This new route crosses central Scotland from coast to coast, passing through many places strongly linked with Mary Queen of Scots. It runs for 107 miles (172 km) from Arrochar on Loch Long to St Andrews on the Fife coast, crosses Loch Lomond by ferry to Inversnaid and then goes through Aberfoyle, Callander, Dunblane, Tillicoultry, Glendevon, Glenfarg, Falkland and Ceres. En route, it passes mountains, lochs and waterfalls; castles, hill forts and aqueducts; and goes through welcoming villages and small towns with friendly pubs and B&Bs. The author has developed the route over the last five years with the goal of avoiding road-walking. Although not waymarked, his directions are detailed and have been widely field-tested. This guidebook contains all you need to plan and enjoy your holiday: detailed route description with photographs and overlays map of the entire route in 6 drop-down panels (1:110,000) practical information about public transport and travel lavishly illustrated, with many colour photographs on water-resistant paper.

As an historical figure Mary Queen of Scots has been perpetually represented on canvas, page and stage, and has captured the British imagination since the time of her death in 1587. The 'real' Mary Stuart however has remained an enigma. Mary Queen of Scots: Romance and Nation sheds light on Mary's life by exploring four main themes: * the history of Mary's representation in Britain from the late Tudor period focusing on key periods in the formation of the British identity and closely analysing several texts against a background of the visual, musical and literary works of each period * the reasons why those representing Mary have been so conscious that her image was largely a debatable fiction * the identification of symbolic styles, using Mary to reveal the habits of representation in each historical period * The link between the image of Mary Stuart and Britain's long struggle to define itself as a single nation, focusing on the roles of gender and religion in this development.

This is the definitive guide to the best long distance trails in Britain, leading you through landscapes rich in history, wildlife and views. OS references are provided throughout, with invaluable tips on where to walk, timings, nutrition and equipment. There are walks for every level of fitness and contributions from experienced walkers, with practical advice and accompanying maps and explanatory illustrations. Whether walking along the coast or across the moors, following ancient pathways or seeking out less well-known routes, Long Distance Walking in Britain is the ideal companion, and is aimed at walkers and hikers at all levels of fitness and enthusiasm. Illustrated with sketch maps and colour photographs and OS references provided throughout.

Imprisoning Mary Queen of Scots covers the lives and careers of the men and women who ‘kept’ Mary Queen of Scots when she was a political prisoner in England, circa 1568/9-1587. Mary’s troubled claim to the English throne - much to the consternation of her ‘dear cousin’ Elizabeth I - made her a mortal enemy of the aforementioned Virgin Queen and set them on a collision course from which only one would walk away. Mary’s calamitous personal life, encompassing assassinations, kidnaps and abdications, sent her careering into England and right into the lap of Henry VIII’s shrewd but insecure daughter. Having no choice but keep Mary under lock and key, Elizabeth trusted this onerous task to some of the most capable - not to mention the richest - men and women in England; Sir Francis Knollys, Rafe Sadler (of Wolf Hall fame), the Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick, and finally, the puritanical nit-picker Sir Amyas Paulet. Until now, these nobles have been mere bit-players in Mary’s story; now, their own lives, loves and fortunes are laid bare for all to see. From Carlisle Castle to Fotheringay, these men and women all but bankrupted themselves in keeping the deposed Scots queen in the style to which she was accustomed, while fending off countless escape plots of which Mary herself was often the author. With the sort of twist that history excels at, it was in fact a honeytrap escape plot set up by Elizabeth’s ministers that finally saw Mary brought to the executioner’s block, but what of the lives of the gaolers who had until then acted as her guardian? This book explains how Shrewsbury and Bess saw their marriage wrecked by Mary’s legendary charms, and how Sir Amyas Paulet ended up making a guest appearance on ‘Most Haunted’, some several hundred years after his death. In that theme, the book also covers the appearances of these men and women on film and TV, in novels and also the various other Mary-related media that help keep simmering the legend of this most misunderstood of monarchs.

Reproduction of the original: Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott