It is easy to overlook how much of our history is preserved all around us - the way the narrative of bygone days has been inscribed in fields, forests, hills and mountains, roads, railways, canals, lochs, buildings and settlements. Indeed, footprints of the past are to be found almost everywhere. The shapes of fields may reveal the brief presence of the Romans or the labours of medieval peasants; while great heaps of abandoned spoil or the remains of gargantuan holes in the ground mark the rapid decline of heavy industry in the recent past. These evocative spaces provide unique evidence for the way this land and its wealth of resources has been lived in, worked on, ruined, abandoned, restored and celebrated - offering valuable clues that bring the past to life far more effectively than any written history.A History of Scotland's Landscapes explores the many ways that we have used, adapted and altered our environment over thousands of years. Full of maps, photographs and drawings, it offers a remarkable new perspective on Scotland - a unique guide to tracing memories, events and meanings in the forms and patterns of our surroundings.

The dramatic story of Scotland - by charismatic television historian, Neil Oliver. Scotland is one of the oldest countries in the world with a vivid and diverse past. Yet the stories and figures that dominate Scottish history - tales of failure, submission, thwarted ambition and tragedy - often badly serve this great nation, overshadowing the rich tapestry of her intricate past. Historian Neil Oliver presents a compelling new portrait of Scottish history, peppered with action, high drama and centuries of turbulence that have helped to shape modern Scotland. Along the way, he takes in iconic landmarks and historic architecture; debunks myths surrounding Scotland's famous sons; recalls forgotten battles; charts the growth of patriotism; and explores recent political developments, capturing Scotland's sense of identity and celebrating her place in the wider world.

An illustrated volume that pays tribute to Scotland’s multifaceted allure, from striking natural landscapes to elegant castle living. The craggy peaks and reflective lochs of the rugged Scottish landscape have inspired writers and travelers for centuries. With its rolling hills and quiet hamlets, Scotland is a patchwork of stunning green valleys and windswept moors, scattered with the stony ruins of ancient abbeys and castle strongholds. From the peat bogs of the Highlands to the ordered elegance of Lady Cawdor’s Castle, stunning photographs capture Scotland’s national treasures. Draw inspiration from cozy interiors that feature handcrafted furniture, tartan accessories, and outdoorsy details such as hunting trophies and painted landscapes. Discover Scotland’s colorful traditions from kilts and bagpipes to whisky and haggis. Follow hunters and their dogs on the lookout for fowl and wade into clear running streams where fly fishers catch the bounty of Scotland’s waterways. Includes an address book for travelers and traditional recipes for those seeking a taste of the Scottish lifestyle at home.

Following the success of Scotland's Coast, acclaimed landscape photographer Joe Cornish trained his lens on another outstanding feature of the country for which he holds so much affection - its mountains. He sets out to capture the unique character of each range, from the soaring peaks of the Southern Highlands to the fortress-like Torridonian and Assynt hills in the far north; from the Cuillin of Skye, almost Alpine in character, in the west, to the lofty Cairngorms, with their windswept plateaus and jewel-like ice formations to the east. With a brilliant eye for a picture and a masterly use of light, Joe depicts not only the peaks and ridges, the cliffs and buttresses of each mountain range, but the corresponding valleys and glens, the deep lochs, fast-flowing burns and spectacular waterfalls that are as integral to the landscape as the mountains themselves. Accompanying the photographs are Joe's fascinating accounts of his experiences in each region. He describes the physical and creative challenges he faced in order to capture the images, and his reflections on the remarkable landscapes and features he encountered. The result is one of the most acutely observed, engaging and inspirational portraits of Scotland's mountains ever published. It will delight not only Joe Cornish's numerous admirers but anyone who is drawn to this most magical of landscapes.

Gardens are one of the most important elements in the cultural history of Scotland. Like any art form, they provide an insight into social, political and economic fashions, they intimately reflect the personalities and ideals of the individuals who created them, and they capture the changing fortunes of successive generations of monarchs and noblemen. Yet they remain fragile features of the landscape, easily changed, abandoned or destroyed, leaving little or no trace.In Scotland's Lost Gardens, author Marilyn Brown rediscovers the fascinating stories of the nation's vanished historic gardens. Drawing on varied, rare and newly available archive material, including the cartography of Timothy Pont, a spy map of Holyrood drawn for Henry VIII during the 'Rough Wooing', medieval charters, renaissance poetry, the Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer, and modern aerial photography, a remarkable picture emerges of centuries of lost landscapes.Starting with the monastic gardens of St Columba on the Isle of Iona in the sixth century, and encompassing the pleasure parks of James IV and James V, the royal and noble refuges of Mary Queen of Scots, and the 'King's Knot', the garden masterpiece which lies below Stirling Castle, the history of lost gardens is inextricably linked to the wider history of the nation, from the spread of Christianity to the Reformation and the Union of the Crowns.The product of over 30 years of research, Scotland's Lost Gardens demonstrates how our cultural heritage sits within a wider European movement of shared artistic values and literary influences. Providing a unique perspective on this common past, it is also a fascinating guide to Scotland's disappeared landscapes and sanctuaries - lost gardens laid out many hundreds of years ago 'for the honourable delight of body and soul'.

A stunning collection of images showcasing Scotland in all its glory.