The 39 Steps  •  Alfred Hitchcock 1935 •  DVD One of Hitchcock's "wrong man" spy sagas, this classic film follows a Canadian tourist in London (Robert Donat) who becomes entangled in an underground epsionage plot that leads him to a remote mountain town in Scotland. Part of the Criterion Collection. (GBR493, $39.95)
Art of the Celts  •  Lloyd Robert Laing  •  Jennifer Laing ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A volume in the acclaimed "World of Art" series, this is a broad introduction to Celtic art, from the 5th century B.C. to 1200 A.D. (CLT02, $14.95)
Aunt Dimity And the Deep Blue Sea  •  Nancy Atherton MYSTERY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES The newest addition to the Aunt Dimity series is sure to delight devoted fans and newcomers alike. A most cheerful and eccentric mystery set on a remote island off the shore of Scotland, where Lori Shepard gets drawn into a perilous whodunit, calling again on the supernatural counsel of Aunt Dimity. (SCT117, $7.99)
Beside the Ocean of Time  •  George M. Brown LITERATURE •  1994 •  PAPER  • 217 PAGES • COMING IN A gentle coming-of-age tale by the Bard of Orkney George Mackay Brown. His short novel invokes the prehistoric ruins, Norse history and long traditions of rural Orkney in graceful prose with lovely attention to detail and rich insight into place. Shortlisted for the Booker prize in 1994, Beside the Ocean of Time is told from the point of the young daydreamer Thorfinn Ragnarson, the son of a crofter. (SCT14, $19.95)
Blue Guide Scotland  •  Elspeth Wills GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES A guide to what to see and where to go in Scotland, with particular attention to art, architecture and history. (SCT50, $24.95)
Bradt Guide Eccentric Britain  •  Benedict le Vay GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES In this characteristically informative guide in the Bradt series, Benedict le Vay shows that Monty Python is just the tip of the iceberg of absurdity in a region brimming with oddities-- although with section headings like "Stately pigs of old England and sty society" and "Britain's top ten (plus) towers (mostly with very tall stories)," he might as well be a member of the troupe. A must for the traveler who longs to veer off of the off-the-beaten-track. (GBR586, $22.95)
Braveheart  •  Mel Gibson HISTORY •  2002 •  DVD The legend of William Wallace is brought to life in this Academy Award winning film starring Mel Gibson and Sophie Marceau. 177 minutes. (SCT91, $19.99)
Brigadoon  •  Vincente Minnelli CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  DVD In this 1954 Cinescope musical, Gene Kelly and Van Johnson play two Americans who stumble upon an enchanted Scottish village where each night passes as though it were a hundred years. Cyd Charisse plays the lovely lass who steals Gene Kelly's heart. 108 minutes. In color. (SCT88, $19.97)
British Isles Map, Great Britain and Ireland  •  Michelin Travel Publications 2008 •  MAP This colorful and accurate, regularly updated map shows both Great Britain and Ireland at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Featuring excellent road data. (GBR07, $11.95)
The British Isles, A History of Four Nations  •  Hugh Kearney HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 324 PAGES A survey of 2000 years of British history from the Celts to the Romans, the Normans, to the rise (and fall) of the empire. With a welcome focus on the interaction of the Celts, Normans and other cultures that have made their home in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Highly recommended. (GBR88, $35.99)
British Isles, Great Britain & Ireland Map  •  Hammond Maps 2008 •  MAP The Brits are famously in love with geography, and this is their homegrown, colorful and accurate map of both Great Britain and Ireland at a scale of 1:800,000, featuring excellent road data. (GBR29, $11.95)
Britons: Forging the Nations, 1707-1837  •  Linda Colley HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 413 PAGES Winner of the 1992 Wolfson History Prize given in London for the best history accessible to general readers, this very interesting study of the formation of a national British identity recounts the joining of England, Scotland and Wales. This political, military and social history records how the ruling elite withstood threats from within and without from the Jacobites to the French, the path from Protestantism to profits via trade, war and empire, the making of the British ruling class, the women's sphere, and parliamentary reforms from the act of Union to the beginning of the Victorian Age. (GBR81, $22.50)
Cadogan Guide Scotland's Highlands & Islands  •  Richenda Miers GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 344 PAGES A comprehensive and intelligent guidebook to the Scottish Highlands and islands, featuring color photographs, maps and well-written practical information. (SCT107, $18.95)
The Careful Use of Compliments, An Isabel Dalhousie Novel  •  Alexander McCall Smith LITERATURE •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES The fourth installment of the author's popular Isabel Dalhousie mystery series. (SCT125, $21.95)
Cathedrals and Castles, Building in the Middle Ages  •  Alain Erlande-Brandenburg ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 175 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE A slim encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages. This volume in the acclaimed "Discoveries" series features hundreds of drawings and color illustrations, a brief chronology and more information than you would imagine between its slim covers. Take it along to gain a better appreciation of the Middle Ages and its legacy in Europe. (MED07, $12.95)
A Celtic Miscellany  •  Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson ANTHOLOGY •  1975 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A survey of Celtic literature through the ages from bardic elegies to heroic sagas. (IRE93, $16.00)
Celtic Prayers from Iona  •  J. Philip Newell RELIGION •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 96 PAGES Inspired by the gaelic prayers and poems of the 19th-century Scotsman Alexander Carmichael, Philip Newell and his wife developed this handsome hard cover book while wardens on the island. (SCT21, $14.95)
The Celts: A Very Short Introduction  •  Barry W Cunliffe HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 161 PAGES A concise, revealing social history of the Celts, by a reigning authority and popular writer. (CLT03, $11.95)
Charles Rennie Mackintosh  •  Alan Crawford ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES A heavily illustrated, compact survey of the work of Scottish Art Nouveau designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. An architect, decorator and painter, Mackintosh helped revolutionize art and design in 20th century Europe. This book in the acclaimed "World of Art" series examines his progress from the turn of the century through the 1920s. (SCT24, $18.95)
Checkmate  •  Dorothy Dunnett LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 608 PAGES The sixth and final volume in the Lymond Chronicles finds Francis Crawford of Lymond in France, leading an army in battle against the English and trying to escape his past. (SCT94, $16.95)
Clara's Grand Tour, Travels With a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-century Europe  •  Glynis Ridley HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES The entertaining history of a most unusual eighteenth-century European celebrity. Clara the Indian rhinoceros was brought to Europe in 1741 by the Dutch sea captain Douwemout Van der Meer, and toured for seventeen years, to the delight of heads of state such as Louis XV and Frederick the Great. A marvelous and unique look at the introduction of Eastern wildlife into the Western world. (FRN536, $12.00)
Companion Guide Edinburgh and the Borders Country  •  A.J. Youngson GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 420 PAGES An introduction to the history, culture and architecture of this grand city and its outlying areas. Youngson covers in rich, personable detail the Old Town, 18th-century New Town and the gardens, castles and abbeys of the border country. (SCT19, $34.95)
Crowded with Genius, The Scottish Enlightenment: Edinburgh's Moment of the Mind  •  James Buchan HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 436 PAGES A well-written exploration of Edinburgh and the achievements of its noted thinkers from the failed Scottish revolution of 1745 through the turn of the 19th century. The Whitbread-winning Buchan details the scientific, literary, and philosophical accomplishments of Adam Smith, James Hutton, Robert Burns and others who led Scotland into the age of Romanticism. (SCT84, $14.95)
Culture Smart! Britain, A Quick Guide to Customs And Etiquette  •  Paul Norbury GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 168 PAGES A concise, no-nonsense guide to local customs, etiquette and culture with a short overview of the land and people along with practical travel advice. (GBR736, $9.95)
Curious Scotland, Tales From a Hidden History  •  George Rosie HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 244 PAGES A journalist, playwright and raconteur, Rosie spins half-forgotten and neglected Scottish stories in this entertaining and unconventional history. (SCT116, $23.95)
Death of a Gossip  •  M.C. Beaton MYSTERY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES In this mystery rich in environmental detail, Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth investigates the murder of a gossip columnist in a coastal fishing town. (SCT120, $6.99)
Discovering Scottish Architecture  •  T. W. West ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A concise survey of Scottish architecture to the 20th century intended for travelers. With 96 illustrations keyed to the text. (SCT49, $15.00)
The Disorderly Knights  •  Dorothy Dunnett LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES The third volume in the Lymond Chronicles follows Francis Crawford of Lymond to Malta, where he has been sent to help the Knights of Hospitallers defend their island against the invading Turks. He soon finds, however, that the greatest danger to the Knights comes from within their own order. (SCT95, $16.95)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  •  Robert Louis Stevenson LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES Stevenson's gothic classic set in Edinburgh -- a great horror story and allegory for the dual nature of man. (SCT74, $3.95)
Dragonfly in Amber  •  Diana Gabaldon MYSTERY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 960 PAGES (SCT102, $7.99)
Drums of Autumn  •  Diana Gabaldon MYSTERY •  1997 •  PAPER  • 1088 PAGES (SCT104, $7.99)
The Edge of the World  •  Michael Powell CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1937 •  DVD This early film by the great British director, shot entirely on the wild, windswept island of Foula in the Shetlands, follows with almost ethnographic detail a conflict between two families on the island. It's an achingly beautiful tribute to a soon to be gone way of life. This lovingly produced DVD includes Powell's Return to the Edge of the World, a WWII short and commentary by film historian Ian Christian. Daniel Day-Lewis reads from Powell's book on the making of the film. (SCT79, $29.95)
Edinburgh Map  •  Streetwise 2000 •  MAP A laminated, folded map of Edinburgh at a scale of 1:12,000. (SCT52, $7.95)
Eyewitness Guide Great Britain  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 720 PAGES With its 1,400 photos, maps and excellent introductory chapters, this guide is both a general introduction to Great Britain and a region-by-region look at its attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (GBR01, $30.00)
Eyewitness Guide Scotland  •  Eyewitness Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  FLEXI-BOUND  • 224 PAGES A compact illustrated travel guide featuring bright color photography, dozens of excellent maps, and a region-by-region synopsis of Scotland's attractions. With a 50-page section on where to stay and eat. (SCT40, $23.00)
The Falls  •  Ian Rankin MYSTERY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 496 PAGES When a wealthy Edinburgh University student goes missing, inspectors Rebus and Clark uncover a bizarre secret in her e-mail correspondence. (SCT150, $7.99)
A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe  •  Guy Mountfort FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 212 PAGES Every birder has their favorite field guide, but you can't go wrong with this classic in the Peterson series: compact, illustrated and convenient, covering 698 species. With range maps. (EUR15, $22.00)
The Fiery Cross  •  Diana Gabaldon MYSTERY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 1456 PAGES (SCT100, $7.99)
Final Rounds, A Father, a Son, the Golf Journey of a Lifetime  •  James Dodson TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES Golf magazine columnist Dodson tells the heartfelt story of a trip with his father, during his father's final months, to the great courses of Scotland and England. With plenty of golf lore and legend, and the wise conclusion that golf is mostly about who you choose to play with. (GOL02, $16.00)
Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf  •  Ben Hogan SPORT •  1985 •  PAPER  • 127 PAGES A master of golf provides instruction on improving your game in this 1957 classic. (GOL11, $12.00)
Fodor's London's 25 Best  •  Fodor's GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES This slim guide to London includes a separate map of the city's center and a 96-page pocket book with essential information on its highlights, including restaurant recommendations and sightseeing. (GBR08, $11.95)
Fodor's Scotland  •  Linda Cabasin GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 496 PAGES A practical guide in the popular series, saturated with valuable information on accommodation, shopping, sights, and dining. (SCT129, $21.95)
Fodor's See It Scotland  •  Fodors GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 344 PAGES An inaugural volume in this new line of guides by Fodor's this book is notable for its especially vibrant presentation of the country. Each page displays full-color photos accompanied by much useful information on how to eat, sleep, shop, and sightsee in Scotland. (SCT80, $22.95)
Footprint Scotland Highlands and Islands Handbook  •  Alan Murphy GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 692 PAGES A well organized comprehensive guide in the British series with helpful sketch maps throughout. (SCT62, $23.95)
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate  •  Alexander McCall Smith MYSTERY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES From the author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes detective Isabel Dalhousie, the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics and host of the Sunday Philosophy Club at her home in Edinburgh. In book two of the series, Isabel looks after her niece's delicatessen, meets an eclectic cast of characters, and ponders the mysteries of chocolate. (SCT113, $13.95)
Frommer's 25 Great Drives in Scotland  •  David Williams GUIDEBOOK •  2009 •  PAPER • COMING IN FEBRUARY Produced in conjunction with the British Automobile Association, these full-color guides focus on scenic and out-of-the-way highways and byways. With detailed maps and suggestions on what to see and where to eat and sleep along the way. (SCT141, $18.99)
Frommer's Day by Day Edinburgh  •  Barry Shelby GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 228 PAGES A compact shirt pocket guide, ideal for a short visit, featuring remarkably good suggestions for everything from food to hotels, neighborhoods and shopping. With a separate foldout map of the city center. (SCT136, $13.99)
The Game of Kings  •  Dorothy Dunnett LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES The first volume in the sweeping Lymond Chronicles by a master of historical romance. Set in the 1500's in Edinborough, Scotland, Dunnett's story follows Francis Crawford of Lymand and his band of outlaws as they fight the English for the country they love. (SCT93, $16.95)
Glasgow Map  •  A-Z MAP A convenient, folded and detailed city map of Glasgow at a scale of 1:19,000 in the excellent series by the Geographers' A-Z Map Company in Britain. (SCT99, $14.95)
The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral  •  Robert A. Scott ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES Scott, whose interest in the history of cathedrals began when he first saw the magnificent Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salisbury, England, takes his reader on a historical, architectural and sociological tour of the magnificent spires and stained-glass windows that dot the landscape of Europe. It's an accessible, personable overview. (EUR190, $17.95)
The Grand Scuttle, The Sinking of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919  •  Dan Van Der Vat HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES Drawing on archives and previously unpublished documents, Van Der Vat explores the hows and whys of the 1919 sinking of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow by its own officers and men. (SCT130, $14.99)
Great Britain and Ireland Map  •  Freytag & Berndt MAP A nicely detailed map showing both Great Britain and Ireland at a scale of 1:700,000. (GBR31, $12.95)
Great Britain Map  •  Ordnance Survey MAP The Brits are famously in love with geography, and this is their homegrown, excellent map of Great Britain, at a scale of 1:650,000. (GBR06, $12.95)
A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany  •  Aubrey Burl GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 276 PAGES An excellent guide to finding -- and understanding -- all the major sites, plus a few not-so-well known ones. It includes maps, black-and-white photographs, site diagrams, and a bibliography. (GBR102, $35.00)
Here Is Where We Meet  •  John Berger LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This novel weaves a portrait of several European countries through encounters with the dead, from the narrator's mother, whom he discovers on a park bench in Lisbon, to a childhood friend wandering a market in Krakow. "The dead don't stay where they are buried," the protagonist's mother tells him, and this becomes the mantra for this most unusual journey through Europe's history and people. (EUR189, $14.00)
A History of Scotland  •  J.D. Mackie HISTORY •  1978 •  PAPER  • 380 PAGES A concise history of Scotland from Mesolithic settlers to modern times, vividly written and fair. This second edition carries the national story forward to the 1970s. (SCT16, $17.00)
How the Scots Invented the Modern World  •  Arthur Herman HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 472 PAGES The emigration of Scottish peoples and ideas is the subject of this bestselling history. Herman argues (convincingly) that many of the greatest political, intellectual and technological innovations of the 18th and 19th centuries came from the Scots. (SCT65, $14.95)
In Search of England  •  H.V. Morton  •  James Morris TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 274 PAGES The much-beloved, enduring account of Morton's ramblings through the English countryside in the early days of the motorcar. As in all of his many travel books, Morton charmingly mixes a deep appreciation of the art, culture, and especially, the history of a place with his own keen observations. First published in 1927 and now returned to print in a handsome paper edition with an introduction by Jan Morris. (GBR368, $16.00)
An Innocent in Scotland, More Curious Rambles and Singular Encounters  •  David W. McFadden TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 346 PAGES A sequel to his rambles in Ireland, McFadden again taps local lore, personality and history in this most entertaining journey through Scotland. As more of an excuse to travel than a formula, the book is loosely modeled after Morton's 1920s "In Search of Scotland." (SCT28, $18.95)
Insight Compact Guide Scottish Highlands  •  Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK •  1998 •  PAPER  • 79 PAGES A brief introduction to the Scottish Highlands with color photos, maps and suggested routes. (SCT32, $7.95)
Insight Guide Scotland  •  Josephine Buchanan GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 346 PAGES A thoroughly illustrated guide combining hundreds of photographs, excellent color maps and brief essays on the culture, history and nature of Scotland. (SCT64, $23.95)
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides  •  Samuel Johnson  •  James Boswell TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1984 •  PAPER  • 429 PAGES Written when Johnson was 63 and Boswell 32 in 1773 (when they had been friends for ten years), these travel journals were the result of a three-month trip to Scotland. Johnson observed Scotland, and Boswell observed Johnson. Witty and entertaining, these travel classics complement each other as Johnson describes the customs, education, religion, agriculture, and trade of the Scots, and Boswell records Johnson's behavior and conversation. (SCT07, $18.00)
Karen Brown's England, Wales and Scotland: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries  •  June Brown GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 372 PAGES A survey of inns, castles and other lodging of character, along with suggested itineraries and highlights of each region. (GBR309, $19.95)
Kidnapped  •  Robert Louis Stevenson LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES Set in 18th-century Scotland after the Jacobite Rebellion, this is a story of attempted murder, shipwreck, and kidnapping as told by a young Whig who has been deceived by his missing uncle. With great feeling for the Scottish landscape, history, and the local atmosphere, this classic tale of the conflict between Lowlanders and Highlanders mirrors the split sympathies of the author himself. (SCT02, $9.00)
Knopf Guide Scotland  •  Knopf Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2001 •  PAPER  • 312 PAGES Fully illustrated with hundreds of color photographs, this comprehensive guide includes tips on transportation, lodging, dining and shopping, from Edinburgh to Glasgow. (GBR192, $25.00)
Knots and Crosses  •  Ian Rankin MYSTERY •  1995 •  PAPER  • 228 PAGES Detective John Rebus investigates a series of grizzly killings in his hometown of Edinburgh. (SCT121, $7.99)
Lady of the Lake  •  Walter Scott BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  PAPER (SCT59, $19.95)
Large Scale Great Britain Topographic Maps  •  Ordnance Survey MAP Large Scale Great Britain Topographic Maps (GBR103, $11.95)
The Last of the Celts  •  Marcus Tanner HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 398 PAGES Welsh journalist Tanner mixes anecdote, interview and research in this lively account of encounters with far-flung Celts from Scotland, Wales and Belfast to Brittany, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Trelew. (GBR527, $22.00)
Life of St. Columba  •  Adomnan of Iona  •  Richard Sharpe BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1995 •  PAPER  • 395 PAGES An early account of the life of St. Columba (521-97), the 6th-century abbot who established the monastery on Iona. Written by Adomnan of Iona at the turn of the 8th century, it introduces the profoundly spiritual man as well as his famous abbey. A Penguin Classic. (IRE103, $17.00)
The Life of Walter Scott, A Critical Biography  •  John Sutherland BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1998 •  PAPER  • 386 PAGES Sutherland's discerning biography digs beneath the myth to illuminate the life of Sir Walter Scott as not only a literary figure but also a social critic, and Scot. (SCT92, $29.95)
Local Hero  •  Bill Forsyth CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  DVD 111 minutes. (SCT90, $9.97)
Loch Assynt, Lochinver and Kylesku Map  •  Ordnance Survey MAP A detailed (1:50,000) regional map in the Landranger series by the British Ordnance Survey. It covers an area, including Loch Assynt, of 25 miles by 25 miles. (SCT86, $16.95)
Lonely Planet Edinburgh Encounter  •  Neil Wilson GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER With a section of not-to-missed highlights and a calendar of annual events, this lively pocket guide organized by neighborhood includes suggested side trips, along what to see and where to shop, eat, drink and play. With a double-sided pullout map. (SCT138, $11.99)
Lonely Planet Scotland  •  Tom Smallman  •  Graeme Cornwallis GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 476 PAGES In its hallmark style, this practical guide to Scotland by Lonely Planet features maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With a section of color photos and 50 maps. (SCT37, $22.99)
Lorna Doone  •  R.D. Blackmore LITERATURE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 680 PAGES A classic originally published in 1869, this historical novel is set at the time of the Monmouth Rebellion in the 17th century during the reign of Charles II. A yeoman farmer living in Exmoor plans to rescue and marry a young aristocrat whose family killed his father. (GBR83, $13.95)
Lost Balls: Great Holes, Tough Shots and Bad Lies  •  Charles Lindsay  •  John Updike SPORT •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 128 PAGES A lighthearted collection of photographs of the world's great golf courses and many ways one can lose a ball. With a forward by John Updike. (GOL04, $29.99)
Macbeth  •  William Shakespeare LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES This edition of the Bard's tragedy is heavily footnoted, providing lots of commentary on the immortal text. Set in Scotland. (SCT75, $10.95)
The Mackintosh Style, Design and Decor  •  Elizabeth Wilhide ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1995 •  HARD COVER  • 160 PAGES This concise volume illustrates the most celebrated works of the Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. From his spare high-backed chairs to the intricate details of the famous Glasgow School of Art, this book showcases the complex yet graceful use of lines that characterized his work. Includes 90 color images and a list of important sites for the traveler interested in Mackintosh's work. (SCT26, $29.95)
Mammals of Europe  •  Priscilla Barrett  •  David W. MacDonald FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Published by Princeton, this is a field guide to land and marine mammals throughout Europe, both endemic and introduced. With more than 600 color illustrations of over 200 mammals, it's a comprehensive handbook, with detailed descriptions, range maps and commentary on behavior. (FG61, $34.95)
Mary Queen of Scots  •  Antonia Fraser BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1993 •  PAPER  • 613 PAGES Claimant to the thrones of two nations by her royal birth, Mary lost her head by scandalizing her world with a foolish passion. Betrayed by those she trusted, she lost the power game to her cousin Elizabeth I. This richly readable biography, the story of a legend who was loved even en route to her death, illuminates Mary's age as well as the figure herself. (SCT01, $20.00)
Michelin Green Guide Scotland  •  Michelin Travel Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES Part of the Michelin Green Guide series, this guidebook provides the most useful and accurate information in a practical format. Perfect for the traveler who is looking for a guide without flowery descriptions. (SCT36, $21.95)
Moon Scotland  •  Luke Waterson GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 500 PAGES • COMING IN JANUARY This up-to-date, practical guide features dozens of maps and a focus on the outdoors. (SCT140, $22.95)
The Mother Tongue, English and How it Got that Way  •  Bill Bryson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1996 •  PAPER  • 270 PAGES An indispensable guide to the language that divides us, this book is a humorous and informative history of the English language that showcases Bryson's wry wit. He traces the development of the English language and its oddities from the Neolithic to present. Excellent. (GBR15, $14.95)
Natives And Exotics  •  Jane Alison LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES (PGL52, $13.00)
Nightmare at Scapa Flow: The Truth About the Sinking of HMS Royal Oak  •  H. J. Weaver HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 198 PAGES Sinking the battleship HMS Royal Oak in the Royal Navy's home anchorage, with the loss of more than 800 of her crew, was Germany's first shattering blow against Britain in the 1939-45 war. (SCT148, $16.95)
No Laughing Matter  •  Peter Guttridge MYSTERY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 277 PAGES The first book in the popular Nick Madrid series. A naked woman falls -- or is pushed -- from atop a hotel during the gentle journalist's trip to the Montreal Just For Laughs festival. To solve the mystery, Madrid, a self-deprecating, yoga-loving British journalist, must search the streets of Edinburgh and the secrets of Hollywood. (CND256, $13.00)
Northern Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Map  •  Ordnance Survey MAP A detailed, full-color road map of northern Scotland, including inset maps of Orkney and Shetland, at a scale 1:250,000. With an index, distance chart and very good topographic detail. It covers all the highlands from Fort William, the Cairngorms and Strathmore north. (SCT35, $12.95)
Notes from a Small Island  •  Bill Bryson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 324 PAGES This is a farewell walking tour of England by an American expatriate who has decided to return home after two decades. It is full of rich conversations, humorous anecdotes and amusing interactions with the natives who often astonish him (and the reader) with their observations and attitudes. A good-natured tour de force through the country's foibles as well as its charms, this is a congenial companion for any trip to the sceptered isle. (GBR16, $14.95)
The Observations  •  Jane Harris LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER This marvelously atmospheric novel, solidly set in Victorian-era Edinburgh, follows the adventures of a savvy chambermaid, who lands a job at the castle. (SCT124, $14.00)
Off in a Boat, Hebridean Voyage  •  Neil Miller Gunn TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1990 •  PAPER  • 348 PAGES A classic tale of a 1930s voyage through the Hebrides by the well regarded Scottish novelist, (who quit his dull job with the civil service, sold his house, bought a useless boat, and tooled around the Inner Hebrides. Gunn captures the romance and exhilaration of a small boat voy age, interweaving his own adventures with Norse and Celtic tales. (GBR66, $14.95)
Outlander  •  Diana Gabaldon MYSTERY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 896 PAGES (SCT101, $7.99)
The Oxford Companion to Scottish History  •  Michael Lynch HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 768 PAGES An illustrated, authoritative reference to Scotland from ancient times to today, organized as an encyclopedia and featuring contributions from a large panel of experts. (SCT128, $23.95)
A Passion for Scotland  •  David R. Ross HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 136 PAGES An enthusiastic celebration of Scotland from a native Scot, incorporating history, politics and travels. (SCT70, $10.95)
Pawn in Frankincense  •  Dorothy Dunnett LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 512 PAGES In the fourth volume of the Chronicles of Lymond, the exiled Scottish nobleman Francis Crawford, under the guise of a mission for the Sultan, searches for his son in the Ottoman Empire. (SCT97, $15.95)
Pax Britannica, The Climax of Empire  •  James Morris HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 527 PAGES The centerpiece of the trilogy "Pax Britannica," this entertaining history concentrates on the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, celebrated as a festival of imperial power and splendor. This is a historical travel book, focusing on how the empire looked and felt at the end of the 19th century, its structure and laws, imperial architecture, parks, gardens, arts, railroads, shipping, roads, the Royal Navy, mapping, and irrigation from India to Canada and Rhodesia. (GBR10, $26.00)
Polly, The True Story Behind Whiskey Galore  •  Roger Hutchinson HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 155 PAGES A history of the famous wreck of the S.S. Politician in the outer Hebrides in 1941. The ship was full of whiskey, the locals seized it, and the subsequent wrangling pitted the Hebrideans against the ship's owners. It's the event that is the basis for the novel and film Whisky Galore. (GBR65, $18.00)
Portrait of Scotland  •  Colin Baxter CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2000 •  PAPER  • 96 PAGES An excellent short introduction to the beauty and mystery of the Scottish highlands and islands, featuring stunning color photographs by Colin Baxter. (SCT87, $16.95)
Queens' Play  •  Dorothy Dunnett LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES In the second volume of the Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford of Lymond is chosen to escort the young Mary Queen of Scots from their native country to the courts of France. To protect the little girl at the center of so much political intrigue, Crawford must use all his skill and cunning. (SCT98, $15.95)
Raven Black  •  Ann Cleeves MYSTERY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES Winner of Britain's coveted Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award, Ann Cleeves introduces a dazzling new suspense series to U.S. mystery readers. Raven Black begins on New Year's Eve with a lonely outcast named Magnus Tait, who stays home waiting for visitors who never come. But the next morning the body of a murdered teenage girl is discovered nearby, and suspicion falls on Magnus. Inspector Jimmy Perez enters an investigative maze that leads deeper into the past of the Shetland Islands than anyone wants to go. (GBR700, $13.95)
Rick Steves' French, Italian & German Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. French, German and Italian phrases are side-by-side on the page so that you can pick and choose depending on the situation. This is no dry litany but instead peppered with humor and Rick Steves' insider insight into how to break the ice and make friends around the world. (EUR142, $9.95)
Right Attitude To Rain, An Isabel Dalhousie Mystery  •  Alexander McCall Smith MYSTERY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 320 PAGES From the author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes detective Isabel Dalhousie, the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics and host of the Sunday Philosophy Club at her home in Edinburgh. In this third installment in the series, the mystery unfolds when suspicious Texan visitors arrive in Scotland. (SCT112, $21.95)
The Ringed Castle  •  Dorothy Dunnett LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 544 PAGES In the fifth volume of the Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford of Lymond becomes an advisor to the tsar of Russia, Ivan the Terrible. As Francis struggles to modernize the court at Muscovy, there are those in England making their own plans for him. (SCT96, $15.95)
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire  •  Lawrence James HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 704 PAGES An epic history of the empire's achievements from 1600 to the present, Lawrence spices the book with quotes from private letters and diaries -- and good writing. He captures the mission and destiny that drove adventurers and explorers to travel the world in the name of God and king. From the imperial adventures of Drake to Lawrence of Arabia, the impact of the empire on natives, colonials, and the British at home, the lure of wealth tempered by moral misgivings, British sea power, the American War of Independence. (GBR72, $21.95)
Rob Roy  •  Sir Walter Scott LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 501 PAGES Adventure in the highlands of 18th-century Scotland starring the dashing outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor. Part of the "Penguin Classics" series, this book contains explanatory notes and an introduction that sets it in its historical context. (SCT20, $11.00)
Rob Roy  •  Michael Caton-Jones HISTORY •  2002 •  DVD In 1713 Scotland, Highlander Rob Roy is forced to borrow money from a local aristocrat to help his clan. When the money is stolen, he must use all his courage and cunning to survive. 139 minutes. (SCT89, $14.94)
Rob Roy MacGregor: His Life & Times  •  W. H. Murray BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1998 •  PAPER  • 301 PAGES A nicely old-fashioned, chronological account of the life and times of Scotland's great hero. (SCT31, $11.95)
Rough Guide Celtic Music  •  Various MUSIC •  2005 •  AUDIO CD (GBR801, $14.98)
Rough Guide Scotland  •  Rough Guide GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 888 PAGES A comprehensive, authoritative guide focusing on where to go and what to do from Dumphries and Edinburgh to Stornoway, Kirkwall and Lerwick. (SCT60, $23.99)
Rough Guide Scottish Highlands and Islands  •  Rob Humphreys GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 616 PAGES (SCT132, $18.99)
Rough Guides Britain & Ireland 25 Ultimate Experiences  •  Rough Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES Subtitled Make the Most of Your Time on Earth, these colorful pocket guides, 25 in all, published in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Rough Guides, celebrate remarkable, not-to-be-missed things to do and places to go, certain to inspire. With an appendix including, for example, excellent reading and some practicalities, these teasers might just help you choose the next trip. As a celebration of Rough Guides, their scope and personality, they can't be beat. (GBR719, $5.99)
A Rum Affair, A True Story of Botanical Fraud  •  Karl Sabbagh SCIENCE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 296 PAGES One might be put off by a book sold as " A True Story of Botanical Fraud," but nevertheless, this intriguing tale of bogus scientific claims and fierce debates is captivating. The plot centers around whether some mysterious plants, said to be found on the Scottish Isle of Rum, even exist. (SCT57, $15.00)
Rum, Nature's Island  •  Magnus Magnusson GUIDEBOOK •  2000 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES A general overview of the Scottish Isle of Rum, covering history, culture, geography, nature and practical travel information. Focusing primarily on the ecology of the island, it was published in cooperation with Scottish Natural Heritage. (SCT56, $14.95)
The Scotland Visitor Guide, The Ultimate Guide to Scotland's Attractions  •  Colin Baxter Photography GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Discover and explore the many fascinating attractions of Scotland with this beautifully illustrated guide, from castles and ancient monuments to gardens and wildlife parks. Color maps, complete practical information for travelers, and stunning color photographs by renowned Scottish photographer Colin Baxter make this book a lovely souvenir as well as a useful guide. (SCT135, $21.95)
Scotland's Golf Courses  •  Robert Price GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A guide to more than 500 golf courses in Scotland -- the birthplace of the sport and still a favorite destination for dedicated duffers. (SCT72, $25.00)
Scotland, A Short History  •  Christopher Harvie HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 200 PAGES A brief history, through the formation of the recent Scottish Parliament, by a leading Scottish scholar and writer. (SCT77, $17.95)
Scotland, Archeology and Early History  •  Graham Ritchie ARCHAEOLOGY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 206 PAGES An authoritative survey of Scotland's prehistoric sites and societies from the earliest inhabitants to the union of the Picts and Scots in AD 843. Fully illustrated throughout. (SCT22, $46.00)
Scottish Art  •  Murdo MacDonald ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A generously illustrated volume in the "World of Art" Series introducing the individuals and themes that have distinguished Scottish art through the ages. With 183 illustrations, 55 in color. (SCT48, $14.95)
The Scottish Empire  •  Michael Fry HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 608 PAGES A provocative history of Scottish dabbling in imperial adventures. The author, a Glaswegian journalist, scholar and politician, tackles (with glee) contradictory impulses and dramatic events in the history of this nation in the making. In tracing Scots derring-do from prehistory to modern times, Fry doesn't shy away from barbarian episodes -- or the humdrum reality of life back home. (SCT67, $29.95)
Scottish Literature  •  Douglas Gifford  •  Sarah Dunnigan  •  Allan Macgillivray LITERATURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 1040 PAGES An overview Scotland's literature, organized chronologically in six sections, from medieval times to today. Not exactly an anthology, this volume is a comprehensive critical history and analysis of Scottish literature compiled by a group of experts. (SCT71, $42.00)
The Scottish Nation: A History, 1700-2000  •  T. M. Devine HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 624 PAGES A well received history by a respected historian. Devine focuses on Scotland's relationship with England, its status as a colonized country and its sense of autonomy and pride. It's more or less bookended by the Act of Union of 1707 and the first meeting of the new Scottish parliament in 1999. (SCT43, $20.00)
Seamanship, A Voyage along the Wild Coasts of the British Isles  •  Adam Nicolson TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES A stylish writer with a romantic streak, Nicolson offers a direct, engrossing account of a coastal voyage from Cornwall, along the western coast of Ireland, out to the Faeroes and to Orkney in this brief hymn to the sea. He recruits his sailor-friend George; buys a nice, squat wooden boat (the Auk) for the six-month voyage; and drags along a television crew to pay for the trip. Nicolson is the author of the superb Sea Room, Life in the Hebrides. (GBR561, $13.95)
Selected Poems  •  Robert Burns LITERATURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES Poetry from 18th century Scottish writer Robert Burns, a pioneer of the Romantic movement and widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland. (SCT123, $13.00)
September  •  Rosamunde Pilcher LITERATURE •  1991 •  PAPER  • 613 PAGES This novel about relationships and secrets within families and between neighbors reads like a literary soap opera. (SCT110, $7.99)
The Shetland Bus, A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival and Adventure  •  David Howarth HISTORY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 236 PAGES David Howarth, author of "We Die Alone," tells another little-known story of courage and survival during World War II. This time he writes of the "Shetland Bus," a fleet of fishing boats that made regular journeys across treacherous waters from the Shetland Islands to Norway, in order to bring relief and fortifications to Norwegians weathering Nazi attacks. Howarth, who was second in command at the Shetland base, knows the story first-hand, and brings out the ferocity of the storms and battles endured by a few hundred brave men. (NOR26, $16.95)
Sir James Wordie, Polar Crusader: Exploring the Arctic and Antarctic  •  Michael Smith BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 371 PAGES The first biography of Sir James Wordie, whose many polar adventures took him from the Heroic Age of Shackleton and Scott to the modern era. Chief Scientist on Shackleton's Endurance expedition, in later life he was instrumental in planning the first climbing of Mount Everest in 1953 and played a key role in Vivian Fuchs's ground-breaking first crossing of the Antarctic continent between 1955 and 1958. (SCT109, $35.00)
Southern Scotland Map  •  Ordnance Survey MAP A fine locally grown map of southern Scotland, including Oban, Dundee, Stranraer, Carlisle and Edinburgh, at a scale 1:250,000. (SCT34, $12.95)
The Story of Britain  •  Roy Strong HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 596 PAGES A beautifully illustrated and rousing history of Britain from prehistory until the 1990s -- a balanced, well written overview of a huge subject. (GBR71, $49.95)
The Sunday Philosophy Club  •  Alexander McCall Smith MYSTERY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES The first book in McCall-Smith's Sunday Philosophy Club series, set in Edinburgh and starring detective Isabel Dalhousie, the editor of the Review of Applied Ethics. It all starts when a man falls to his death outside a concert hall. (SCT114, $13.95)
Tales of the Seal People, Scottish Folk Tales  •  Chad McCail  •  Duncan Williamson LITERATURE •  1992 •  HARD COVER  • 160 PAGES A collection of Scottish folk tales featuring Silkies -- the seal people who can take human shape. (SCT18, $24.95)
The Thirty-Nine Steps  •  John Buchan LITERATURE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES Buchan introduces his hero Richard Hannay in this 1915 novel of action and political intrigue. A war hero, Hannay returns to England only to become the suspect for a murder--though innocent, he must flee to Scotland. We also carry the classic Hitchcock film based on the novel. (EUR304, $10.00)
Time Out Edinburgh  •  Will Fulford-Jones GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 316 PAGES An up-to-date guide on what to do and where to go by the people who publish Time Out Magazine. (SCT118, $19.95)
Tir a'Mhurain, The Outer Hebrides of Scotland  •  Paul Strand  •  Catherine Duncan  •  Basil Davidson CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 128 PAGES The great American photographer Paul Strand spent three months in the Hebrides (on the isle of Uist) in 1954, capturing the region's striking landscapes and residents on film. This exhibition catalog, published by Aperture, handsomely reproduces 105 of Strand's duotone images. Basil Davidson provides the atmospheric, elegiac commentary. (SCT58, $40.00)
To the Lighthouse  •  Virginia Woolf LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 209 PAGES Childhood, distilled. Woolf drew on memories of family holidays in Cornwall to write this wonderful, clear-sighted novel, in which the Ramsay family goes on holiday in the Hebrides. First published in 1927 -- and full of light and air, comings and goings, fulfillment and unfulfillment -- it's a modernist classic which is also, quite simply, a pleasure. (SCT41, $13.00)
Trainspotting  •  Irvine Welsh LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 344 PAGES You may have seen the movie, but Irvine Welsh's novel is a far darker, albeit moving, tale of junkies set in a bleak version of Edinburgh. It has a fine sense of place, plenty of dirty words, and loads of black humor, all delivered in a thick Scottish accent. It also has glossary of slang terms for the uninitiated, just in case you didn't know what "nondy" means. (SCT85, $13.95)
The Translator  •  Leila Aboulela LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES Sammar, a young Sudanese widow and devout Muslim working as a translator at a Scottish university, falls in love with her Scottish superviser. In lyrical yet understated prose, Aboulela deftly explores faith and bridging cultural gaps. (MDE112, $12.00)
Travelers' Tales, A Woman's Europe  •  Marybeth Bond  •  Mary Morris ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES This entertaining collection depicts Europe through the eyes of a diverse group of women writers, including Frances Mayes, Jan Morris and Mary Morris. These humorous and well-written true stories capture the misadventures, discoveries and slices of life that the continent (and travel!) has to offer. (EUR160, $17.95)
A Traveller's Companion to Edinburgh  •  David Daiches ANTHOLOGY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 229 PAGES (SCT108, $16.95)
A Traveller's History of Scotland  •  Andrew Fisher HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES This brief history of Scotland through the 1990s is wide-ranging, accessible and necessarily condensed. With a useful chronology, a list of monarchs and a historical gazetteer, this book marches confidently through the centuries. Fisher, a proud Scotsman himself, focuses on the vitality and resilience of the nation. (GBR40, $14.95)
Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga  •  William Fitzhugh  •  Elisabeth Ward HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES Published in conjunction with a Smithsonian exhibit, this excellent book explores the culture and history of the Vikings, and especially their well documented voyages to North America. Featuring 400 color photographs, the book also includes lively essays on Viking art, religion, daily life and colonies. It's especially good on Viking expansion and settlements in North America. (VIK11, $34.95)
Voyager  •  Diana Gabaldon MYSTERY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 1072 PAGES (SCT103, $7.99)
Western Scotland Map  •  Ordnance Survey MAP A fine locally grown map of western Scotland, including the inner and outer Hebrides, as well as the mainland from Ullapool to Oban. Scale 1:250,000. (GBR110, $12.95)
White Nights  •  Ann Cleeves MYSTERY •  2008 •  HARD COVER In this second of Dagger Award winner Cleeves's "Shetland Island Quartet" (after Raven Black), Inspector Perez finds a murdered man, last seen causing an amnesia-induced ruckus at an art gallery. Cleeves hails from Yorkshire, England. (SCT137, $24.95)
Wild Mountain Thyme  •  Rosamunde Pilcher LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 294 PAGES When a former lover shows up on her doorstep with his two year old son in hand, Victoria Bradshaw's life is changed completely. The unlikely trio travel to Scotland together. (SCT111, $7.99)
William Wallace, Brave Heart  •  James MacKay BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1996 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES MacKay separates myth from legend in this rich account of one of Scotland's greatest heroes. He delves into medieval Scotland, setting the life of William Wallace in its historical context. (SCT30, $16.99)
Winter Tales  •  George MacKay Brown LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES These twelve short stories capture the characters and atmosphere of George Mackay Brown's native Orkney. (SCT115, $11.95)