Scottish Life

In The Wisdom of the Shire, Noble Smith sheds light on the life-changing ideas tucked away inside the classic works of J. R. R. Tolkien and his most beloved creation—the stouthearted Hobbits. Drawing on The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and other tales of Middle-earth, Smith shows how a snug hobbit-hole is actually just a state of mind and how even the smallest person can have the valor of a Rider of Rohan.

Charles Dickens: A Life gives full measure to Dickens's heroic stature - his huge virtues both as a writer and as a human being - while observing his failings in both respects with an unblinking eye. Renowned literary biographer Claire Tomalin crafts a story worthy of Dickens's own pen, a comedy that turns to tragedy as the very qualities that made him great - his indomitable energy, boldness, imagination, and showmanship - finally destroyed him.

Lucy’s life is a mess. Will a reality TV show about love set in a beautiful Scottish castle help her find some answers or cause even more heartache and problems? Lucy’s life is a mess. It’s official. Her ex just walked out on his wedding, telling everyone it’s because he’s still in love with Lucy. Now, she’s on the town’s most hated list, even though she’s the innocent party in this whole dreadful wedding day fiasco. Desperate for a place to escape to while the dust dies down, Lucy gets the chance to stay in a luxury castle in the Scottish Highlands - for free. The catch? ...

New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan returns to the beloved Scottish Highland town of Kirrinfief, which readers first met in The Bookshop on the Shore, and adds a dash of London’s bustling urban landscape. Lissie, is a nurse in a gritty, hectic London neighborhood. Always terribly...

As seen on the BBC’s This Farming Life. The inspirational story of Lynbreck Croft - a regenerative Scottish farm rooted in local food, community, and the dreams of two women. Lynn and Sandra left their friends, family, and jobs in England to travel north to Scotland to find a bit of land that they could call their own. They had in mind keeping a few chickens, a kitchen garden, and renting out some camping space; instead, they fell in love with Lynbreck Croft - 150 acres of opportunity and beauty, shrouded by the Cairngorms and deep in the Highlands of Scotland.

Escape to breathtaking Ireland in a story of passion, mystery, and suspense. She will fight to protect her heart. Stunning as a sunrise, Sondra Keane enchants men everywhere she goes. Fiercely independent, she has everything she needs: her own clothing shop, her best friend, Darcie, and a penchant for life that radiates from her every move. But underneath her vibrant exterior, a darkness shadows her heart. She trusts no one, especially herself. He will fight to protect her. Simon O’Brian loves the ladies and was perfectly happy with Miss Right Now - until Sondra. Sassy and intelligent, ...

Nina Redmond is a librarian with a gift for finding the perfect book for her readers. But can she write her own happy-ever-after? In this valentine to readers, librarians, and book-lovers the world over, the New York Times-bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakery returns with a funny...

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Café by the Sea—whose novels are “an evocative, sweet treat” (JOJO MOYES)—comes this heartwarming holiday novel set on a charming Scottish island. On the remote Scottish island of Mure, the Christmas season is stark, windy, and icy—yet...

William Wallace; if ever there was a champion in the annals of Scottish history, he was it. Known as a proud Scot who rose through the ranks to challenge the English king, Wallace was a mere man who became larger than life - large enough even for the likes of Mel Gibson to play him in Braveheart for movie-going audiences on the silver screen. But who was William Wallace? What separates the real man from the myth?

Robert the Bruce is one of the most iconic figures of Scottish history. Born in Scotland’s desperate hour of need, Robert stepped forward to answer the call. In the early 1300s, the situation looked bleak for the Scottish with the might of England and its eager monarch King Edward I threatening to crush any resistance to his rule. In 1305, the former freedom fighter William Wallace had already been captured and cruelly executed.

Struggling with the tragic end of her marriage, Keaka Denney is on a bittersweet adventure in Scotland with her son, Colin. She’s joining him on a weeklong hike along the West Highland Way before he enters university in Glasgow. Soon into the journey, Keaka’s disquieting visions begin—a woman from ages past reaching for Colin, a burning cottage, violence.

William Wallace is one of the most famous freedom fighters in history. Over 700 years after his death he is still remembered as Scotland's beloved hero. But while the movie Braveheart helped make him a household name, and he is commemorated across Scotland as a natural leader and a loyal son of his homeland, he is also "the most mysterious of the leaders of the Scottish resistance to Edward I".

‘Windswept is a wonderful work, prose painted in bold, bright strokes like a Scottish Colourist's canvas’ ROBERT MACFARLANE ‘An instant classic of British nature-writing’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH A few years ago, Annie Worsley traded a busy life in academia to take on a small-holding or croft on...

Discover the fascinating lives of the iconic figures that have shaped Scotland from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Explore the rich history of Scotland’s cultural, social and political landscape, with more than 100 obituaries carefully curated from The Times archive. The...

A master world-builder skilled at creating suspenseful prose, Acacia Lawson's first book, My Past Lives And How They Came Back to Haunt Me, is an epic multi-period piece based on her soul's journey into past lifetime regression; recounting beautiful (and oftentimes raw) realities, and delivered through the eyes of 10 independent characters, each coming to the end of their life, with a pulse-pounding 24 hours left to live. From a savage Mongolian warlord who is outsmarted by a clever witch to a fantasy Priestess who summons storms to stop enemy soldiers from landing on the beach and killing ...

Claire MacDonald traded her Scottish roots for a high-powered career in London, but when exhaustion forces her to return home for Christmas, she finds more than just rest in the snow-covered Highlands. Her brother is struggling with divorce, her family is barely speaking to her, and her childhood sweetheart, Lachlan Fraser, stirs up feelings she thought she had buried decades ago. As she revives her grandmother's cherished greenhouse, navigates family tensions, and rediscovers the joy of Highland traditions, Claire realizes that success isn't measured by spreadsheets and business deals. ...

The four Grace sisters love their quiet life in the country village of Chevis Green. To some, their insular world might seem dull, but the sisters never seem to run out of conversation, jokes, and pleasant ways to pass the time together. They truly are the happiest of families. That is, until Aunt Rona comes to town. Rona intends to stay with the Graces indefinitely, and her meddlesome attitude immediately sets the sisters' teeth on edge. Throw in another unexpected houseguest, some potential suitors and a case of mistaken intentions, and the members of the Grace family suddenly find themselves quite out of their element.

In an age marked by confusion about the Christian life, The Path of Holiness calls believers back to the solid ground of Scripture and the rich heritage of Reformed theology. Drawing from the pulpit ministry of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Rev. Graeme Craig presents a pastoral and doctrinal exploration of sanctification that avoids both barren intellectualism and shallow pragmatism. This book does not begin with what Christians must do, but with what God has already done through union with Christ. Across five carefully crafted chapters, the reader is guided through three ...

This audio edition is read by the author and was recorded in a remote studio in Shetland. 'Storm Pegs perfectly captures the knotting of language and landscape. I was transported.' - Katherine May, Sunday Times bestselling author of Wintering From the winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize and the...

An alternative biography of Mary, Queen of Scots through the textiles of her life from the author of Sunday Times bestseller Threads of Life. I felt that Mary was there, pulling at my sleeve, willing me to appreciate the artistry, wanting me to understand the dazzle of the material world that...