Books set in Scotland

Checking out Harry Potter
 written in Scots (an indigenous language)

Writers, poets and literary references are everywhere you turn in Scotland. Even the main train station in the capital, Edinburgh is called Waverly and named after the title of the book by Sir Walter Scott.

I could happily spend the rest of my life reading books set in Scotland. The people are unique, the history long and bloody and the landscape dramatic. All great inspiration for writers.

Sea Room by Adam Nicholson

5 out of 5

Touted as ‘one man, three islands and half a million puffins’ and it delivers. The author, Nicholson inherited a small group of islands called the Shiants off the coast of Lewis on his 21st birthday. Sea Room shares his love for this wild part of Scotland, from the boat trips across the dangerous seas to the island, the natural rhythms of geese leaving as the season's turn and the golden torc discovered by locals and now proudly on display in Edinburgh. The book is full of well told and researched stories. What I liked best was his deep love and understanding of the people and wildlife, especially sea birds that have made this remote place their home for centuries.

When I read this book I had no idea where the Hebrides were let alone, these three tiny islands. But a seed was planted, inspiration grew and this book led me to visit Scotland.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

5 out of 5

This story starts in 1946, Clair, a nurse has made it through the horrors of WW2 and is now in Inverness on holiday with her husband. On a visit to a hilltop with sacred stones, she is accidentally transported in time to 1743, a time of turbulence between Highlanders and the English. Clair uses her wits and skills to survive and thrive, soon meeting Jamie the true love of her life. The adventures for Clair and Jamie continue with a good dose of history, sex and exploring how people rise to the challenge in trying times. What a tale, from the first moment of meeting Clair to the final page I was entranced.

Outlander is the first book in a series of 8 books. Book 2, Dragonfly in Amber and book 3, Voyager are also set in Scotland (and Paris) then the action moves onto America. Now also a popular TV series. This enduring love story has contributed to a significant increase in tourism in Scotland. 

The Crofter and the Laird by John McPhee

5 out of 5

A short book first published in 1970. McPhee's ancestors are Scottish, specifically from the island of Colonsay. John uproots from America with wife and four daughters in tow to live and experience traditional life on this island. This is not your typical travelogue with witty anecdotes. McPhee gets under the skin of the locals, their traditions and way of thinking.

What McPhee delivers is an intimate understanding of different points of view on Scottish life, from crofters to the new laird and everything in between including incomers. I especially liked the way he explained everything for someone clueless about Scottish history and culture but not in a dumbed down way, McPhee has the knack of giving the right context and just enough detail. Superb.

Macbeth by Gareth Hinds

5 out of 5

Death, mayhem, power struggles, witches, murder. This classic tale by Shakespeare is brought to life and made accessible to all in this graphic novel. Hinds artfully captures all the action and uses selected text from the play to take us on a quick and enjoyable journey through a 16th-century version of Scottish life in the 10th century.

I am a big fan of Gareth Hinds graphic novels, he make old tales accessible to a modern reader. I particularly liked the section at the end where Hinds explains his thought process for drawing the characters and scenes in a particular style.

A Dark And Distant Shore by Reay Tannahill

4 out of 5

A sweeping historical tale that covers many aspects of the Scottish way of life through the eyes of the central character, Villa. At a young age, her ancestral home, a castle in the Highlands is sold. This sets in motion an obsession through the generations. I particularly enjoyed the highlands landscape and building of the canals.

The second half was not as strong as it felt more like a disjointed effort to cover off major episodes in history like Crimeria war, the British occupation of India and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Later I learned that the author, Tannahill was a historian. Overall I enjoyed the immersion in Scottish history and way of life.

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

4 out of 5

The novel is set in 1751 a time of upheaval between Scotland and England with armies of both persuasions swarming the hillsides. Our narrator David’s parents die and he heads north to Scotland to family, this does not work out and 18-year old David has to fend for himself in all kinds of situations and survive.

On one level a boys adventure story with shipwrecks, evil uncles and getting led astray by his ‘friend’ Alan Breck. On another level, an insiders look at the complexities of Scottish thinking and behaviour. 

Robert Louis Stevenson also loomed large in our Scottish adventure in 2018, with tales everywhere we visited. The one I liked best was that Fidra island off the coast of North Berwick was the inspiration for one of his famous novels, Treasure Island. 

Bothy Tales by John D Burns

5 out of 5

A walking journey through bogs, rain and the untold beauty of the Highlands. A delightful read with short witty chapters describing Burns efforts to get to bothies, small huts used for overnight stays.

I especially liked the descriptions of the people he met and the honesty in his heart. Each chapter took me back to my Scotland memories and made me want to jump on a plane and walk to a few bothies myself.

Burns also has an entertaining blog, sharing insights on walks and wildlife.

Bare-Arsed Banditti: The Men of ’45 by Maggie Craig

5 out of 5

The ultimate read to understand the real people involved in the uprising of 1745. Craig shares personal stories of men at all levels involved in the conflict, professional soldiers, scholars or straightforward workers. Using real sources in each chapter Maggie builds a picture of what their lives were like before, after and during the conflict. After reading lots about the Jacobites and their cause and getting all mixed up Craig put me straight. The best summary of these turbulent times I have ever read is delivered in the first few pages of the book.

The author wrote an earlier book, focussing on the women of ’45 that I must now read, Damn' Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45. 

Waverly by Sir Walter Scott

0 out of 5

A young English soldier is sent north to Scotland, during the '45 Jacobite rising. He stays at a family estate and gets embroiled in both sides, the daughters, his family and then I stopped reading. It wasn't for me, I loved Scott’s way of talking directly to the reader as he decided which way to progress the story. However, after many attempts, I could not get past the first few chapters and gave in.

Such a pity as Sir Walter Scott loomed large in statues and myth and this was the number one book I wanted to read after visiting Scotland. Stephen Pallas explains much more in his article,  A Modern Reader’s Guide to Walter Scott’s ‘Waverley’

Made in Scotland by Billy Connelly

4 out of 5

Billy is comedian and musician that grew up in Glasgow and then took on the world. An entertaining autobiography that shows his progression as a person and entertainer in a matter of fact way. From sharing a story as a child, "I remember having a snake belt that was tartan elastic. That was a bit special." to his determination to develop his own style of the stage. Whilst he does not shy away from his childhood traumas, he does not drag you through miserable detail which I was thankful for. (Refer to his wife, Pamela Stephenson's biography, Billy for the gritty details). All in all an honest story of a man that calls himself 'a work in progress'.
Billy's biography also gave me a much wider appreciation for Glaswegians and their spirit. After visiting in 2018 I witnessed the glory of the tobacco lord days, the pride of being a shipbuilding centre and the inevitable downfall through to the current regentrification but I could not understand the place. This filled in a little bit of the puzzle in my mind about Glasgow.

The Highlands Bookshop, Fort William

A final mention to The Story of Scotland by Richard Brassy and Stewart Ross an illustrated children's book that filled me in on the essentials of Scottish history. Very useful for a tourist trying to figure out which James did what.

My favourite bookshop, without a doubt, was The Highlands Bookshop in Fort William. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, great selection of Scottish books right up front for the tourists and tartan carpet. What more could a book obsessed lass ask for?