Search results for ""luath press ltd""

The story of the Rising is still being told, and in these pages the reader will find much to ponder, much to discuss, and much to disagree with. From the Introduction by Kirsty Lusk and Willy Maley On Easter Monday 1916, leaders of a rebellion against British rule over Ireland proclaimed the establishment of an Irish Republic. Lasting only six days before surrender to the British, this landmark event nevertheless laid the foundations for Ireland’s violent path to Independence. It is little known that James Connolly, one of the rebellion’s leaders, was born in Edinburgh’s Cowgate, at the time nicknamed ‘Little Ireland’, or that another key figure in the events of Easter 1916 was a young woman from Coatbridge, Margaret Skinnider. These and other surprising Scottish connections are explored in Scotland and the Easter Rising, as Kirsty Lusk and Willy Maley gather together a rich grouping of writers, journalists and academics to examine, for the first time, the Scottish dimension to the events of 1916 and its continued resonance in Scotland today. Featuring a mix of fiction, memoir, poetry and essays, this book provides a thought-provoking and necessary negotiation of historical and contemporary Irish-Scottish relations, and explores the Easter Rising’s intersections with other movements, from Women’s Suffrage to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum.

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The Celtic belief that by recording a story the spirit of the story and its teller would die, has meant that generations worth of stories of have been lost. Celtic Sea Stories brings together myths and legends from the past, which the author has collected throughout his lifetime, along with others written specifically for the collection, to provide an enchanting vision of Scottish life by the sea. From kings and fairies to mermaids and witches every tale explores a different aspect of a forgotten way of life. Before schools and television storytelling was the only way to entertain, impart wisdom and explain the inexplicable. Celtic Sea Stories allows readers to share in the storytelling experience again and again, while learning about Scottish history and culture.

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A thought-provoking and heart-warming book that challenges the assumptions that we are to remain helpless when concerned with dementia, incorporating interviews and opinions from those with the disease and their carers.

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This work is an account of the pioneering days of hydro-electricity in Scotland. It shows how each hydro project brought its own set of technical challenges, underlining the remarkable engineering achievements involved in bringing hydro-electric power to the wild glens of the Scottish Highlands. It concludes by looking at the future of hydro-electric power worldwide. Is hydro-electric power the sustainable technology of choice in a new century already riven with ecological angst.

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The first English edition of acclaimed French biography of Leonard Cohen. Christophe Lebold unveils Leonard Cohen's enigmatic journey exploring love, faith and existentialism. Through meticulous research and personal encounters, Lebold transcends biography, delving into Cohen's mission to illuminate life's shadows. This book captivates and inspires, inviting readers into life's complexities and darkest corners.

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McMillan's Galloway, a witty and irreverent look at contemporary Dumfries and Galloway, provides a suitably individualistic snapshot of a place which operated for so long as an independent entity completely separate from its neighbours, Scotland and England. McMillan takes us on a rollicking tour from the Mull of Galloway to Langholm, through land once shrouded in myth and populated by warriors, emigrants, fairies and liars, rooting out the truth and the fiction and frequently confusing them.

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David Amess has been at the heart of British politics for over 37 years. He has witnessed unprecedented changes in technology, the economy, parliamentary procedure, the state of the Union and the European Union. In Ayes & Ears he reviews the major scandals and events of this time and reveals the inner workings of Britain's most important institution. David opens up the world of Westminster for us to explore, to wonder at the historic traditions and to examine the myraid changes which have taken place over the last few decades.

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Set in Edinburgh in 1690. The body of a wealthy merchant is discovered in his home in the city centre. Was his killing the result of a robbery gone wrong? The vicious mode of his death seems to suggest otherwise. Scotland is in upheaval as political and religious tensions boil, and there is mystery concealed behind the walls of Van Diemen's Land. MacKenzie and Scougall investigate.

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Part of a series of guides following key figures and themes, Walter Stephen explores the life and theories of the Scottish biologist, sociologist, geographer, philanthropist and urban planner, Sir Patrick Geddes. His renewal work in Edinburgh’s Old Town is as visible and impressive today as it was in the 19th and 20th centuries and his concepts such as ‘Think Global, Act Local’ are just as relevant. The author is an authority on Patrick Geddes and this book forms part of the On the Trail series.

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Inveraray, Oban, Kintyre, Glencoe, Loch Awe, Loch Lomond, Appin, Islay - all the glories of Argyll are described in this book. From Dumbarton to Campletown and north to Loch Etive there is a great wealth of beauty unmatched in Scotland. It is a quiet and lonely land, a land still unspoiled, a land of history and legend, a land of unsurpassed glory. Tom Atkinson describes it all, writing with deep insight into the land he loves. There could be no better guide to its beauties and history. Once Atkinson has taken you there, these lands can never feel lonely.

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I confess that I am a witch. I have sold myself body and soul unto Satan. My mother took me to the Blinkbonny Woods where we met other witches. I put a hand on the crown of my head and the other on the sole of my foot. I gave everything between unto him.Scotland, late seventeeth century. A young woman is accused of witchcraft. Tortured with pins and sleep deprivation, she is using all of her the Scottish witch-hunt began.Probably more than a thousand men and women were exectued for witchcraft before the frenzy died down. When Edinburgh-based Advocate John MacKenzie and his assistant Davie Scougall investigate the suspicious death of a woman denounced as a witch, they find themselves in a village overwhelmed by superstition, resentment and puritanical religion. In a time of spiritual, political and social upheaval, will reason allow MacKenzie to reveal the true evil lurking in the town, before the witch-hunt claims yet another victim?

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Life dealt Mary Queen of Scots love, intensity, betrayal and tragedy in generous measure. On the Trail of Mary Queen of Scots traces the major events in the turbulent life of the beautiful, enigmatic queen whose romantic reign and tragic destiny exerts an undimmed fascination. Here is the essential guide to over 200 Mary Queen of Scots sites of interest in Scotland, England and France. It is fully illustrated with maps and plans and clearly shows the best tour routes, region by region. Sites to visit in Scotland include: Linlithgow Palace - Mary''s birthplace, now a magnificent ruin.; Stirling Castle - where, only nine months old, Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland; The Palace of Holyrood House - Rizzio, one of Mary''s many lovers, was murdered here - some say his blood still stains the spot where he was stabbed to death; and Fotheringay - after 16 years'' imprisonment, Mary met her death on the executioner''s block.

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In this collection of essays, each of the authors draw inspiration from the words of Keir Hardie, exploring the context of his writing and the lasting legacy of his work, demonstrating the continuing relevance to the present day. The writers are from different backgrounds and countries but come together because they recognise that Keir Hardie has so much to contribute in their areas of interest and that his writings and speeches are a source of inspiration today.

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George Orwell left post-war London for Barnhill, a remote farmhouse on the Isle of Jura, to write what became Nineteen Eighty-Four. He was driven by a passionate desire to undermine the enemies of democracy and make plain the dangers of dictatorship, surveillance, doublethink and censorship.Typing away in his damp bedroom overlooking the garden he curated and the sea beyond, he invented Big Brother, Thought Police, Newspeak and Room 101 – and created a masterpiece.Barnhill tells the dramatic story of this crucial period of Orwell’s life. Deeply researched, it reveals the private man behind the celebrated public figure – his turbulent love life, his devotion to his baby son and his declining health as he struggled to deliver his dystopian warning to the world.

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More than just a travel guide, The Call of the Mountains is a lyrical testament to the power of the Scottish mountains to offer anyone of reasonable fitness either simple enjoyment or a deeper journey of transformation. From the pinnacles of Skye to the rolling plateau of the Cairngorms; from the flanks of Ben Lomond to the Pass of Glencoe; from the summit of Ben Nevis to far away Ben Hope – these lands can be your gymnasiums, your art galleries and your sacred spaces all in one. Based on 1,000 miles of trekking across these mountains, this book shows you: • Where to find the best views • How geology, history, culture, flora and fauna have shaped these mountainscapes • How engagement with these lands can nurture your spirit, as well as your body and mind

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This annual celebration of the life and works of the poet Robert Burns is held in Scotland and across the globe around the anniversary of the poet’s birthday in the form of a convivial dinner with particular, some may say peculiar, ritual traditions. Robert Burns: Scotland’s national poet.Burns Supper: the celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns, on or around his birthday on 25 January every year. When the Reverend Hamilton Paul agreed to arrange the first anniversary dinner for Robert Burns’ patrons and friends in July 1801, he began a tradition that quite soon became a global celebration. Over two hundred years later, Burns Suppers are held all over the world to commemorate the life and work of a poet beloved wherever people celebrate life, love and liberty. From its beginning with nine Scotsmen in Burns Cottage, to today, where over nine million people join in the Burns Supper festivities, from the USA to Russia, Australia to China, and somewhere near you. The long and happy story of Burns Night is explored in this history of the annual event which has been called ‘the biggest party in the world’.

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Paolozzi at Large in Edinburgh is an art book introducing the Scottish-Italian artist, Eduardo Paolozzi, to as wide an audience as possible: his pan-European vision; his eclecticism; his hybrid identity; his erudition; his modernity. This book focuses on twelve pieces of Paolozzi’s work – his major pieces in Edinburgh, the city where he was raised. Paolozzi’s work was often informed by his voracious reading and he used text in his creations. Each piece will therefore also be linked to a response poem by the former Edinburgh Makar, Christine De Luca.

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Scotia Extremis brings together a gallimaufry of poets to take a sideways look at what makes - and makes up - Scotland by examining the country's 'icons'. Featuring specially commissioned works by the National Makar Jackie Kay, plus acclaimed poets including Robert Crawford, Imtiaz Dharker, Douglass Dunn, Vicki Feaver, John Glenday and almost 100 more, all are tasked with probing extremes.Each brace of contrasting poems tackles the extremities of the nation's culture by looking obliquely at 'icons' at opposite poles to each other. From Laphroaig versus Buckfast, to Oor Wullie against Black Bob, to Jimmy Shand meeting Jack Bruce, and Cullen Skink taking on Irn-Bru, these vivid and varied poems bring to life the people, places and motifs that form the complex and contradictory soul of Scotland.

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Did I only dream about Archie Gemmill scoring one of the greatest goals ever in beating Holland 3-2 in the 1978 World Cup? Did Jim Baxter really play ‘keepie uppie’ and torment the life out of the weary World Cup winners England in 1967? Were Celtic really the first British team to win the European Cup? Have we obsessives become untethered from reality? Are we hanging on to a world real or imaginary, where football dominated our lives to such an extent that it ‘was more than a game’, indeed ‘more important than life itself’? Has my natural childhood football environment and each of its overlapping parts – cultural, religious, identity, class, political, intellectual, psychological, sociological, philosophical and, sadly, tribal – created the conditions for distorted and highly selective lapses of memory and reality? I don’t think so. In this personal and thought-provoking book, former footballer and First Minister Henry McLeish examines his own and his country’s dysfunctional relationship with football. Read this book and rethink your own relationship with the beautiful game in the country that took it to the world.

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Meet Bus Pass Barbara and Bus Pass Molly. Since they first met in Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station, they have been using their bus passes to explore new parts of Scotland they never dreamed they’d see. As they travel the country, they encounter crotchety drivers, snooty passengers and potentially eligible men, while saving weddings from catastrophes and walkers from sprained ankles. With a combination of both caustic wisecracking and cheeky humour, the Bus Pass Girls quickly become fast friends and travel companions as they navigate their way across the country.

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2017 saw Catalonia come under the world’s spotlight as it again fought for independence and the preservation and protection of its unique Catalan culture. Answering the questions and complications behind the fight for Catalonian Independence, this book is a detailed guide to the region’s political, historical and cultural issues. For the layman as well as the expert, it takes the reader through the rich history of Catalonia – its language, culture and political background – to the present day, covering defining eras of the region from Franco’s dictatorship to the 2017 independence referendum and elections.

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WINNER OF THE 2017 SALTIRE SOCIETY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD A face is nothing without its history. Gavin and Emma live in Manhattan. She’s a musician. He works in Artificial Intelligence. He’s good at his job. Scarily good. He’s researching human features to make more realistic mask-bots – non-human ‘carers’ for elderly people. When his enquiry turns personal he’s forced to ask whether his own life is an artificial mask. Delving into family stories and his roots in the Highlands of Scotland, he embarks on a quest to discover his own true face, ‘uniquely sprung from all the faces that had been’. He returns to England to look after his Grampa. Travels. Reads old documents. Visits ruins. Borrows, plagiarises and invents. But when Emma tells him his proper work is to make a story out of glass and steel, not memory and straw, which path will he choose? What’s the best story he can give her? A novel about the struggle for freedom and personal identity; what it means to be human. It fuses the glass and steel of our increasingly controlled algorithmic world with the memory and straw of our forebears’ world controlled by traditions and taboos, the seasons and the elements.

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The last few years have seen a Scottish independence referendum, a couple of General Elections and a vote on whether or not we should remain in the European Union. Throw in two uncompromising Labour leadership battles at UK level and a couple in Scotland, and it would be true to say that nothing less than a political whirlwind has swept through the corridors of the Scottish Parliament since it ‘reconvened’ in 1999. Following the turbulent six years for which Neil Findlay has been a member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian, Socialism & Hope tracks the highs and lows of his personal and political life. From standing in the 2014 election to become the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, to acting as Jeremy Corbyn’s Scottish campaign chief in the 2015 and 2016 leadership elections, Neil’s political career has been tireless and active. This book, described by Jeremy Corbyn as ‘an honest, frank and challenging – as well as humorous of course – account of his time […] at the forefront of Scottish politics’, also includes Neil’s inside view on the events of the 2014 Scottish Referendum and the rise of a more socialist Labour Party. With its entertaining narrative, it provides unprecedented and personal insights from within the political sphere itself. As well as surveying the past few years of political tumult, Socialism & Hope also looks forward to envision a society transformed by a revitalised Labour movement.

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The hidden controversy and heartbreak behind Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is revealed in this fascinating work of literary detection. What was the real reason Robert Louis Stevenson dedicated his dark masterpiece to his cousin Katharine de Mattos? Why was Katharine’s own tale of duality published under a pseudonym? When Fanny Stevenson ‘stole’ another story idea from Katharine, why did RLS explode with Hydelike rage at the cousin for whom he had once been ‘the one that loves you – Jekyll, and not Hyde’? Featuring the full text of Katharine’s tale of duality, Fanny’s stolen story and another tale revealing Katharine’s grief at losing her cousin’s love forever, Mrs Jekyll & Cousin Hyde sheds new light on one of the greatest Victorian authors.

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The distinctive blend of emotions and responses each landscape stirs up are echoed in stories filtered through the voices of storytellers, the pens of poets and historians, and the tools of artists and crafters. We hope you will experience these too, as you journey with us through the landscape. The popular Journeys and Evocations series continues with the fourth instalment Travelling the Tweed Dales, an exploration of the Scottish Borders. Six journeys take the reader from Eildon Hills to Tweeddale, from Kelso to Gala Water, Ettrick and Teviotdale. The long history of the Borders and their unique culture is evoked through key personalities, events, stories and folklore. Complete with driving instructions and directions, the book is a travelogue, expressed through story, poetry and song, set against the landscape, in a previously unexplored way. Whether by foot, bike, bus, armchair or car, this book is your perfect travelling companion. Previous Journeys and Evocations books focused on Scotland’s capital city, exploring Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill and Edinburgh Old Town.

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‘Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on.’ - Hamilton, Scotland, 3 November 1967 A young couple, married only one day, join a group of eager SNP supporters in the early morning of the by-election to gather last minute votes around Hamilton. Journalists scrap pre-recorded interview answers in the middle of the night as they do not adequately convey the political event that would transform Scottish politics thereafter. Instead, a 17-year-old is sent out to collect responses that better capture the tremendous political upset that has just occurred. ‘Winnie Wins by a Mile!’ was splashed across the Hamilton Advertiser’s front page. This book details the political history and moments leading up to the election of the SNP’s Winnie Ewing and the profound effect her success has had on the political landscape of Scotland and the UK since. Professor James Mitchell of the University of Edinburgh provides an insightful examination of the different factors that contributed to Ewing and the SNP’s 1967 success. Through interviews with and surveys of SNP members, archival research and trawling through contemporary sources, Mitchell presents a multi-layered understanding of this crucial turning point in Scottish politics. This watershed by-election was transformative for the SNP and for Scotland. In the increasingly turbulent waters of contemporary politics, Hamilton 1967 provides a necessary historical context to assist in one’s navigation of the political landscape today.

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The unexpected outcome of the 2017 UK general election means that the UK Government lacks a clear mandate on Brexit and also that the Scottish Government lacks a clear mandate on holding a second Independence Referendum consequent to the material change in circumstance which will be brought about by Brexit. We are in for a bumpy, unpredictable ride, one with profound consequences for the people of Scotland and the UK. In this collection of essays from a wide range of leading political specialists, journalists and academics, Hassan and Gunson have assembled a comprehensive guide to Brexit for the UK as a whole, and its constituent parts. From fisheries and agriculture to higher education and law, the whys and how of Brexit are challenged from all angles. Particular attention is paid to how Brexit will impact Scotland and the viability of a future independent Scotland.

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In the summer of 2011, Gilbert Johnson, an Edinburgh antiquarian bookseller suffering from cancer who has only ever travelled via books before, decides to make one big journey while he is still fit enough – to British Columbia on the trail of an early settler he believes may have been his runaway grandfather, a man who went on to become important in the embryonic ‘Indian Rights’ movement of the 20th century. Flying over the Rocky Mountains he meets a fellow passenger, a Canadian woman, so beginning a relationship that ultimately carries the two of them deep into the interior of the province. macCLOUD FALLS is both an exploration of the Scottish colonisation of B.C., and a roadtrip romance full of humour, rich characters and incident in the shadow of impending death.

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The Nordic countries have a veritable smörgåsbord of relationships with the European Union, from in to out to somewhere in between. So, what does that mean for Scotland? Well, somewhere in this incredible diversity of relationships with Europe is an arrangement that’s likely to be good for Scotland too – strangely enough, maybe more than one. Inside or outside the UK, Scotland wants to keep trade and cultural links with Europe – that much is clear. But is the EU really the best club in town for an independent Scotland? Or would Scots benefit from ‘doing a Norway’ – joining the halfway house of the EEA and keeping the Single Market but losing the troublesome Common Fisheries and Agriculture Policies? Would an independent Scotland need the support and shelter of another union – or could the nation stand alone like the tiny Faroes or Iceland? These tough questions have already been faced and resolved by five Nordic nations and their autonomous territories within the last 40 years. Perhaps there’s something for Scotland to learn? The unique combination of personal experience and experts’ insights give this book its hands-on character: pragmatic and thought-provoking, challenging and instructive, full of amazing stories and useful comparisons, enriching the debates about Scotland’s post-Brexit future as a Nordic neighbour. Scotland’s response to Britain’s divided Brexit vote has been positively Nordic – Scots expect diversity and empowerment to be entirely possible – whilst Westminster’s reaction has been decidedly British. One singer – one song. One deal for everyone – end of. Lesley Riddoch Of course, the majority of Nordic nations are eu members. But perhaps the eea is a closer fit for Scotland? Perhaps, too, a viable halfway house option would boost support for Scottish independence? Especially since Holyrood may not automatically retrieve powers from Europe post Brexit. Paddy Bort

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On 25 May 1967 Celtic beat Inter Milan 2–1 to become the first British team to win the European Cup. Fifty years on, The Lions of Lisbon relives the jubilation from the fans’ point of view.

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'S dòcha dìreach gur e ceist ùine, neo tìm, a bha sin: nam biodh barrachd ùine air a bhith againn, na bhiodh sinn air a dhèanamh 's a choilionadh còmhla. An saoghal a bhiodh sinn air a dhealbh. Nam biodh gràdh da-rìreabh againn air a chèile, cha bhiodh sinn air dealachadh. B’ e samhradh fada teth a bh’ ann... chunnaic iad a chèile air aiseag, ach bho nach do bhruidhinn iad, tha cianalas is aithreachas a’ gabhail greim. Ann an sgrìobhadh àlainn ealanta tha An Nighean air an Aiseig gar toirt air ais gu samhraidhean gaoil ann am Muile, an Uibhist is eile.

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The bite of the tsetse fly - a burning sting into the skin - causes a descent into violent fever and aching pains. Severe bouts of insomnia are followed by mental deterioration, disruption of the nervous system, coma and ultimately death.Sleeping sickness, also known as Human African trypanosomiasis, is one of Africa's major killers. It puts 60 million people at risk of infection, occurs in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and claims the lives of many thousands of people every year. Transmitted by the tsetse fly, trypanosomiasis affects both humans and cattle. The animal form of the disease severely limits livestock production and farming, and in people the toxic effects of the treatment for the brain disease can be as painful and dangerous as the disease itself. Existing in the shadow of malaria and AIDS, it is an overlooked disease, ignored by pharmaceutical companies and largely neglected by the western world.Peter Kennedy has devoted much of his working life to researching sleeping sickness in Africa, and his autobiographical account shares not only his trials and experiences, evoking our empathy with the affected patients, but an explanation of the disease, including its history and its future. Interwoven with African geography, his compassionate story reveals what it is like to be a young doctor falling in love with Africa, and tells of his building of a vocation in the search for a cure for this cruel disease.

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Fionn Cycle: A loose collection of tales originating in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man which surround hunter-warrior leader Fionn, his band of men and his poet son, Ossian. Old Grey Magician: A mystical, morally ambivalent figure who appears throughout Celtic mythology; in Ireland he is the Dark Druid, and often he appears as a seabird. The shapeshifting sorcerer is a thorn in Fionn’s side, solving impossible problems but always asking too much in return. George W Macpherson has been telling the traditional tales of Fionn and the Fianna for years, artfully drawing in audiences with his storytelling talent. Gathered from sources all over the country and occasionally beyond, and collected here for the first time, the Old Grey Magician’s exploits offer a fascinating insight into the traditions of Scotland and the development of oral storytelling. Introduced and situated in physical and literary history by Donald Smith, this collection reminds us of the importance of retaining the stories that shaped us.

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This new collection of work from Tessa Ransford is marked out by an authentic and unique voice, honed through a lifetime of dedication to her art. The cover photograph shows the author in 1981 when she founded the School of Poets in Edinburgh.

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We heard it was shutting on the first day that it got occupied when we saw all the police and the commotion. We used to come down and support the people who were occupying it. It was an excellent feeling. You felt like you were at home, you felt wanted and loved. United We Will Swim commemorates the centenary of Govanhill Baths and tells its fascinating story – past, present and future. Made up of newly commissioned essays, these explore the architecture of the building, the Baths’ role as a community health and wellbeing provision and its evolving relationship with the changing community of Govanhill. The essays go on to give an account of the community occupation and the campaign to save the pool from closure, reflections on the Baths’ engagement with the arts, details of the newly established community archive, as well as laying out the dynamic plans for the future of the building. The essays are interspersed with personal memories from users of the Baths and a wealth of photographs of the building, the people and items from the archive. United We Will Swim documents the rich, diverse and inspiring story of Govanhill Baths and the community it serves.

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The twelve stories in Letting Go take us on a journey through landscape, language and turbulent times, from the mid-19th century to the present day, and into the future. Stevenson’s array of characters from many walks of life and nationalities – including a traveller, a wood carver, chicken farm workers, a nurse, an architect and a magician – meet and part, some becoming reacquainted. Themes exploring identity, creativity and the environment, echo and connect throughout the different narratives, sometimes carried in snatches of song. The author leads us outward from her native Scottish Borders to Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Gàidhealtachd, south to England, across the Atlantic to Apartheid South Africa and, finally, to the melting Arctic.

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What do we mean by ‘Scottish literature’? Why does it matter? How do we engage with it? Bringing infectious enthusiasm and a lifetime’s experience to bear on this multi-faceted literary nation, Alan Riach, Professor of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, sets out to guide you through the varied and ever-evolving landscape of Scottish literature. A comprehensive and extensive work designed not only for scholars but also for the generally curious, Scottish Literature: an introduction tells the tale of Scotland’s many voices across the ages, from Celtic pre-history to modern mass media. Forsaking critical jargon, Riach journeys chronologically through individual works and writers, both the famed and the forgotten, alongside broad overviews of cultural contexts which connect texts to their own times. Expanding the restrictive canon of days gone by, Riach also sets down a new core body of ‘Scottish Literature’: key writers and works in English, Scots, and Gaelic.Ranging across time and genre, Scottish Literature: an introduction invites you to hear Scotland through her own words.

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Every single person in Scotland has some kind of stake in the effectiveness of the nation’s schools, so in writing this book my goal was to explain the intricacies and inconsistencies of the system, and to explore its strengths and weaknesses, in a way that would make sense to as many people as possible. How much do we really know about the state of Scottish education? Why do inequalities continue to dictate the school experiences of children across the country? What can be done to address the problems in the school system? James McEnaney does what he claims pundits and politicians cannot or will not do… tell the truth about Scottish schools. Class Rules makes the key issues and information surrounding Scotland’s education system accessible to all. McEnaney delves into the successes and failures of the Curriculum for Excellence, interrogates the rhetoric around closing the ‘attainment gap’ between the richest and poorest pupils, and considers the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Most importantly, this book also looks to the future to ask what changes can be made to improve the system for young people across the country, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of schools in Scotland.

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About this Book Saoil càit an d’ fhuair a màthair am prògram seo? Cha b' ann bhuaipse a thàinig e... Air latha gruamach, geamhradail ann an 1997, am measg leabhraichean a màthar nach maireann, tha Màiri a’ lorg prògram airson cuirm shònraichte a ghabh àite ann an Glaschu, 1965. Fhad ’s a tha i a’ cur sùil air, tha cuimhneachain làidir a’ tilleadh thuice air na h-atharrachaidhean uile a thachair anns an teaghlach agus na beatha fhèin nuair a bha i air stairsneach inbheachd. Ciad ghaol. Tinneas. Imrich, an-fhois, dìomhaireachd is dùbhlain. Agus a’ fàs neo-eisimeileach ann an dòigh nach robh dùil idir aice. Seo a’ chiad nobhail bho ùghdar Dìleab Cholbhasach, agus Cuibhle an Fhortain a bha air geàrr-liosta Duais Chomann Gàidhealach Lunnainn 2020 airson an leabhar ficsein as fheàrr. On a bleak winter’s day in 1997, Màiri finds an old concert-programme amongst her late mother’s effects. As she turns the pages it rekindles powerful memories of events in her own life – and that of her family – at that particular time, when she was twelve years old and still living on Skye. First love. Uncertainty. Illness. Secrecy. Changes and challenges. And finally, finding a new independence which she could never have foreseen. This is the first novel for the author of ‘Dìleab Cholbhasach’, and ‘Cuibhle an Fhortain’ shortlisted in the best fiction category for the Gaelic Society of London prize.

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‘If the Waverley sank right now and I wanted to swim to the nearest land, how far would that be?’ ‘About a hundred yards, sur.’ ‘Amazing. Which way?’ ‘Down!' True ‘Glesca’ humour and history combined, Kerryoans up the Clyde! recounts the adventures of a vessel full of character with a captain to match: Morrison’s Waverley and ‘Big Lizzie’ are each as formidable and inalienably Scottish as the other. Morrison captures the charmingly unique spirit of the last of the Clyde’s paddle steamers as well as the facts of its history. Full of playful tales, many a chuckle and the quirky illustrations of Bob Dewar, you’re sure to find something that floats your boat!

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Bubbles offer a lens through which to view the world, a rainbow-esque diffraction through which whatever is on the other side of them is visible, yet transformed. Bubbles is Laura Bissell’s compelling and honest account of her early experiences of motherhood, a journey that began in September 2018 with the birth of her daughter and which was, just over a year later, interrupted by the onset of coronavirus and the national lockdowns and global devastation that followed. Insightful and personal, Bubbles considers womanhood, motherhood and reflects on what it means to become a mother. Bissell also explores the intimate yet isolating experience of parenting in a ‘bubble’ with a small child during a pandemic, and the challenges for families as family networks and support systems became suddenly inaccessible. Bissell invites us to witness her transformation from non-mother to mother, as well as her perception of the ways in which the world has been and is likely to continue to be transformed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A collection of 100 favourite Gaelic poems and songs - love poems and hymns, sea ditties and war poems, lullabies and elegies - many translated into English for the first time. Selected by Peter Mackay and Jo MacDonald, and including public nominations, these poems give a multi-layered taste of the full richness of Gaelic literature from the Middle Ages to the present day. Cruinneachadh de 100 dan agus oran Gaidhlig de dh'iomadh seorsa agus o iomadh linn - nam measg bardachd gaoil agus laoidhean, orain mara agus orain cogaidh, talaidhean agus marbhrainn. Air an taghadh le Padraig MacAoidh agus Jo NicDhomhnaill, le molaidhean an t-sluaigh, tha an cruinneachadh seo a' toirt blasad de shar-bheartas litreachas na Gaidhlig.

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A Scotsman and an Englishman, a camera and a notebook. The pictures tell a thousand stories, the words tell the time. This is Scotland, captured at its most crucial point for 300 years. United by a love of Scotland, warts and all. Especially its warts, in fact. Gray and McCredie set out on a journey high and low, mainland and island, rust and heather, to document a country and its people. Here is a country caught and sketched before it disappears, one of flaking pub signs and tenant crofters, Italian cafes and proper fitba’ grounds. Stunning and moving images are coupled with lyrical and nostalgic prose to make a work which will become a reference point, a caledonian comfort, an antidote to shortbread-tin Scotland.

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It is 1964. Red Road is rising out of the fields. To the families who move in, it is a dream and a shining future. It is 2010. The Red Road Flats are scheduled for demolition. Inhabited only by intrepid asylum seekers and a few stubborn locals, the once vibrant scheme is tired and out of time. Between these dates are the people who filled the flats with laughter, life and drama. Their stories are linked by the buildings; the sway and buffet of the tower blocks in the wind, the creaky lifts, the views and the vertigo. This Road is Red is a compelling and subtle novel of Glasgow.

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Ruth has lived at Netherburn, her home in the remote moors of Scotland, ever since she was a small child. It’s a home with a history, and, having seen her own children grow up and move on, Ruth is trying to make sense of it all. From her Father’s death, to her ex-husband leaving and her lack of contact with her sons. But she’s not alone with her thoughts: her empty house has become lively once again as various people – with equally complicated pasts – come to lodge at Netherburn, and Ruth finds herself helping them through their pain; some of which won’t stay in the past. Forgive is the story of Ruth, and those living at Netherburn, as they live their lives and try to move on. But the question always looms for Ruth, what does it mean to forgive?

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Sang fur the Wandert is a new collection of poetry from award-winning Janet Paisley. Written in Scots and English, the poems look at Scotland and the world, covering personal and international events from 542 to the present day. The collection explores the affects on individuals of war, film, politics, education, sociology, trauma, science and exploration.

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She had made me envious. Strange as it might seem, I had not known envy before. Surely there must be other ways of living, I thought, not hand-to-mouth, alone, in a draughty old shack looking out at the same scene, day after day. Was this to be my future? It’s 2137, and the future’s dark. Sixteen-year-old Flora is scraping out a humble living, selling homegrown supplies from her late grandparents’ run-down Shell Shack and keeping her illegal copy of Pride and Prejudice hidden from the terrifying Uzi soldiers. But Flora’s life changes when she meets Li-li, the daughter of a powerful Rice Lord. Flora is seduced by the lavish lifestyle of her rulers, but also sees the brutality that underpins their lifestyle. What choices will she face on her last days in Eden?

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The much awaited second helping of Mary J. MacLeod’s tales of ‘Papavray’ in the 1970s and her experiences as the island’s district nurse, culminating in her move to a very different new life in California.Mary J.’s anecdotes of life on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides brim with charm, humour and common sense. She shares heartwarming and amusing tales of crofters and ceilidhs, pesky cows and stubborn drivers, treacherous bogs and a suspected haunting, but also the deeply sad story of a desperate mother and a baby’s untimely death.For the district nurse, human tragedy, joy and laughter are all in a days’ work.

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