Scotland Books

Called "some of the most famous lines in Scottish Literature", they were written in 1386 by John Barbour, Archdeacon of Aberdeen. This was the Age of Chivalry - a time of knights and ladies, where bravery, valour and larger-than-life heroes came into flower. Above all, Loyalty was treasured, and none rivals the tale of loyalty between two men, who faced some of the hardest times in Scottish History and paid the price: Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick, and James Douglas. Even today James "Black" Douglas still thrills the imagination and heart of ladies fair!

Their tales is epic, and frankly, would make a better movie than Braveheart. I love Wallace, and never would discount his part in Scotland's history and struggle to remain a country separate from England. However, he was a shooting star that lit the fires of rebellion; the hard role of forging Wallace's dream into a reality fell upon the shoulders of twenty-something Bruce and his right hand Jamie Douglas. Their struggle was longer and harder, for not only did Bruce have to fight Longshanks - and later his son Edward II, to see Scotland free - he had to fight the mighty clan Comyn who control nearly 2/3s of Scotland.

The language of Barbour's epic, translations edited by A.A.M. Duncan, is easy to read, and lends such wealth into seeing Robert the Bruce and James Douglas as men, not just heroes. It gives such strong imagery and insight into the medieval period of Scotland. This first accessible modern edition of Barbour's work and must for any lover of Scottish History's bookshelf.

BURGESS, MERCHANT AND PRIEST is a relatively new addition to the series of monographs on The Making of Modern Scotland published by Scotland House. This monograph (55 pages) contains a distillation of archeological material gleaned over the past 25+ years about burgh life in Scottish Medieval settlements. Sites listed include Perth and Stirling, plus the deserted burgh of Rattray and the essentially unaltered burgh of Clackmannan.

Settlers in the Scottish burghs appear to have been relatively religious, as shown by material from Christian churches, old grave sites, and miscellaneous items. For me the most intriguing site is Elgin in the Northeast and the Highlands. Elgin was founded by David I in the 12th Century, and wonderful ruins still stand in the heart of the old burgh, including `the Elgin Piller' in the graveyard and the Main Door to the church.

Many other structures have been uncovered by archeologists, from blacksmiths workshops to hospitals for lepers and pilgrims, to farm enclosures. Merchant's seal, old shoes, bits of fabric including the remnants of Spanish silk, a knife handle engraved with a green man, bread ovens, bell molds, and Medieval corn dryers add to the list of "finds". In one of the burghs, Ayr, a Medieval bridge still stands. The monograph includes maps of the burghs, diagrams of the excavation sites, photographs of excavated areas, and a list of places to visit in Scotland where archeological investigations continue.

Neil M. Gunn's narrative prose describes the lives of the people in the Strath of Kildonan during the Highland Clearances in 1813. The characters, Dark Mairi of the Shore, her grandson Davie, the lovely Elie and their neighbors live and love as their ancestors have for hundreds of years. Their keen sense of humor, attachment to the land and struggles to thrive are mixed with Gunn's thought provoking descritions of the land and people. "...sea-water readily curls over and breaks on the shore of the mind" gives us a glimpse of Mairi, who had been born by the sea, but now lives in the Strath (valley). Davie's clowning and joking with Colin, Elie's lover, creates "...a moment of divine ease when live bubbles up clear at the source." Their daily life is interrupted by progress as the man who owns the whole of Sutherland, an Englishman who married a Scottish Countess, plans to "improve" his property by raising sheep for wool and meat. There is no room for thousands of sheep and hundreds of people, so the people must go.

The final chapter of this book might be the most important thing you will ever read on the believer's ground of assurance. Certain knowledge of one's salvation (justification) is to be based solely in the promise of God and NEVER in good works. This is just as Calvin taught who said in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, "If men begin to judge whether they are regenerate by good works nothing will ever be more uncertain or more evil' (and) 'If works be judged by themselves by their imperfection they will no less declare God's wrath than by their incomplete purity will testify to his benevolence' (and) 'When a Christian looks to himself he can only have grounds for anxiety, indeed despair' (and) 'We should not seek assurance by conjecture, for faith corresponds to a simple and free promise, hence no place for doubting is left!'"

The editor Alexander Broadie is Professor of Logic and Rhetoric at Glasgow University- a chair once occupied by Adam Smith author of "Wealth of Nations". This book, "The Scottish Enlightenment", written for the general reader, is a great treatise on a most astonishing period of Scottish history during the 18th century. Broadie writes; "that what gave the Scottish Enlightenment its character as a distinct historical movement was the complex set of relations with a group of geniuses and other immensely creative people living in each others intellectual pockets. Broadie and his colleagues write about the leading Scottish luminaries in the fields of science, philosophy, history, economics, and the arts. The ideas of Hume, Smith, Reid, Ferguson, Hutcheson, Kames, Turnbull, and others had an immense influence on the great thinkers of Europe as well as our founding fathers here in America.

The term "Enlightenment" suggests emergence from darkness. There are two essential features of the enlightenment. First, a demand that people think for themselves. You do not take ideas on faith but you inquire study and observe for yourself. Second, social virtue of tolerance of ideas. The state and church cannot punish one for their ideas. This allows literati of men to meet and exchange ideas on a plethora of subjects and to spread these ideas through their writings so that other literati in Europe can comment and react to them. Thinking becomes a civil activity with ideas in the public domain. These men love liberty and are looking to build a better society for humanity. They believe that if morality is about anything it is about - protecting the civilized values vested in society. No wonder these men had a great influence on our founding fathers! The Scottish Enlightenment was Scotland's chief export to America. The consequences for the Scottish Enlightenment were much theorizing about society and social change and the nature of freedom.

If you are truly interested in a classical education put this book on the top of your reading list! I recommend this book for anyone interested in philosophy, history, political science, and history of America's founding era.

Highland Settler, with its look into the difficulty of life of the Scots, driven from their land by the English, is a memorable look into frontier life (to the recent past) of an honorable people. The struggles against trees; the pride and perseverance; the discrimination. It's described in this well written documentary, sadly out of print. It also gives me an appreciation of my forefathers in this new land. Dr. P.J. Deason

The Castle was full of interesting characters, some I liked, some I loved, others I loathed. There were heroes and heroines, even though some of them were both good and bad. But the people seemed real to me, and I found myself rooting for them throughout. The Castle itself was a unique setting, with its blend of history and fantasy that made it a world all on its own. The mythical land of Scotia was described beautifully and I hung on every word as the author lovingly painted it day by day. I wanted to solve the essential mystery, and read on eagerly to do so. But I did not want it to end. The blend of political intrigue and suspense was well done. I felt as if Scotia was a real place I would have loved to visit and The Castle an adventure I would have thrilled to experience.

This book has very interesting information about the training of the British Commandos. See how the US Rangers measured up to the Commandos when Rangers were sent to Scotland to train with Commando units in preparation for WWII. The book ends with Commando experiences on D-Day.

I personnaly bought and used the 1994 edition of this great book to plan a trip including Scotland. It's size and details were great as an "on the road" reference. Now I can really say-"Been there, Done that, Got the shot glass from Eilean Donan"

I bought this book thirteen years ago and still treasure it. Though the information on each cathedral is, at times, overly extensive for the layman, it's nonetheless an informative, enjoyable read that will make you marvel at the incredibly beautiful and inspiring architecture of medieval churches.

Ah, if only churches nowadays were built in the same style (and with the same dedication and enthusiasm) as they were in the Middle Ages. The photographs in the book are outstanding so it will also make a terrific coffee table accent.