business class of Stornoway took on the responsibility of making the radical slogan ‘Land for the People’ a reality. It was an unlikely coupling, but it worked to perfection. The 20th century was a tumultuous time for Lewis. Migration and depopulation were exacerbated by two world wars. Such problems could not be addressed in the lottery of private landownership, but in the stable, democratic government of the Stornoway Trust, town and country alike would weather the storms. Roger Hutchinson tells the story of those storms, and of the people who guided their pioneering estate into the relative security and prosperity of the 21st century. In doing so he paints a vivid portrait of a unique landholding experiment, of Highland land struggle and of the island of Lewis itself.

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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. The anthology, like the town, contains golfers, kids from the caravan site, students and professors, born Fifers and visitors from near and far parts of the planet. Some contributors live and work in St Andrews; others passed through some time ago; one or two, like Homer or St Andrew, never saw the place, but are linked to it regardless. 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.

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This revised and updated edition of Aileen Smart's best-selling book paints a fascinating picture of those villages north of the Clyde that helped forge Glasgow into one of Britain's most energetic and vibrant cities. Although now subsumed within Glasgow proper, these places nevertheless maintain a tremendous sense of pride and identity. Each has its own story to tell, its own heroes and villains, its own myths and traditions. Packed with intriguing detail and enhanced with numerous maps and photographs, Villages of Glasgow is a stimulating introduction to Glasgow and those communities that have formed its lifeblood over the centuries.

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This revised and updated edition of Aileen Smart's best-selling book paints a fascinating picture of those villages north of the Clyde that helped forge Glasgow into one of Britain's most energetic and vibrant cities. Although now subsumed within Glasgow proper, these places nevertheless maintain a tremendous sense of pride and identity. Each has its own story to tell, its own heroes and villains, its own myths and traditions. Packed with intriguing detail and enhanced with numerous maps and photographs, Villages of Glasgow is a stimulating introduction to Glasgow and those communities that have formed its lifeblood over the centuries.

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Every year, ten men from Ness, at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis, sail north-east for some forty miles to a remote rock called Sulasgeir. Their mission is to catch and harvest the guga; the almost fully grown gannet chicks nesting on the two hundred foot high cliffs that circle the tiny island, which is barely half a mile long. After spending a fortnight in the arduous conditions that often prevail there, they return home with around two thousand of the birds, pickled and salted and ready for the tables of Nessmen and women both at home and abroad. The Guga Hunters tells the story of the men who voyage to Sulasgeir each year and the district they hail from, bringing out the full colour of their lives, the humour and drama of their exploits. They speak of the laughter that seasons their time together on Sulasgeir, of the risks and dangers they have faced. It also provides a fascinating insight into the social history of Ness, the culture and way-of-life that lies behind the world of the Guga Hunters, the timeless nature of the hunt, and reveals the hunt's connections to the traditions of other North Atlantic countries. Told in his district's poetry and prose, English and - occasionally - Gaelic, Donald S. Murray shows how the spirit of a community is preserved in this most unique of exploits.

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At seventeen,Mairi Hedderwick took a job as a mother's help on the Isle of Coll in the Hebrides, beginning a life-long love affair with islands and their small communities.Mairi's island world is delightfully reflected in the imaginary island of Struay where her perennially popular Katie Morag stories are set. As well as creating children's books Mairi has also written and illustrated books for adults, including Highland Journey, Shetland Journey and Sea Change.

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Alistair Moffat was born and bred in the Scottish Borders. A former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Director of Programmes at Scottish Television and founder of the Borders Book Festival, he is also the author of a number of highly acclaimed books. From 2011 he was Rector of the University of St Andrews. He has written more than thirty books on Scottish history.

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Ever since the humble potato arrived from Peru around 1730 it has been a key component of the Scottish diet. In this book Liz Ashworth introduces the heritage and history of the potato and the numerous varieties available, including information on nutritional benefits, the tattie season and how to grow your own. The recipes are organized in themed sections: Breakfasts, Snacks, Soups, Traditional Favourites, Salads, Pies, Puddings, Baking and Biscuits (including gluten free), recipes from Further Afield and Drinks.In addition to basic potato dishes (boiled and steamed; mashed; roast, sauted, chips, wedges and baked), she also includes a mouth-watering selection of recipes, from Tattie Scones, Norwegian Potato Pie and Haggis Frittata to Hot Tattie Salad, Rumbledthumps, Cheese Cottage Potato Pudding and Orkney Tattie Wine.

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Scottish oats are famous the world over. In this practical and imaginative book, award-winning cookery writer Nichola Fletcher features 45 recipes which show the remarkable versatility of different kind of oats.Arranged in themed sections - breakfasts; soups and savouries; desserts and sweets and drinks - the result is a huge variety of mouthwatering recipes, from fish haggis, wild mushroom risotto and grouse soup to oatmeal candy, spiced oatmeal cake and a detox oatmeal drink, that show how oats can be combined with a vast range of other ingredients and also take centre stage themselves.

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The ultimate guide to Scotch whisky.Why does Scotch whisky taste as it does? Where do the flavours come from? How might they have changed over the years? The flavour of Scotch whisky is as much influenced by history, craft and tradition as it is by science. Whiskypedia explores these influences. Introductory sections provide an historical overview, and an explanation of the contribution made by each stage of the production process.Each entry provides a brief account of the distillery''s history and curiosities, lists the bottlings which are currently available, details how the whisky is made, and explores the flavour and character of each make.Fully revised and updated edition with new entries on the latest distilleries atPortintruan, Uile-beist,Port of Leith, Jackton, Cabrach, Dunphail and Kythe.

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Skye is a dinosaur who loves playing with her friends. When a gang of four big, bullying dinosaurs spoil the fun and chase her into the woods, Skye outwits them one by one. All except the meanest, fiercest dinosaur of all who follows her right to the top of the mountain, where Skye takes a giant leap of faith and discovers . . . she can fly!This charming story is all about being who you are, standing up for yourself and shows that everyone has hidden skills and talents.

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Alan Taylor has been a journalist for over 30 years. He was editor of the centenary editions of the collected novels of Muriel Spark and has edited several acclaimed anthologies, including The Assassin's Cloak (2000). He wrote the bestselling Appointment in Arezzo: A Friendship with Muriel Spark (2017) and also edited Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries (2022).

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Young children will love bringing to life these amazing images of Scotland's coats and seashore by brushing with water to reveal colour. Very short captions (c. 10 words) describe the various scenes.Just dip the brush (included with the book) in water and apply directly to the page to bring the illustrations to vibrant life.Contents Include:An island village * Northern Lights * Seabirds * A lighthouse * A whirlpool * A castle * Playing on the beach * Rockpools * Dolphins and seals * Windsurfing and kitesurfing * A ferry * Fishing boats * Flowers by the sea * A harbour scene * Rocky cliffs

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New from bestselling illustrator Eilidh Muldoon.Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in the country. This book includes lots of garden-themed illustrations by bestselling artist Eilidh Muldoon to colour in.From gardening tools, ponds, greenhouses, allotments and herb gardens to beehives, walled gardens, hanging baskets, garden residents such as birds, insects and hedgehogs, as well as many native plants flowers, and vegetables, there's something for everyone with green fingers in this superb and imaginative colouring book.

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Scotland has one of the richest traditions of folklore in the world, and the nation's greatest writers have been influenced by the country's abundance of customs, superstitions, ghost stories and folktales. Robert Burns, Walter Scott, James Hogg and Robert Louis Stevenson all used Scottish folklore in their work.This book traces the roots and traditions of Scottish folklore and introduces all its key parts, combining a huge range of material from gypsy-lore and Arthurian legend to tales of magical beasts, demons and witches and lore associated with the natural world.

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This notebook features a beautiful illustration of the iconic oystercatcher in its natural habitat. With cover illustrations by fine art printmaker Sarah Ross Thompson, this notebook contains blank paper, with head-and-tail bands.

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Ian Williams was foreign correspondent for Channel 4 News, based in Russia and then Asia. He then joined NBC News as Asia Correspondent. As well as reporting from China, he has also covered conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East and Ukraine. He won an Emmy and BAFTA awards for his discovery and reporting on the Serb detention camps during the war in Bosnia. He is currently a doctoral student in the War Studies department at King's College, London, focusing on cyber issues.

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MasterCheffinalist Sarah Rankin has a passion for Scottish produce and flavours and for feeding people. Being a food lover encompasses not just a passion for the ingredients themselves, but also for the seasons and weather which nurture them, and the people who tend, harvest and prepare them. Taking those ingredients and creating something delicious for those you love is the highest compliment you can pay any vegetable, beast, fish or fowl.InKith, Sarah shares stories on her family favourites, the inspirationfor her recipes, and why food is the greatest way to show your love.Kithis a collection of practical and inviting seasonal dishes, mixing the traditional and the contemporary, and celebrating the extraordinary versatility of Scotland's larder in a hundred recipes: from Grouse with beetroot and cherry, to Arbroath smokie souffle, Squash ravioli with sage butter, and Lemon posset with caramelised white chocolate and oat crumble. It also includes a section of drinks and canapes.The ch

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The northern parish of Assynt boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in Britain. The mountains of Quinag and Suilven dominate a very varied landscape with wild, white hills inland and a complex, intricate moorland to the west. Here, rocky crags, boggy flows, innumerable lochs and burns, stretch to a coast of equal variety with long fjords, high cliffs and sandy beaches. Close to many of the crofting townships are dense areas of native woodland. In this book, Robin Noble, who has been intimately involved with this corner of the north-west Highlands of Scotland his whole life, celebrates its rugged beauty and shares many intimate encounters with the resident wildlife – including, golden eagles, otters, badgers and pine martens – which surrounded his cottage in its wooded glen under the ‘long mountain’ of Quinag. Assynt is also well known for its important role in the history of community land ownership, and Robin describes too his deep involvement with those who live there. He learned much from the old generation of shepherds and crofters whom he got to know in the 1960s, as well as from their children and incomers in later decades, and shared with them the challenges of living in a remote, fragile community.

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This unique and delightful map of mainland Scotland and the Hebrides, from the collection of the National Library of Scotland, is a magnificent pictorial map of Scotland. Not just annotated with beautiful calligraphy, it also includes dozens of vignettes of famous Scottish places, from cities and towns to lochs to mountains and castles, as well as people and animals.It was originally published in 1931 by Pratts Oil, which was known as Standard Oil in the US and a few months later as Esso in the UK.1000 piece jigsaw.Irregularly shaped pieces.

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In 1922 Winston Churchill prepared to defend his parliamentary seat of Dundee in the General Election. He had represented the city since 1908, enjoyed a majority of more than 15,000 and, after five previous victories, confidently described it as a ‘life seat’. But one man had other ideas, and Churchill was in for the fight of his life. This is the story of how god-fearing teetotaller Edwin Scrymgeour fought and won an election against Britain’s most famous politician. It begins with their first electoral contest in 1908 and follows their political sparring over the next 15 years until Scrymgeour’s eventual victory in 1922, when he became the only prohibitionist ever elected to the House of Commons. As well as vividly bringing to life an extraordinary personal and political rivalry, the book also explores for the first time Churchill’s controversial relationship with Scotland, including his attitude to devolution.

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Throughout the world there exists an enduring fascination with our ancestry – who we are and where we come from. Nowhere is this more evident than with the generations of Scots who over the centuries have left their native Scotland to create a new life in the New World – North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The Scots are a remarkable race with a justifiably proud history and culture which they have successfully passed on through generations. This compact book sets out to identify the larger Scottish clan and family names, their tartans, septs (dependent family names), heraldic crests, mottos, ancestral lands and allegiances. This book features full colour photographs of each tartan as opposed to digital reproductions, allowing readers to see both the textures and patterns.

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Shortlisted for the Saltire Society First Book of the Year AwardRed kites were once Britain's most common bird of prey. By the early 1900s they''d been wiped out in Scotland and England following centuries of ruthless persecution. When some reintroduced kites began roosting on their 1,400-acre farm at Argaty in Perthshire, Tom Bowser's parents, Lynn and Niall, decided to turn their estate into a safe haven. They began feeding the birds and invited the world to come and see them, learn about them and fall in love with them.A Sky Full of Kites is the story of the Argaty Red Kite project, and the re-establishing of these magnificent raptors to Scotland, but it is also much more than that. Ill at ease with the traditional rural values of livestock farming, Lynn and Niall's son Tom, who returned to work on the farm after a career in journalism, reveals his passion for nature and his desire to dedicate his family's land to conservation.

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Scotland is famed for its rugged coastlines, pristine beaches, endless rivers and deep lochs. The whole country is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. In this unique guide, adventurer Mollie Hughes introduces many of her favourite places to paddleboard, kayak, swim and surf. Mixing world-class surfing breaks with kayaking adventures on the west coast, and urban paddleboarding along the Clyde with invigorating swims in the lochs of the Cairngorms, the book shows us how to access and enjoy these varied blue spaces. Mollie includes her own personal experiences and tips, enabling wild watersports fans of all levels to make the most of the amazing opportunities Scotland has to offer.

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The south of Scotland has a long and turbulent geological past. Perhaps most notably, it marks the place where, 432 million years ago, an ocean, once as wide as the north Atlantic, was compressed by a convergence of ancient lands and then ceased to be. Deserts covered the land with thick layers of brick-red coloured rocks, known as the Old Red Sandstone, piled up and dumped by rivers and streams that crisscrossed the area. Around 432 million years ago, violent explosive volcanic activity gave rise to the prominent landscape features recognised today as the Eildon Hills. In later geological times, the area was blanketed with massive sand dunes, later compressed to create the building stones from which Dumfries, Glasgow and other towns and cities, were constructed. It is also the place where the modern science of geology was born. James Hutton, star of the Scottish Enlightenment, found inspiration from his study of the local rocks. Sites he described almost 250 years ago are still hailed as amongst the most historic and important rock exposures to be found anywhere in the world.

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This is the ideal guide to the whole route, so rich in history and natural beauty. Designed to be used by walkers on the Path or visitors to any point along it, it introduces a wealth of castles, churches, harbours, monuments and red-roofed houses. Hamish Brown gives practical advice on all aspects of walking the Path, whether you are making a seven-day trip along its whole length or walking a short section on a Sunday afternoon. Revising his earlier guide to the route, he explores every part of the Fife coast, including the famous Forth bridges, the charming East Neuk fishing villages of Pittenweem, Elie and St Monans, as well as Anstruther, Crail and St Andrews. Along the way he provides a mass of fascinating information about people and places that can be read for pleasure and kept as the souvenir of a unique and unforgettable part of Scotland.

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'A gripping, heart-breaking account of the famine winter of 1847' - Rosemary Goring, The Herald Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize When Scotland’s 1846 potato crop was wiped out by blight, the country was plunged into crisis. In the Hebrides and the West Highlands a huge relief effort came too late to prevent starvation and death. Further east, meanwhile, towns and villages from Aberdeen to Wick and Thurso, rose up in protest at the cost of the oatmeal that replaced potatoes as people’s basic foodstuff. Oatmeal’s soaring price was blamed on the export of grain by farmers and landlords cashing in on even higher prices elsewhere. As a bitter winter gripped and families feared a repeat of the calamitous famine then ravaging Ireland, grain carts were seized, ships boarded, harbours blockaded, a jail forced open, the military confronted. The army fired on one set of rioters. Savage sentences were imposed on others. But thousands-strong crowds also gained key concessions. Above all they won cheaper food. Those dramatic events have long been ignored or forgotten. Now, in James Hunter, they have their historian. The story he tells is, by turns, moving, anger-making and inspiring. In an era of food banks and growing poverty, it is also very timely.

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'Balances detailed research with powerful storytelling to create a well-written and heart-wrenching account' - Nicole Gemine, Press and Journal Jane Haining was undoubtedly one of Scotland’s heroines. A farmer’s daughter from Galloway in south-west Scotland, Jane went to work at the Scottish Jewish Mission School in Budapest in 1932, where she was a boarding school matron in charge of around 50 orphan girls. The school had 400 pupils, most of them Jewish. Jane was back in the UK on holiday when war broke out in 1939, but she immediately went back to Hungary to do all she could to protect the children at the school. She refused to leave in 1940, and again ignored orders to flee the country in March 1944 when Hungary was invaded by the Nazis. She remained with her pupils, writing 'if these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness'. Her brave persistence led to her arrest in by the Gestapo in April 1944, for "offences" that included spying, working with Jews and listening to the BBC. She died in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz just a few months later, at the age of 47. Her courage and self-sacrifice, her choice to stay and to protect the children in her care, have made her an inspiration to many.

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The life of Robert Bruce is one of the greatest comeback stories in history. Heir and magnate, shrewd politician, briefly 'king of summer' and then a desperate fugitive who nevertheless returned from exile to recover the kingdom he claimed, Bruce became a gifted military leader and a wise statesman, a leader with vision and energy. Colm McNamee combines the most up to date scholarship on this crucial figure in the history of the British Isles with lucid explanation of the medieval context, so that readers of all backgrounds can appreciate Bruce's enormous contribution to the historical impact not just on Scotland, but on England and Ireland too. It is designed to encourage popular reassessment of Bruce as politician, warrior, monarch and saviour of Scottish identity from extinction at the hands of the Edwardian superstate. Peeling back the layers of misconception and propaganda, the author paints an accurate, sympathetic but balanced portrait of a much beloved national hero who has fallen out of fashion of late for no good reason.

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The Deeside Way is a long-distance path running for 66km (41 miles) from Aberdeen, the oil capital of Europe, to Ballater in Royal Deeside in the Cairngorms National Park. Mainly following the course of old Royal Deeside Railway line, it is suitable for cyclists as well as walkers. There is much to be seen along the Way of scenic beauty, historical interest and thriving wildlife. There are fascinating links to the Romans, to Queen Victoria and Balmoral and even to bodysnatchers! This new Guide covers all of these, with a wealth of practical information on preparation for the walk, accommodation, transport and much else. As well as describing the Way itself, Peter Evans includes six additional walks in and around Deeside, varying from short low-level walks to mountain summits.

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The Outer Hebrides lie 40 miles to the west of mainland Scotland, forming a barrier to the North Atlantic. Culturally distinct from early prehistory, the islands contain a wealth of historical and archaeological monuments, including the standing stones at Callanish, the magnificent St Clement’s church at Rodel as well as numerous brochs, castles, Pitish houses, croft houses and industrial and military buildings. In addition to descriptions of key historic sites from prehistory onwards and gazetteers covering every place of historical interest, this book also traces the development of the modern environment and landscape of the islands, enabling the visitor to appreciate the sites within their historical and cultural context.

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The earliest evidence of honey being enjoyed in Scotland dates back to 1000 years BC - an Iron-age beaker that once contained mead was found in a burial chamber in Fife. Since before history, honey has added delicacy and sweetness to the Scottish diet. Scottish honey, with its fragrances of heather, meadowsweet, clover and birch, is a unique, magical ingredient, and the Honey Bible features a host of easy-to-prepare recipes drawing on this wonderful resource. Liz Ashworth introduces us to its versatility from dishes as varied as Medieval sweet pickled salmon and honey-spiced beetroot, to the delectable cranachan and more contemporary chocolate honey fudge cake. Prepared in collaboration with one of the UK's oldest and largest honey farms, Chain Bridge in the Borders, this book draws on the experience and traditions of generations of skilled beekeepers and Scottish cooks in the use of this quintessentially natural and organic food. Chain Bridge honey farm is a flourishing family business started by beekeeping advisor William Selby Robson in 1948. Specialising in natural honey products they produce everything from honeycombs to beeswax candles.

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An ancient and long-extinct volcano lies at the heart of Scotland's capital. It roared into life some 350 million years ago and has been a source of fascination since it was first studied in earnest during the Enlightenment by James Hutton, one of the most significant geologists of all time. Many of Hutton's ground-breaking ideas of how the world works were predicated on the rocks and landscapes of his home city and surrounding area. This book is a fascinating exploration into Edinburgh's geological history over millions of years - including the passage of ice during a great freeze that has left an indelible stamp on Edinburgh's cityscape, the use rocks quarried locally from ancient, now long disappeared seas to create the stunning elegance of Edinburgh's New Town, and the coal deposits and oil shale which were exploited from the Industrial Revolution to the present day.

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A postcard-sized version of Debi Gliori's bestselling book. The ideal gift, featuring the whole of the original Tobermory Cat. Just put a stamp on it and post it! In the village of Tobermory, on the Scottish island of Mull, lives a very special ginger cat. But once upon a time he didn't think he was special at all - not like the woolly cats of Loch Ba, the singing cats of Staffa or the fishing cats of Fishnish. But now everyone knows about him. He's the cat who has become a legend in his own lifetime by simply being himself. He's the cat who dances on top of the fish van; the cat who speaks to otters; the cat who drives the big yellow digger; the cat who rides on top of cars. He's the Tobermory Cat.

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Cairngorms: A Secret History is a series of journeys exploring barely known human and natural stories of the Cairngorm Mountains. It looks at a unique British landscape, its last great wilderness, with new eyes. History combines with travelogue in a vivid account of this elemental scenery. There have been rare human incursions into the Cairngorm plateau, and Patrick Baker tracks them down. He traces elusive wildlife and relives ghostly sightings on the summit of Ben Macdui. From the search for a long-forgotten climbing shelter and the locating of ancient gem mines, to the discovery of skeletal aircraft remains and the hunt for a mysterious nineteenth-century aristocratic settlement, he seeks out the unlikeliest and most interesting of features in places far off the beaten track. The cultural and human impact of this stunning landscape and reflections on the history of mountaineering are the threads which bind this compelling narrative together.

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In the village of Tobermory, on the Scottish island of Mull, lives a very special ginger cat. But once upon a time he didn't think he was special at all - not like the woolly cats of Loch Ba, the singing cats of Staffa, or the fishing cats of Fishnish. In the village of Tobermory, on the Scottish island of Mull, lives a very special ginger cat. But once upon a time he didn't think he was special at all - not like the woolly cats of Loch Ba, the singing cats of Staffa or the fishing cats of Fishnish. But now everyone knows about him. He's the cat who has become a legend in his own lifetime by simply being himself. He's the cat who dances on top of the fish van; the cat who speaks to otters; the cat who drives the big yellow digger; the cat who rides on top of cars. He's the Tobermory Cat.

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It’s 1943 and the war has brought rationing to the Hebridean islands of Great and Little Todday. When food is in short supply, it is bad enough, but when the whisky runs out, it looks like the end of the world. Morale is at rock bottom. George Campbell needs a wee dram to give him the courage to stand up to is mother and marry Catriona. The priest, the doctor and, of course, the landlord at the inn are all having a very thin time of it. There’s no conversation, no jollity, no fun – until a shipwreck off the coast brings a piece of extraordinary good fortune …

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Samuel Johnson’s Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and James Boswell’s Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides are widely regarded as among the best pieces of travel writing ever produced. Johnson and Boswell spent the autumn of 1773 touring Scotland as far west as the islands of Skye, Raasay, Coll, Mull, Ulva, Inchkenneth and Iona. Highly readable, often profound, and at times very funny, their accounts of the ‘jaunt’ are above all a valuable record of a society undergoing rapid change. In this pioneering new edition, Ronald Black brings together the two men’s starkly contrasting accounts of each of the thirteen stages of the journey. He also restores to Boswell’s text 20,000 words from his journal which were denied entry to his book because they were intimate, defamatory, or about the islands rather than Johnson. The endnotes incorporate Boswell’s footnotes, translations of Latin passages, a clear summary of pre-existing information on the two texts, and a fresh focus on what the two men actually found on their trip. To the Hebrides also includes contemporary prints by Thomas Rowlandson, seventeen new maps and a comprehensive index.

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Vegan recipe developer Jackie Jones provides a huge selection of recipes for deliciously vegan versions of classic Scottish as well as newly designed dishes using healthy ingredients and cooking techniques, including braising, sprouting and steaming. This book includes wholesome vegan versions of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, Scotch Broth and scrumptious Cranachan, as well as advice on using Scottish seasonal fruit and vegetables to create healthy and delicious dishes such as Calcium Super Salad, Spring-In-Your-Step Veggie Burger and Very Berry and Beet Smoothie. Other recipes include Broad Bean Soup with Bannocks, Buckwheat, Carrot and Apple Salad, Braised Celeriac and Haricot Beans with Hazelnut Crust, and Sticky Toffee, Pear and Ginger Pudding. From easy brunch recipes through appetisers, hearty main courses and indulgent puddings, The Scottish Vegan Cookbook has them all – many illustrated with beautiful photographs and accompanied by nutritional tips as well as information about Scotland’s culinary history.

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English Rugby 101 is a compendium of fascinating facts, stats, stories, personalities and trivia - perfect for all fans of English rugby. From the very first Test match against Scotland in 1871 all the way through to the present day, England's rugby's rich history is distilled into 101 facts, stats and stories. This entertaining volume is an instructive, if sometimes irreverent - but always affectionate - guide to some of the groundbreaking firsts, controversies, innovations, characters, achievements and disasters that have taken place in at Twickenham and around the world. Whether an expert or a novice, this is the perfect companion for those who follow the exploits of the red-rose warriors on the field and love to bask in light of their glorious (and sometimes inglorious) past.

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At the bottom of a sharply descending street in the topographical sense in Edinburgh's Georgian New Town, new residents have moved in to number 44 Scotland Street, joining the already well-known and much-loved denizens of that remarkable building. They appear to be a bit of a mystery, but so, too, do other things. What exactly did Sister Maria-Fiore, the aphorism-coining socialite nun, find on the No. 23 bus? Could it be the remains of a hitherto unknown Neanderthal, homo Watsoniensis?On the romantic front, long-suffering Stuart's hopes of kindling a new relationship are dashed, thanks to chino-wearing narcissist Bruce, effortlessly exercising his powers of charm. The Promised Land beckons for Bertie who is off to Glasgow for a school exchange that takes him doon the watter. Back in Edinburgh, the Duke of Johannesburg's desire to learn a new language, involving his Gaelic-speaking driver Padruig, has gone horribly wrong; to be immersed in a language, it seems, can be a captivating li

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After a terrible storm, the Kingdom of Birds is looking for a leader. Will it be the bird with the loveliest song, or the brightest plumage? The fastest in the air, or underwater? The bird who flies highest, or those who stick together and work as a team? All across the sky, birds are flocking together. Nightingales and robins, barn owls and blackbirds. The eagle, the flamingo, the birds of the moor. Curlews and cuckoos and herons and hoopoes. And Wee Jenny Wren. Let the contest begin!

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