Glasgow: the legendary John Smith & Son Bookshop …
Discover the story of John Smith & Son, Glasgow’s legendary bookshop, and its lasting place in the city’s literary and cultural history.
Continue reading →Category Archives: Books
From Loch Croispol to Nova Scotia’s Gaelic Shores
Follow the journey from Loch Croispol to Nova Scotia’s Gaelic shores, exploring the enduring connections between Scotland’s Highlands and the Gaelic communities of Canada.
Continue reading →Give me a book about Scotland to read by the fire…
I didn’t read Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale but I can’t think of a better quote than his to introduce my post today! 😉 We are at the end of January and there have been some unusually cold days here in Périgord Noir. Although I do love winter walks in the frost-white countryside, especially in our lovely corner of Dordogne … Continue reading →
Sherlock Holmes’ Extraordinary Powers of Observation
Moving time! As I was packing my books for the move, I came across my Sherlock Holmes beloved printed editions and found interesting to recall that Sherlock Holmes was inspired by Joseph Bell, a doctor and mentor to Arthur Conan Doyle. By the way, Joseph Bell served as Queen Victoria’s personal surgeon during her visits to Scotland. 🙂 Bell was … Continue reading →
Authors and books that will make you love Scotland…
January… February…what about sitting by the fireside with a good book when it’s freezing cold outside and the wind is howling ;-). Add to that a cup of tea, coffee or chocolate and you’ll begin to like winter! Unless, of course, you prefer to go out and face the elements. I must admit that when travelling in Scotland, even in … Continue reading →
Notes about “Rob Roy” by Sir Walter Scott…
Going on with my reading notes about Sir Walter Scott’s books, the next in file on my chronological reading list is Rob Roy, one of his most famous novels which was published in December 1817. I’ve just finished it and it is still open on my desk together with a number of extremely interesting books about the author and his … Continue reading →
Nessie in Art : Fascinating History of Loch Ness Monster
Nessie in Art | The Loch Ness monster, or Nessie for short, is a cryptid (an animal such as Sasquatch that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist) that is said to live in the murky depths of the Loch Ness Lake. This mysterious, aquatic being has been the subject of many stories, sightings, and theories over … Continue reading →
The Garden of Cosmic Speculation in Scotland
Happy day very dear friends and loyal readers, 🙂 Gosh we are in for a treat today thanks to Mairiuna who informed me about a beautiful and spectacular garden located at Portrack House near Dumfries in Scotland: The Garden of Cosmic Speculation which opened in 1998, inspired by modern-day cosmological theories. It incorporates sculptures, water features, paths, lawns, a walled … Continue reading →
A Virtual Journey to the Scottish Islands of St Kilda …
The first time I heard about St Kilda islands was during a conference on Scotland given by Serge Oliéro on 17 January 2000. It was only a few months before our first Scottish journey. Serge Oliéro is the author of Terre d’Écosse which he dedicated to me with these words “Pour Marie-Agnès Bon voyage chez les Celtes”. None of us … Continue reading →
Samuel Smiles – Scottish Self-Help Pioneer
‘Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself’.~ William Faulkner While skimming through the SCOTS Heritage Magazine tucked into the bookshelf, I was inspired to pick up a copy with a very colorful cover featuring Jamie Macnab, the 24th Chief of Clan Macnab. Not so much to inform myself about the … Continue reading →
Notes about ‘The Black Dwarf’ by Sir Walter Scott…
Dear readers, Here we are again, at the beginning of a new year, hoping for the best in the coming months. Given the sanitary situation we still don’t know when we will be allowed to return to Scotland. En attendant des jours meilleurs I try to compensate my frustrations by browsing our pictures of Scotland, reading or re-reading books about … Continue reading →
A Selection of Scottish Authors & Books for Christmas 2021
How am I to sing your praise, Happy chimney-corner days, Sitting safe in nursery nooks, Reading picture story-books? (Robert Louis Stevenson – From A Child’s Garden of Verses) I could not have found more charming lines to introduce my new selection of books for Christmas than the above verses written by Robert Louis Stevenson in his lovely poem “Picture Books … Continue reading →
Notes about “The Antiquary” by Sir Walter Scott…
Dear readers, Autumn is back with its gorgeous colours and shorter days. A good time for fireside reading and for me to go on with my promise to Sir Walter Scott to read all his books. A promise that seems to be well on its way though I still feel like the climber at the foot of the Himalayas ;-). … Continue reading →
Forgotten treasures and new gems in my Scottish Library!
“The only pleasure in redecorating or moving house comes from stumbling across books that I’d almost forgotten I owned.” John Burnside As we are going to move soon from our house in the South of Bordeaux to a new home situated in a lovely corner of Périgord Noir, I am making boxes and boxes of books and it made me … Continue reading →
Great Scottish Books to Help Pass the Time in Lockdown…
Dear readers, Ages seem to have passed since my last post on Scotiana and our wonderful trip to Scotland in winter. In the meantime, there has been the outbreak of that infamous covid 19 pandemy and I sincerely hope that you, your friends and family are doing well in such hard times. In France, like many people all over the … Continue reading →