This book provides an overview of Scottish culture from the time of union with England and Wales up to and through the moment of devolution to the present.

Scottish creative writing in the twentieth century was notable for its willingness to explore and absorb the literatures of other times and other nations. From the engagement with Russian literature of Hugh MacDiarmid and Edwin Morgan, through to the interplay with continental literary theory, Scottish writers have proved active participants in a diverse international literary practice. Scottish criticism has, arguably, often been slow in appreciating the full extent of this exchange. Preoccupied with marking out its territory, with identifying an independent and distinctive tradition, Scottish criticism has occasionally blinded itself to the diversity and range of its writers. In stressing the importance of cultural independence, it has tended to overlook the many virtues of interdependence. The essays in this book aim to offer a corrective view. They celebrate the achievement of Scottish writing in the twentieth century by offering a wider basis for appreciation than a narrow idea of 'Scottishness'. Each essay explores an aspect of Scottish writing in an individual foreign perspective; together they provide an enriching account of a national literary practice that has deep, and often surprisingly complex, roots in international culture.

A seasonal meander through the wilds of Scotland. 'If Clanlands was a gentle road trip through Scotland, this almanac is a top down, pedal to the metal up and down odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year. An invitation to anyone who picks up the book to join us on a crazy camper van exploration over 12 glorious, whisky fuelled months. Mountains, battles, famous (and infamous) Scots, the alarming competitiveness of Men in Kilts, clans, feuds, flora, fauna, with a healthy sprinkling of embarrassing personal reminiscences thrown in. Much is explored, all is shared. It is a camper van cornucopia of all things Alba'. From First Footing to Samhain, Fringe Festival follies to whisky lore, Sam & Graham guide readers through a year of Scottish legends, traditions, historical and contemporary events, sharing personal stories and tips as only these two chalk-and-cheese friends can. As entertaining as it is practical, The Clanlands Almanac is a light-hearted education in Scottish history and culture, told through the eyes of two passionate Scotsmen. The perfect escapist guide, The Clanlands Almanac is intended as a starting point for your own Scottish discoveries.

This book gives an insight to what life was like in Scotland during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. What folk ate, drank, their music and general way of life. Clan tartans did not exist until the early 1800s and this book explains in detail the dress and weaponry of a Highlander and why they wore Highland garb. The Jacobite battles from 1689-1719 are also outlined for the reader.

A highly readable and absorbing anthology of traditional Scottish customs and rites of passage, Scottish Customs from the Cradle to the Grave draws upon a broad range of literary and oral sources. Scotland has been fortunate to have written accounts of intrepid early travellers such as Martin Martin, Edward Burt and John Lane Buchanan, and extracts from their writing are found alongside modern interviews made by Margaret Bennett and researchers from the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University. This expanded edition includes a large amount of new material. The result is a detailed and comprehensive picture of social behaviour in Scotland over the last 400 years. The book is divided into three sections, each covering a stage in the cycle of life: Childbirth and infancy; Love, courtship and marriage; Death The first edition was originally published by Polygon and was joint runner-up of the 1993 Katharine Briggs Folklore Award.

The western coastal lands of the Northern Highlands are squeezed between the northern Hebrides and Drumalban, the mountainous spine of Highland Scotland. This is a region justly famed for some of the finest and most unspoilt scenery in the British Isles – but what happened here in times past? Scotland's Northwest Frontier provides the answer. For a long time, this area was a frontier zone between the medieval kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, and then between the Gaelic Lords of the Isles and the Scottish kings. In the 18th century, this remote seaboard was Britain’s ‘Afghanistan’, a dangerous region often beyond the control of London and Edinburgh. It was the last hiding place of Bonnie Prince Charlie before his escape to France after his Jacobite army had been crushed on Culloden Moor. A land of clans and lost causes, this is the story of powerful lords and warrior chiefs, Presbyterian soldiers of the Covenant and Hanoverian redcoats, Highland Clearances, road and railway builders, whisky smugglers and opium traders, from Viking times to the beginning of the 21st century. Scotland's Northwest Frontier is the entertaining story of what was for long a lawless region, followed through eight turbulent centuries. Backed by comprehensive appendices and glossary, this is one for the fireside, a travelling companion and an invaluable reference source for the bookshelf. Scotland's Northwest Frontier will appeal to those interested in Scottish history, and people who descend from Scottish clans and families.