‘Scotland is so gorgeous that every time I’m there, I start to dream of living there. I want to buy one of those whitewashed cottages with thatch roofs and gaze out at the sea and read my books.’ – Julia London
I love reading books that transport me back to a place I’ve been before. Scotland is not far from my home and yet so different. When I can’t head north to Scotland, I like to pick up a good book and transport myself mentally. Scotland has everything you could want. Beautiful countrysides, bustling cities, history, as well as amazing whiskey, gin and beer.
If, like me, you love Scotland and want to transport yourself there from your living room then here are 50 amazing books set in Scotland. No matter if you like romance, comedy, thrillers or nonfiction, there’s a book for you in this list!
- Contents
- 1 50 Books Set in Scotland
- 1.1 Trainspotting
- 1.2 Dreaming Under An Island Skye
- 1.3 The Lost Queen
- 1.4 Knots and Crosses
- 1.5 Scotland From The Rails
- 1.6 At Water’s Edge
- 1.7 The Diary of a Bookseller
- 1.8 I Never Knew That About Scotland
- 1.9 Never Somewhere Else
- 1.10 Outlander
- 1.11 A Glasgow Kiss
- 1.12 The Death of Bees
- 1.13 Findings
- 1.14 A Strange Scottish Shore
- 1.15 In Bed With A Highlander
- 1.16 The Sunday Philosophy Club
- 1.17 Aberdeen’s Haunted Heritage
- 1.18 Whisky Galore
- 1.19 One Good Turn
- 1.20 The Glasgow Girl at War
- 1.21 Morvern Callar
- 1.22 Winter Solstice
- 1.23 Craiginches: Life in Aberdeen’s Prison
- 1.24 The Bookshop on the Corner
- 1.25 Cold Granite
- 1.26 Summer in the Scottish Highlands
- 1.27 The Wages of Sin
- 1.28 Lennox
- 1.29 Paranormal Glasgow
- 1.30 Raven Black
- 1.31 The Highland Witch
- 1.32 Secret Edinburgh
- 1.33 Getting Hot With The Scot
- 1.34 The Distant Echo
- 1.35 44 Scotland Street
- 1.36 Ways To Die in Glasgow
- 1.37 The Outrun
- 1.38 A Dark and Distant Shore
- 1.39 Christmas on the Isle of Skye
- 1.40 The Sunlight Pilgrims
- 1.41 A History of Scotland
- 1.42 Driftnet
- 1.43 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
- 1.44 Ghostly Tales and Sinister Stories of Old Edinburgh
- 1.45 Highland Fling
- 1.46 The Wasp Factory
- 1.47 Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart
- 1.48 Born Free
- 1.49 The Black House
- 1.50 Scotland: Her Story
- 2 More Travel Books
50 Books Set in Scotland
Trainspotting
By Irvine Welsh
Made popular by the David Boyle film, Trainspotting is actually the second book in the Mark Renton series. A story about a bunch of Scottish heroin addicts, this book should probably come with a warning as many struggle with the Scottish dialect, the ‘c’ bombs and adult nature. It’s a story about people at the bottom of society who easily get written off as hopeless and a waste of space. But through this book, Welsh gives them humanity and unique characteristics as they deal with their personal struggles.
Dreaming Under An Island Skye
By Lisa Hobman
Librarian Julliette Fairhurst had her heart shattered when her husband Laurie was taken from her much too soon. Feeling devastated, she decides to take a sabbatical and reconnect with her mother’s birthplace. A small picturesque village on the Isle of Skye. Welcomed by most of the villagers, Julliette throws herself into community life and takes the role of temporary summer guardian at The Lifeboat House Museum. But during her time on the island, she clashes with Reid, a brooding single dad and artist. It’s clear that divorced Reid is struggling with his own painful experiences so can these two lost souls find a lifeline to rescue each other?
The Lost Queen
By Signe Pike
The first book in this exciting historical trilogy that tells the untold story of a powerful but tragically forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland. One of the most powerful early medieval queens in British history, Languoreth is intelligent, passionate and brave. Together with her twin brother Lailoken, known in history as Merlin, Languoreth is catapulted into a world of violence and danger. When a war brings a handsome warrior to their door, Languoreth forges a passionate connection with him but she is already promised to the son of a king.
Knots and Crosses
By Ian Rankin
The first book in the Inspector Rebus series by one of Britain’s best crime writers. In Edinburgh there has been a brutal abduction and murder of two young girls and now a third girl is missing. Detective Sergeant John Rebus drinks and smokes too much but he is one of the many policemen hunting the killer. Then messages begin to arrive. Knotted string and matchstick crosses that taunt Rebus. They are the pieces to a puzzle only he can solve.
Scotland From The Rails
By Benedict le Vay
Did you know that Scotland’s rail network boasts the highest mainline summits in Britain? This is a great book if you want to know more about the great rail lines Scotland has to offer. From luxury excursion trains to the bridge made famous by Harry Potter, Scotland has it all. Let rail enthusiast Ben le Vay guide you to the best rail journeys in Scotland.
At Water’s Edge
By Sara Gruen
It’s 1945 and young, spoiled Philadelphia socialites Maddie and Ellis have been cut off from the family without a penny after disgracing themselves at a high society party. Ellis decides their salvation will be to hunt down the infamous Loch Ness Monster. They hope to succeed at something their father very publicly failed at. Oblivious to WW2 which was raging around them, Maddie and Ellis make their way to the Scottish Highlands. Here, Maddie has to face reality and decide just who the real monsters are.
The Diary of a Bookseller
By Shuan Bythell
Shaun Bythell is the owner of Wigtown, Scotland’s largest second-hand bookshop. With over 100,000 books in a beautiful rural town on the edge of the sea you would think it would be a book-lovers paradise. However, in these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun shows an insight into the trials and tribulations of the book trade world. From eccentric customers to the thrill of the unexpected find, Shaun takes the reader on a hilarious journey of small town life.
I Never Knew That About Scotland
By Christopher Winn
Travelling county to county, Christopher Winn unearths enthralling stories, first, birthplaces, legends and inventions that shape the country’s rich and majestic history. Discover where the only granite cathedral in the world is or why John Balliol is considered the original ‘sweetheart’. Packed full of myths and legends, Christopher Winn takes the reader on a fascinating journey around Scotland, to discover the tales buried deep in Scottish history.
Never Somewhere Else
By Alex Gray
This is the first book in the Detective Lorimer series. After three young women are discovered strangled and mutilated in a Glasgow park, it is up to DCI Lorimer to find their killer. But after a lack of progress in the investigation, Lorimer is forced to enlist the services of Dr Solomon Brightman, a psychologist and criminal profiler. But after a homeless man is brought in for questioning the investigation takes a bizarre turn. Lorimer is forced to scratch the surface of the polished Glasgow art world and reveal its hidden darkness.
Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon
It’s 1946 and Claire Randall and her husband Frank have come to the Scottish Highlands. It’s a second honeymoon to re-establish their loving marriage. But one afternoon Claire walks through a circle standing stones and vanishes to 1743. The first person she meets is a British army officer who just happens to be her husband’s six-times great-grandfather. However, he is not the man his descendent is and while trying to escape him, Claire falls into the hands of a gang of Scottish outlaws. Her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. Soon Claire finds herself torn between two very different men, in two irreconcilable lives.
A Glasgow Kiss
By Sophie Gravia
Zara Smith is 29, single and muddling her way through life as a trainee nurse in Glasgow. With the big 3-0 fast approaching, she’s determined to find love, whatever it takes. Or at the very least, someone to sext. Cheered on by her best friends, Zara embarks on a string of dating escapades that are as hilarious as they are disastrous. But everything changes when Dr Tom Adams, aka Sugar Daddy, shows an interest in her. Zara has had a crush on Tom since her first day at the aesthetics clinic she works at part-time. But as things start to heat up between them, Zara can’t help but wonder if this is it? Or is it just another disaster waiting to happen?
The Death of Bees
By Lisa O’Donnell
Marnie and her little sister Nelly are on their own now. Only they know what happened to their parents but neither sister is telling. Life in Glasgow’s Hazlehurst housing estate isn’t grand but they have each other. Besides, in one year Marnie will be considered an adult and can legally take care of them both. But soon the old man next door starts to realise his young neighbours are alone and need his help. Or maybe it’s him who needs their help? However, it’s not long before more people become suspicious. One lie leads to another and the girls’ dark secrets are coming to the surface. Will these complications tear the sisters apart?
Findings
By Kathleen Jamie
One for the poetry lovers. Kathleen Jamie is an award winning poet who has an eye for the beauty of the landscapes of Scotland. In this book she draws together themes of Scotland to describe travel like no other contemporary writer. She creates a subtle and modern narrative, peculiarly alive to her connections and surroundings.
A Strange Scottish Shore
By Juliana Gray
It’s 1906 in Scotland and a mysterious object has been discovered inside an ancient castle. Researchers Maximillian Haywood and Emmeline Truelove head to the remote Orkney Islands to learn more. But soon Haywood and Truelove realise they are not the only ones interested in this ancient artefact. When their friend Lord Silverton vanishes in the night in Edinburgh, their quest takes a dangerous turn.
In Bed With A Highlander
By Maya Banks
This is the first book in the McCabe trilogy. Ewan McCabe is the eldest and a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Mairin is the illegitimate daughter of the king and her worst fears are realised when she is rescued from peril only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding saviour, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.
The Sunday Philosophy Club
By Alexander McCall Smith
Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher who uses her training to solve unusual mysteries. She also hosts The Sunday Philosophy Club at her house in Edinburgh. Behind the city’s Georgian facades, it’s moral compasses are spinning with greed, dishonesty and murderous intent. After a young man falls to his death in front of her eyes at a concert, Isabel’s instincts tell her he didn’t fall but was pushed. Ignoring the advice of others, Isabel is determined to discover the truth of the man’s death.
Aberdeen’s Haunted Heritage
By Graeme Milne
A great book for those who love ghost stories. This fascinating book contains a collection of chilling tales from Aberdeen and the North East. Stories directly from eye-witness accounts and personal research of the author. Read about the phantom monks of Kincorth, the aftermath of a terrible murder in Old Aberdeen and the haunted nightclub where you can hear echoes of past tragedy.
Whisky Galore
By Compton Mackenzie
It’s 1943 in Scotland and the war has brought rationing to the Hebridean islands and Little Todday. It’s bad enough when food is in short supply, but when the whisky runs out it looks like the end of the world. George Campbell needs a wee drop of whisky to give him the courage to stand up to his mother and marry Catriona. Morale is down and everyone is having a thin time of it. That is until a shipwreck off the coast brings a piece of extraordinary good fortune…
One Good Turn
By Kate Atkinson
It’s summertime and it’s the Edinburgh Festival. People queuing for a lunchtime show witness a terrible road-rage incident. A near-homicidal attack which changes the lives of everyone involved. Jackson Brodie is ex-army, ex-police and ex-private detective who also happens to be an innocent bystander. That is, until he becomes a murder suspect.
The Glasgow Girl at War
By Eileen Ramsay
Ferelith Gallagher grew up in a convent in Glasgow in the 1930’s, dreaming of bigger and better things. With no money and no family to speak of, she travels to Edinburgh to study to be a lawyer. Then when she falls in love with a fellow student, she thinks she has finally found a home. After a brief and disastrous marriage, Ferelith swears she is through with love and buries herself in her studies, striving to become the first female senior advocate in Scottish history. But when she finally meets a man she knows she could be happy with, Ferelith finds herself torn between love and her career. And then when war breaks out, she knows life will never be the same again.
Morvern Callar
By Alan Warner
Morvern Callar is a low-paid employee in a local supermarket in a desolate port town in the West of Scotland. One morning in late December, she wakes up to find her strange boyfriend has committed suicide and is lying dead on the kitchen floor. But what she does next is even more appalling. Movern’s reaction is both intriguing and immoral.
Winter Solstice
By Rosamunde Pilcher
Elfrida Phipps was once a London actress but moved to an English village to make a new life for herself. Oscar Blundell gave up his life as a musician in order to marry Gloria but it’s only because of his little girl he views his sacrificed career as worthwhile. Carrie returns from Australia after an ill-fated affair with a married man to find her mother and aunt squabbling endlessly. With Christmas approaching she agrees to look after her aunt’s awkward teenage daughter. And Sam Howard is trying to pull his life back together after his wife left him for another man. It is a strange rippling effect of tragedy that brings these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan. It is in this house that the lives of these five people will come together and forever be changed.
Craiginches: Life in Aberdeen’s Prison
By Bryan Glennie
Life in Aberdeen’s Prison is the story of this forbidding place from its early days to its recent closure. Told by former prison officer Bryan Glennie who lived and breathed the life of this prison up to his retirement. Find out about the real inside story of rooftop riots, of botched escapes, drug smuggling and even prisoners brewing beer in dung heaps. Discover more about the prison’s only hanging, as well as the dramatic tales of deployment to Peterhead when the SAS stormed D wing.
The Bookshop on the Corner
By Jenny Colgan
Nina is a librarian who spends her days happily matchmaking books and people. She always seems to know what someone should read next. But when her beloved library closes, she is suddenly out of a job with no idea of what to do next. An advert catches her eye and she pictures a quaint life owning a tiny bookshop bus, driving around the Scottish highlands. Using her savings, Nina makes a new start in Scotland but quickly finds out real life is a bit trickier than the stories she loves. Especially when she keeps having to be rescued by the grumpy but gorgeous farmer neighbour.
Cold Granite
By Stuart MacBride
The first book in the gripping Logan McRaa series and DS Logan McRae and the police in Aberdeen are on the hunt for a child killer who stalks the frozen streets. It’s DS Logan McRae’s first day back on the job after a year off sick and it couldn’t get much worse. Three-year-old David Reid’s body is discovered in a ditch, strangled and mutilated. And he’s only the first. Soon the dead are piling up in the morgue and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing and more are going to die. And if Logan isn’t careful, he could end up joining them.
Summer in the Scottish Highlands
By Donna Ashcroft
Paige Dougall is thirty-years-old and her life is a mess. Only a year ago she was smashing all of her life goals; handsome husband, high-flying job, cute kid. But in just under twelve months everything has gone wrong for Paige. Nursing a broken heart, the now single mother returns to her childhood home in a picture-perfect Scottish village to try and get her life back together. Paige is wrapped up in her worries until Johnny Backer steps onto the scene and provides her with some much-need distraction. Johnny challenges Paige to step outside of her comfort zone and focus on the things that really matter. The pair grow closer but can Paige learn to let go of her past and find happiness in the highlands? And is happy-go-lucky Johnny hiding a secret of his own?
The Wages of Sin
By Katie Welsh
Sarah Gilchrist has fled from London to Edinburgh in disgrace and is determined to become a doctor, despite the misgivings of her family and society. As part of the University of Edinburgh’s first intake of female medical students, Sarah comes up against resistance from her lectures and her male contemporaries. But even worse, from her fellow female students, who will do anything to avoid being associated with a fallen woman. When one of Sarah’s patients turns up in the university dissecting room as a battered corpse, Sarah finds herself drawn into Edinburgh’s dangerous underworld of bribery, brothels and body snatchers.
Lennox
By Craig Russell
It’s 1953 in Glasgow and the war may be over but the battle for the streets is just beginning. Three crime bosses control the murky streets but now a small-scale con is trying to invade their territory and the balance is shifting. Lennox may be a hard man but he finds himself caught in the middle which is a dangerous place to be. Then one night a body is discovered with his head smashed to a pulp and Lennox is in the frame for the murder. The only way for him to prove his innocence is to solve the crime.
Paranormal Glasgow
By Geoff Holder
A great book that digs into the strange and peculiar stories of Glasgow city. Read the tales of contemporary ghosts and historical hauntings, UFO and big-cat sightings, time slips, spontaneous human combustion, bizarre beliefs and urban legends. Discover the city’s gory history of witchcraft trials, and the story of John Scott, the Glasgow Fasting Man who allegedly survived without food or water for 106 days, and was proved to do so by the Vatican. These stories will delight, unnerve and surprise you.
Raven Black
By Ann Cleeves
It’s New Year’s Day and Shetland lies buried beneath a deep layer of snow. Fan Hunter is trudging home when her eye is drawn to a vivid splash of colour on the white ground, with ravens circling above. On the ground is the strangled body of her teenage neighbour. The body is found close to the home of a lonely outcast and local suspicion falls on him. But when Inspector Jimmy Perez insists on broadening the search for suspects, the community is full of fear and distrust in the investigation. As the case develops, Perez finds himself peering deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go.
The Highland Witch
By Susan Fletcher
It’s 1692 and brilliant, captivating Corrag, accused of being a witch, is an orphaned herbalist and unforgettable heroine. Imprisoned for her supposed involvement in a massacre in the Scottish highlands, she is suspected of witchcraft and murder and is awaiting death. Corrag tells her story to Charles Leslie, an Irish propagandist who seeks information to condemn the Protestant King William, rumoured to be involved in the massacre. Hers is a story of passion, courage, love and the magic of the natural world. By telling it, she transforms both of their lives.
Secret Edinburgh
By Jack Gillon
Much of Edinburgh’s history has remained a secret, lost behind facades of the familiar and hidden from view. Until now that is. Fascinated by Edinburgh’s hidden history, Jack Gillon has plundered through the records in a quest for the lesser-known side of Scotland’s capital city. Learn about the first balloon ascent, the Great Lafayette and his dog Beauty, bizarre performers, Bum the dog and much more.
Getting Hot With The Scot
By Melonie Johnson
Cassie Crow is a pop-culture reporter for a TV talk show but is focused on becoming a more serious journalist. She comes to Scotland for work but decides to take a night off after meeting Logan, a sexy Scot with a killer accent. After all, one night off can’t hurt. Logan Reid has built a career on his charm, hosting a series of pranking hijinks on the internet. But when the Scottish prankster meets all-American Cassie, equal parts intelligent and irresistible, Logan realises that one night of fun won’t be enough. Could this career-focused, commitment-phobic couple finally ready to take a chance on true love?
The Distant Echo
By Val McDermid
One freezing morning in Fife, four drunken students stumble upon the body of a woman in the snow. Rosie has been raped, stabbed and left for dead in an ancient Pictish cemetery. The only suspects are the four young men now stained with her blood. Twenty-five years later and the police mount a ‘cold case’ review of Rosie’s unsolved murder and the four men are still suspects. But when two of them die in suspicious circumstances, it would seem someone is pursuing their own brand of justice. For the two remaining, the only way to avoid becoming the next victim is to find out who really killed Rosie all those years ago.
44 Scotland Street
By Alexander McCall Smith
A story revolved around the comings and goings at No. 44 Scotland Street, a fictitious building in a real street in Edinburgh. There is the chartered surveyor who dreams of a membership to Scotland’s most exclusive golf club. There’s a pushy Stockbridge mother and her prodigiously talented five-year-old son. Finally there’s Domenica, the type of lady who sees herself as a citizen of a broader intellectual world. Tackling issues of trust, honesty, snobbery, hypocrisy, love and loss but all with a light touch, this novel is entertaining while dealing with moral dilemmas of everyday life.
Ways To Die in Glasgow
By Jay Stringer
Mackie is a violent drunk with a broken heart who looks for love in all the wrong places. When two men catch him with his pants down, he barely makes it out alive. Worse still, his ex-gangster uncle, Rab, has vanished. PI Sam Ireland is reluctantly hired to track down Rob but is getting nowhere. As she scours the dive bar, the dregs of Glasgow start to take notice. As a rampaging Mackie hunts his uncle, the scum of the city come out to play.
The Outrun
By Amy Liptrot
Amy is thirty-years-old and finds herself washed up back at home on Orkney island. She tries to come to terms with the addiction that has swallowed the last decade of her life. Amy spends her mornings swimming in the bracingly cold sea, her days tracking Orkney’s wildlife and her nights searching the sky. The Outrun is a beautiful and inspiring story about living on the edge and how the sea and land restores life and renew hope.
A Dark and Distant Shore
By Reay Tannahill
Vilia is an extraordinary woman who is determined to win back her birthright. The beautiful and remote West Highland castle of Kinveil was sold by her father to a Glasgow merchant when she was just seven years old. This is an epic story spanning almost a hundred years and stretching from Edinburgh to the Crimea, from an expanding America to the India of the Raj.
Christmas on the Isle of Skye
By Kirsty Ferry
This is the fourth book in the Tempest Sisters Series. The Isle of Skye is a magical place at Christmas and there’s no place Zac Fallon would rather be. But whilst Zac has everything he needs on Skye, there’s still something missing. And that is something is a somebody called Ivy McFarlane. Ivy used to work with Zac but then she moved to Glastonbury and he’s missed her ever since. So starts his festive mission to the mainland but will be back in time to spend Christmas in Skye. And, more importantly, will Ivy be with him?
The Sunlight Pilgrims
By Jenni Fagan
It’s November 2020 and the world is freezing over. As the ice water melts into the Atlantic, most people are heading for the warmer south. Except for Dylan who is heading to Scotland, once the home of his late mother and grandmother. Twelve-year-old Stella and her survivalist mother, Constance, are scraping by in the snowy Highlands. But when Dylan arrives in the middle of the night, their lives change course. Though the weather is worsening, his presence brings a new light to their daily life. But when the ultimate disaster finally strikes, they’ll all be ready.
A History of Scotland
By Neil Oliver
Scotland is one of the oldest countries in the world and has a vivid and diverse past. But many of the stories and history of Scotland are overshadowed. Historian Neil Oliver presents this compelling new portrait of Scottish history, full of action, high drama and centuries of turbulence. Debunking myths, recalling forgotten battles and exploring political developments while capturing Scotland’s sense of identity.
Driftnet
By Lin Anderson
The first book in the Rhona Macleod series, forensic scientist Rhona is summoned to a flat in Glasgow in the early hours of the morning. A teenage boy has been found mutilated and strangled to death by a vicious killer. The already grim task of scanning evidence is made even more unsettling by the boy’s remarkable resemblance to her. And by the fact that she gave up a baby boy for adoption seventeen years ago. Overcome by guilt, Rhona sets out to find the boy’s killer and if this young victim is indeed her long-lost son. As the case builds it becomes clear that some very powerful men have a lot to lose if she succeeds and everything to gain if she dies.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
By Muriel Spark
Miss Jean Brodie is a teacher at the Marcia Blaine Academy unlike any other. She’s proud, cultured, enigmatic and freethinking. A romantic, she sometimes has shocking ideas and inspirations for the girls in her charge. At the academy she takes a select group of girls under her wing. Spellbound by her unconventional teaching, these devoted pupils form the Brodie set. But as they enter their teenage years, they become increasingly drawn in by Miss Brodie’s personal life. Suddenly her ambitions for them take a startling and dark turn with devastating consequences.
Ghostly Tales and Sinister Stories of Old Edinburgh
By Alan J Wilson
Compiled by the three historians who operate Mercat Tours, Ghostly Tales and Sinister Stories is a fully illustrated book full of entertaining ghost stories. Since 1984, thousands of visitors have enjoyed their nightly rounds of Edinburgh’s Old Town and now you can read about the stories which bring this ancient city intriguingly to life.
Highland Fling
By Emma Baird
After being freshly fired from her third job in a row, Bonnie has lost her way. But when she and her best friend stumble upon a “help wanted” post to run a coffee shop in the Scottish Highlands, they apply on a whim. When the friends arrive, they instantly fall for the gorgeous landscape and friendly townspeople. But Bonnie receives a less-than-warm welcome in Rowan MacGregor, the rugged local handyman. Busy dealing with his own demons, Rowan’s in no mood to deal with the quirky American. As the pair inevitably cross paths, insults and sparks start to fly. Can they build on their similarities to help each other find purpose and direction?
The Wasp Factory
By Iain Banks
Frank lives with his father outside a remote Scottish village and is no ordinary sixteen-year-old. Their life is anything but conventional. Not only did his mother abandon him years ago but his elder brother Eric is confined to a psychiatric hospital. Frank has turned to strange acts of violence to vent his frustrations. But when they discover that Eric has escaped from the hospital, Frank has to prepare the ground for his brother’s inevitable return. An event that explodes the mysteries of the past and changes Frank utterly.
Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart
By John Guy
A new historian of Mary Queen of Scots draws on new sources to shatter various myths surrounding this odd monarch. A much overdue and dramatic reinterpretation of the life of Mary Queen of Scots. Crowned as Queen of Scotland at just nine months old and Queen of France at sixteen years, at eighteen she ascended the throne that was her birthright and began ruling one of the most fractious courts in Europe. She rode out at the head of an army in both victory and defeat, saw her second husband assassinated and married his murderer. The life of Mary Stuart is one of unparalleled drama and conflict.
Born Free
By Laura Hird
Born Free is the sharp-witted story of an ordinary family living in Edinburgh, dealing with their troubles in an all-too ordinary way. Each member is trying to escape life and each other through his or her drug of choice. Whether it’s alcohol, sex, Prozac or the Internet. The interactions between parents Angie and Vic and their teenage children Jack and Joni, reveal a hellish cocktail of mid-life crises and adolescent angst. It’s a story of everyday life.
The Black House
By Peter May
The Isle of Lewis is a land of harsh beauty and inhabitants of deep-rooted faith. When a brutal killing takes place, Detective Inspector Fin Macleod is sent from Edinburgh to investigate. For Lewis-born Macleod, the case represents a journey both home and into his past. But there is something sinister lurking within this close-knitted island community. As Macleod investigates, old skeletons begin to surface and soon he, the hunter, becomes hunted.
Scotland: Her Story
By Rosemary Goring
Scotland’s history has been told many times but never exclusively by its women. This book takes on a unique perspective on dramatic national events as well as ordinary life, as experienced by women down the centuries. Featuring women from all stations of class, fame and notoriety and offering a tantalising view of what happened to them and how they felt. Drawing on court records, diaries, memoirs, newspapers, government reports and eye-witnesses to bring to life the half of the history that has too long been hidden or ignored.
There you have it, 50 incredible books set in Scotland to help inspire your next trip. Which will you read first? Any books not on the list that you love? Let me know in the comments below
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