[Closed] scottish highlands history: a book?

John Prebble's books- 'Glencoe', 'Culloden' and 'The Highland Clearances'. Best read in that order, but each stands alone. It can make for a pretty depressing read about some shameful times.

I surveyed the southern shores and hills of Loch Torridon back in the summer of 1983. We camped in a 'cleared' croft.

'Dance called America' by James Hunter. Named after the excellent song by Runrig. Get some of their music playing in the car and you'll really get in tune with the traditions and history of the area.

If you're interests are in-depth & highly detailed, 'Gairloch' by JH Dixon is very informative; I got my Grandparents copy, and while engaging, for a local, it is kinda depressing. It's amazing there are any of us left, given the proclivity for violent death...
Hard to find though, & not exactly cheap. eg) http://www.alibris.co.uk/booksearch.detail?invid=10197692637&cm_mmc=shopcompare-_-base-_-anonisbn2-_-na

Seton Gordon - Highways and Byways of the West Highlands. Great for giving some background on many of the tracks now used my us mountain bikers.

Timothy Neat - The Summer Walkers. A more more contemporary history of a lifestyle only just passed by. it'll give you a different perspective on the "travellers".

Boswell & Johnston - To the Hebrides. The best description of 18th Century Scottish life.

tandemwarriors - Member
'Dance called America' by James Hunter. Named after the excellent song by Runrig.

Close enough.....

Get some of their music playing in the car and you'll really get in tune with the traditions and history of the area.

Runrig CDs should be mandatory for all visitors. Choose [i]Recovery[/i] and [i]Proterra[/i] for a potted discography.

[b][u][url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Highlanders-History-Gaels-John-Macleod/dp/0340639911/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270496821&sr=1-1 ]The Highlanders by John MacLeod[/url]
[/u][/b]

Unlike many history books this one is written by a highlander from a highland perspective. A counterbalance to the bias (often unconscious) by southern authors.

Runrig CDs should be mandatory for all visitors

Just in case they're not depressed enough by the weather and the midges ?

Runrig depressing? No way!

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to the moon[/url],[url=

called America[/url] , Siol Ghoraidh, Alba, Only the Brave, all absolute belters! Over 30 years of musical genius.

A few books I've read:

Scotland's Mountains before the Mountaineers - Ian Mitchell

Interesting even to someone (me) who has barely climbed any of the hills mentioned. goes right back to pre victoria times, also includes a pretty shocking (by today's standards) list of the animals hunted on estates and the totals killed.

Mountain Days and Bothy Nights - Dave Brown and Ian Mitchell

A classic which describes early climbing and the lifestyle. Won't teach you much history of areas but a great read and does teach you a little bit about some of the famous mountaineering areas in Scotland.

The Hydro Boys - Emma Wood

History of the introduction of Hydro Power to scotland. Not as dry as it might sound and gives a new perspective to the sometimes uninteresting looking hydro schemes

Children of the Dead End - Patrick McGill

A fictional account of a labourer's life in the highlands, in particular working on the Blackwater dam above Kinlochleven. I've not read this but it sounds really good, have thus far failed to track down a copy...

Scottish Hill Names - Peter Drummond

Probably the best for what you want, a guide book to translations of gaelic hill (mostly munro) and some place names. Learning a wee bit of gaelic is fun and the hill names often have some relevance or a wee bit of story surrounding the local area. having read most of it I can't help but notice place names and try to guess the origin.

13thfloormonk - Member
Children of the Dead End - Patrick McGill
...it sounds really good, have thus far failed to track down a copy...

[b][u][url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/1902602544/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270499119&sr=1-1&condition=used ]Here you are[/url][/u][/b]

Haha, thanks, but I'm still trying to get it the old fashioned way, otherwise I'll look like a massive hypocrite after all my anti-online arguments 🙄

Plus my birthday's coming up and I've laid enough bloody hints that somebody might actually buy it for me this time!

thanks for all the suggestions. going to pick a few from this list to take with us.

I've started another thread, but can anyone recommend other books with 'stories' about the scottish hills?

I spent a while trading recommendations with an older guys going up to corrour to spend a week with the John Muir Trust. He recommended "The Testament of Gideon Mack" by James Robertson, which is now on my list.

This got me looking into tales surrounding Ben Alder, which yielded some interesting and sometimes dark stories, and hinted at some of the dark tales surrounding Rannoch Moor. Didn't mention any specific books though.

Any others?

Some good suggestions above, but given the area you're visiting I'd also suggest "A Hundred Years in the Highlands" by Osgood MacKenzie.

BTW this is what Gairloch looked like when we were up there last week:
[img] [/img]

I'm up there again in late May.

Last of the Free

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Free-Millennial-Highlands-Scotland/dp/1840183764

A really good insight from the West Coast and Highlands perspective from Pre Roman times to today (well 2000).....thoroughly recommended.

Have a read of this:

[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scottish-Enlightenment-Scots-Invention-Modern/dp/1841152765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271795447&sr=8-1 ]Scotland the what??[/url]