THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

This book offers an in-depth exploration of the lives of EU migrant workers in the UK following Brexit and COVID-19.

Drawing on a longitudinal study, the book delves into the legal problems migrant workers face and sheds much-needed light on the hidden interactions between the law and communities around issues such as employment, housing, welfare and health. Through personal narratives and insights gathered from interviews, it reveals how (clustered) legal problems arise, are resolved and often bypass formal legal resolution pathways.

This is an invaluable resource that provides a rich picture of everyday life for migrant workers in the UK and highlights the vital role of NGOs working to support them.

From the million-copy internationally bestselling author comes a devastatingly dark and gripping thriller that you will devour in one sitting. Available to pre-order now!

He’s going to kill you. He just doesn’t know it yet.

What would you do if you found a killer?

Would you run? Would you hide?

Or would you face your greatest fear?

Midnight Jones is an analyst trained to understand the human mind. But everything changes when, in the course of her work, she discovers Profile K’s file – because K stands for killer, and she knows that someone more dangerous than she could have ever imagined walks among them.

Midnight knows what Profile K is capable of before he even commits his first crime. But as the news rolls with the brutal murder of a local woman, no one believes what she tells them: that he’s capable of so much more.

Profile K will kill again – and slowly, terrifyingly, Midnight realises that the moment she found his file was the moment she became his next target. Because Profile K is coming for Midnight – and the only way to escape with her life is to find him before he finds her?

The million-copy bestseller is back with a dark, terrifying journey into the mind of a killer that you won’t forget. The perfect read for fans of John Marrs: The One.

From the million-copy internationally bestselling author comes a devastatingly dark and gripping thriller that you will devour in one sitting. Available to pre-order now!

He’s going to kill you. He just doesn’t know it yet.

What would you do if you found a killer?

Would you run? Would you hide?

Or would you face your greatest fear?

Midnight Jones is an analyst trained to understand the human mind. But everything changes when, in the course of her work, she discovers Profile K’s file – because K stands for killer, and she knows that someone more dangerous than she could have ever imagined walks among them.

Midnight knows what Profile K is capable of before he even commits his first crime. But as the news rolls with the brutal murder of a local woman, no one believes what she tells them: that he’s capable of so much more.

Profile K will kill again – and slowly, terrifyingly, Midnight realises that the moment she found his file was the moment she became his next target. Because Profile K is coming for Midnight – and the only way to escape with her life is to find him before he finds her?

The million-copy bestseller is back with a dark, terrifying journey into the mind of a killer that you won’t forget. The perfect read for fans of John Marrs: The One.

When an ex-catholic woman develops a sexual relationship with a vampire, she is forced to confront the memories that haunt her religious past.

Struggling to deal with the familial trauma of her Catholic upbringing, hotel cleaner, Noelle, travels to the Isle of Bute. There, she meets a man who claims to be a vampire, and a relationship blooms between them based solely on confession. But as talk turns sacrilegious, and the weather outside grows colder, Noelle struggles to come to terms with her blasphemous sexuality. She becomes hounded by memories of her past: her mother’s affair with the local priest, and the part she played in ending it.

From the million-copy internationally bestselling author comes a devastatingly dark and gripping thriller that you will devour in one sitting. Available to pre-order now!

He’s going to kill you. He just doesn’t know it yet.

What would you do if you found a killer?

Would you run? Would you hide?

Or would you face your greatest fear?

Midnight Jones is an analyst trained to understand the human mind. But everything changes when, in the course of her work, she discovers Profile K’s file – because K stands for killer, and she knows that someone more dangerous than she could have ever imagined walks among them.

Midnight knows what Profile K is capable of before he even commits his first crime. But as the news rolls with the brutal murder of a local woman, no one believes what she tells them: that he’s capable of so much more.

Profile K will kill again – and slowly, terrifyingly, Midnight realises that the moment she found his file was the moment she became his next target. Because Profile K is coming for Midnight – and the only way to escape with her life is to find him before he finds her?

The million-copy bestseller is back with a dark, terrifying journey into the mind of a killer that you won’t forget. The perfect read for fans of John Marrs: The One.

Do you feel like we’re in a permacrisis? Chances are you feel some anxiety about the state of the world. Gordon Brown, Mohamed A. El-Erian and Michael Spence certainly did.

Three of the most internationally respected and experienced thinkers of our time, these friends found their pandemic Zooms increasingly focused on a cascade of crises: sputtering growth, surging inflation, poor policy responses, an escalating climate emergency, worsening inequality, increasing nationalism and a decline in global co-operation.

They shared their fears and frustrations. And the more they talked, the more they realised that while past mistakes had set the world on this bumpy course, a better path leading to a brighter future exists. Informed by their different perspectives, they sought a common goal: achievable solutions to fix our fractured world. This book is the product of that thinking. At the heart of today’s permacrisis are broken approaches to growth, economic management, and governance. While these approaches are broken, they are not beyond repair. An explanation of where we’ve gone wrong, and a provocative, inspiring plan to do nothing less than change the world, Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World, written with Reid Lidow, sets out how we can prevent crises and better manage the future for the benefit of the many and not the few.

The longer a problem goes unresolved, the worse it will get; that’s what happens in a permacrisis – and that’s why we must act now.

If not perhaps the most popular Highland clan, the Campbells are undoubtedly one of the most successful. The Campbell earls of Argyll have traditionally enjoyed a rather unsavoury historical reputation, viewed by their rivals with a mixture of fear, envy and respect. The spectacular advance of Campbell power in the medieval Scottish kingdom has normally been explained in terms of the family’s ruthless and duplicitous suppression of their fellow-Gaels in Argyll and the Hebrides at the behest of the Scottish crown. In particular, Clan Campbell’s success is seen to be built on the destruction of older and more prestigious regional lordships in the west, such as those of the MacDougall lords of Argyll and the MacDonald lords of the Isles.

This book reassesses these negative images and interpretations of the growth of Campbell authority from the thirteenth century and the opening of the Wars of Independence through to the death of Archibald, 2nd earl of Argyll, at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. The lords who dominated the medieval Clan Campbell emerge more as individuals enjoying complex and ambiguous relationships with the Scottish crown and the culture and politics of Gaelic-speaking Scotland, rather than as unquestioning agents of the Stewart monarchy and committed converts to the aristocratic culture of lowland Scotland.

The most up-to-date account of the Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterwork, The Mackintosh Building at The Glasgow School of Art is a monument of international significance in the history of architecture and design. Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), its soaring studios and atmospheric spaces would serve to educate and inspire generations of architects, artists, and designers, as well as attract visitors from around the globe. This book presents the updated story of “The Mack”, incorporating for the first time the history of the building during the post-Mackintosh era up to the present day, including the May 2014 fire, reconstruction efforts, and the devastating fire of 2018 that destroyed most of the building. Illustrated with historical and archival images, reconstruction photographs, and visualisations using the latest 3D scanning technologies, it presents a comprehensive history of the context and creation of this building. The book updates knowledge of the building gleaned from the reconstruction process, including corrections of well-rehearsed assumptions. It also addresses controversies surrounding the second fire, examining issues around fire management that have received much public scrutiny. Including new and unpublished images, The Mack explores the significance of Mackintosh’s masterwork, its international design importance, and its profound impact on its community of users.

An extensively researched, myth-busting account of the world’s most famous monster hoax-the Loch Ness Monster-and a cautionary tale on the dangers of misinformation.

In 1934, a man was walking by a lake in the Scottish Highlands when he saw a long-necked creature swimming in the water. He grabbed his camera and snapped a photo. When the photo landed on the front page of the Daily Mail, it shattered the belief that paranormal creatures were pure fiction. But amid the monster-hunting craze, complex conspiracies soon emerged. The Loch Ness Monster became more than a mysterious sea creature-it became a phenomenon that caused people to question their assumptions and dig for the truth.

Meticulously researched through primary sources and in-depth interviews with key figures, Loch Ness Uncovered is the fascinating true story of the conspiracy that sparked intrigue worldwide. Complete with archival images, an engaging narrative, and a guide to media literacy, here is a nonfiction book that will transport young readers to the thrilling world of monster mania.

A guidebook to walking the West Highland Way, one of Scotland’s Great Trails. Covering 155km (97 miles) from Milngavie to Fort William, the route is suitable for walkers of most abilities and takes around a week to complete.

The trail is described from south to north in 7 stages of between 14 and 33km (9?20 miles).

Contains step-by-step description of the route alongside 1:100,000 maps

Includes a separate map booklet containing OS 1:25,000 mapping with the route line

A handy trek planner highlights the availability of facilities and public transport along the route

Accommodation listings provided

Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket

A guidebook to walking the West Highland Way, one of Scotland’s Great Trails. Covering 155km (97 miles) from Milngavie to Fort William, the route is suitable for walkers of most abilities and takes around a week to complete.

The trail is described from south to north in 7 stages of between 14 and 33km (9?20 miles).

Contains step-by-step description of the route alongside 1:100,000 maps

Includes a separate map booklet containing OS 1:25,000 mapping with the route line

A handy trek planner highlights the availability of facilities and public transport along the route

Accommodation listings provided

Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket

A guidebook to walking the West Highland Way, one of Scotland’s Great Trails. Covering 155km (97 miles) from Milngavie to Fort William, the route is suitable for walkers of most abilities and takes around a week to complete.

The trail is described from south to north in 7 stages of between 14 and 33km (9?20 miles).

Contains step-by-step description of the route alongside 1:100,000 maps

Includes a separate map booklet containing OS 1:25,000 mapping with the route line

A handy trek planner highlights the availability of facilities and public transport along the route

Accommodation listings provided

Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket

St Columba is one of the most important figures in the early history of the British Isles. A native of Donegal and a nobleman of royal ancestry, his outstanding religious career spanned both sides of the Irish Sea. On the Scottish island of Iona he founded his principal monastery where he served as abbot until his death in AD 597. Iona eventually became the centre of a powerful federation of monasteries that preserved a memory of Columba and nurtured the saintly cult that grew around him.

Drawing on contemporary sources – particularly the writings of Adomnán, abbot of Iona from 679 to 704 – and the latest modern research, this book traces Columba’s achievements and legacy. It examines his roles as abbot, scholar and missionary as well as his involvement in the affairs of kings in both Ireland and northern Britain.

No.

Not the Palace.

Anywhere but the Palace.

12-year-old Alexander Buchan was once content, training as a falconer at Strathbogie Castle in Huntly. But when his Earl sends him to Edinburgh to the court of the newly arrived Mary, Queen of Scots, the boy finds himself lured into a world of intrigue, terror and treachery. Alexander knows right from wrong, but how can he hope to outwit the Earl’s murderous messenger? Surely no one can defy such a powerful master whose wife is rumoured to be a witch!

Soon, more than the boy’s own life is at stake: his friend Lizzie is arrested and the the angry clouds of Reformation Scotland gather around the young Queen. It seems that Alexander must spy – or die.

Centering on the difficult and important subject of medieval rape culture, this book brings Middle English and Scots texts into conversation with contemporary discourses on sexual assault and the #MeToo movement. The book explores the topic in the late medieval lyric genre known as the pastourelle and in related literary works, including chivalric romance, devotional lyric, saints’ lives, and the works of major authors such as Margery Kempe and William Dunbar. By engaging issues that are important to feminist activism today – the gray areas of sexual consent, the enduring myth of false rape allegations, and the emancipatory potential of writing about survival – this volume demonstrates how the radical terms of the pastourelle might reshape our own thinking about consent, agency, and survivors’ speech and help uncover cultural scripts for talking about sexual violence today.

In addition to embodying the possibilities of medievalist feminist criticism after #MeToo, Rape Culture and Female Resistance in Late Medieval Literature includes an edition of sixteen Middle English and Middle Scots pastourelles. The poems are presented in a critical framework specifically tailored to the undergraduate classroom.

Along with the editors, the contributors to this volume include Lucy M. Allen-Goss, Suzanne M. Edwards, Mary C. Flannery, Katharine W. Jager, Scott David Miller, Elizabeth Robertson, Courtney E. Rydel, and Amy N. Vines.

On 31 December 1918, hours from the first New Year of peace, hundreds of Royal Naval Reservists from the Isle of Lewis poured off successive trains onto the quayside at Kyle of Lochalsh. A chaotic Admiralty had made no adequate arrangements for their safe journey home. Corners were cut, and that evening HMY Iolaire sailed from Kyle of Lochalsh, overloaded, and with life-belts for less than a third of all on board. It never made it. At two in the morning, in pitch-black and stormy conditions, she piled onto rocks only half a mile from Stornoway pier, where friends and relatives eagerly awaited the return of their heroes. 205 men drowned  – men who had come through all the dangers of the War only to die on their own doorstep, at the mouth of a harbour many could themselves have navigated with ease, on a day precious to Highlanders for family, celebration and togetherness.

The loss of the Iolaire remains the worst peacetime British disaster at sea since the sinking of the Titanic. Yet, beyond the Western Isles, few have ever heard of what is not only one of the cruelest events in our history but an extraordinary maritime mystery ? a tale not only of unfathomable political and Naval incompetence and abiding, official contempt for the lives of Highlanders, but of individual heroism, astonishing escapes, heart-rending anecdote and the resilience and faith of a remarkable people.

A booklet of all the mapping needed to complete the West Highland Way, one of Scotland’s Great Trails. Covering 155km (97 miles) from Milngavie to Fort William, the route is suitable for walkers of most abilities and takes around a week to complete.

The full route line is shown on 1:25,000 OS maps

The map booklet can be used to walk the trail in either direction

Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket

The relevant extract from the OS Explorer map legend is included

An accompanying Cicerone guidebook – Walking the West Highland Way is also available, which includes a copy of this map booklet

A booklet of all the mapping needed to complete the West Highland Way, one of Scotland’s Great Trails. Covering 155km (97 miles) from Milngavie to Fort William, the route is suitable for walkers of most abilities and takes around a week to complete.

The full route line is shown on 1:25,000 OS maps

The map booklet can be used to walk the trail in either direction

Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket

The relevant extract from the OS Explorer map legend is included

An accompanying Cicerone guidebook – Walking the West Highland Way is also available, which includes a copy of this map booklet

“Lavishly illustrated guidebook with route map plus practical information” – Scots Magazine

The Loch Lomond & Cowal Way is one of Scotland’s Great Trails. It runs for 57 miles (91 km) across the Cowal peninsula, which lies west of Glasgow and is easily reached by public transport, road and ferry. The route starts at Portavadie on Loch Fyne and ends at Inveruglas on Loch Lomond.

The trail is waymarked and undulating, with rugged terrain and glorious views over the Isle of Bute and the Firth of Clyde. The area is rich in history and heritage, with wildlife sightings including red squirrel, red deer and golden eagle.

Cowal has ferries to Bute, to Kintyre and (in season) across Loch Lomond to join the West Highland Way. It’s the missing link that enables Scotland’s ultimate long-distance walk, from Kintyre all the way to Inverness.

In 2018 the route’s name was extended to Loch Lomond & Cowal Way to reflect the fact that over 50% of it runs within the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. This new edition updates the guidebook of that name and contains many new photographs.

Showcases the latest research on Scotland’s rural economy and society.

Early modern Scotland was predominantly rural. Agriculture was the main occupation of most people at the time, so what happened in the countryside was crucial: economically, socially and culturally. The essays collected here focus on the years between around 1500 and 1750. This period, although before the main era of agricultural “improvement” in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, was nevertheless far from static in terms of agrarian development. Specific topics addressed include everyday farming practices; investment; landlords, tenants and estate management; and the cultural context within which agriculture was “imagined”. The disastrous famine of 1622-23 is analysed in detail. The volume is completed by a comprehensive survey of recent historiography, setting agricultural history in its broader context.