The Life and Works of Glasgow Architects James Miller and John James Burnet by John Stewart (30 November 2021). (Amazon paid link.)
The first full biography of two of Scotland's most eminent Architects, James Miller and John James Burnet. While born just three
years apart their careers and lives became intertwined as they competed for work and eventually the role
of Scotland's leading architect. Born in 1857 and 1860 respectively, one inherited and the other established successful practices in Glasgow
at the zenith of that city's wealth in the late 19th century.
Read our full review.
Mousa to Mackintosh: The Scottishness of Scottish Architecture by Frank Arneil Walker (29 June 2023). (Amazon paid link.)
In Mousa to Mackintosh, Frank Arneil Walker examines the recognisable and recurring features
evident in Scotland’s buildings across the centuries to build a picture of ‘Scottishness’ in architecture. This chronological history presents
an expansive view of architecture in Scotland, from neolithic brochs and classical country houses to baronial tower-houses and modernist New
Towns, including the work of renowned architects.
Read our full review.
Churches of Glasgow by Gordon Adams (15 October 2021). (Amazon paid link.)
Glasgow’s dynamic history is reflected in its diverse architecture and the heritage of its church buildings. In this book author Gordon Adams
surveys the historic churches of Glasgow, outlining their stories picking out interesting features of each. The churches range from the elegant
eighteenth-century St Vincent Street Church, to the intimate Govan Old Parish Church with its medieval monument stones, the Queen’s Cross, the
only church built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and many more gems.
Read our full review.
Rock Lighthouses of Britain & Ireland by Christopher Nicholson (30 November 2022). (Amazon paid link.)
Rock Lighthouses of Britain & Ireland is a new edition of the classic work on the subject – but with some of the most famous
Irish rock lighthouses included. The text has been updated to include the modern technology being used by the lighthouse authorities,
as well as all the historical advances made over the centuries at British and Irish rock lights, complemented by stunning photographs,
historic plans and drawings.
Read our full review.
Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire: Pevsner Buildings of Scotland by Rob Close, John Gifford and Frank Arneil Walker (1 November 2016). (Amazon paid link.)
Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire are among the least-explored counties in Scotland, but no other area can lay claim to their astounding
diversity of character, from the wild remote moorland of the south to the landscape of the Clyde estuary in the north-west, and from
deeply rural villages to former steel and iron towns of the Lanarkshire coalfields.
Read our full review.
Exploring Glasgow: The Architectural Guide by Robin Ward (25 May 2017). (Amazon paid link.)
Glasgow is one of the most architecturally exciting cities in the world, boasting a huge variety of building styles. There are grand Victorian
public buildings as well as tower blocks, tenements, the Art Nouveau of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the quirky classicism of Alexander 'Greek'
Thomson. This book illustrates and describes almost 500 buildings and structures, featured not only for their architectural excellence but also
for their social and historical significance.
Read our full review.
Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations by Simon Jenkins (28 September 2017). (Amazon paid link.)
The railway station is a place of coming and going, meeting, greeting and parting. It is the setting for our hopeful beginnings and our intended
ends. Britain's stations are also an architecture that is little studied and much neglected. They were the 'below stairs' of the railway, carrying
a legacy of soot, decay and industrial decline. Yet they are fascinating buildings, and ones that are returning to prominence with the revival of
railway travel.
Read our full review.
A Heritage in Stone: Characters and Conservation in North-East Scotland by Ian Mitchell Davidson (16 November 2017). (Amazon paid link.)
The properties owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland are precious jewels in the crown of the nation's heritage. Ensuring
they provide a wonderful experience for visitors requires expertise and enthusiasm. This book pays tribute to the craftspeople, gardeners,
foresters, managers, guides, surveyors, architects, archaeologists, conservators, planners and more.
Read our full review.
Greyfriars Graveyard by Charlotte Golledge (15 October 2018). (Amazon paid link.)
When Greyfriars Graveyard opened in Edinburgh in the sixteenth century, built on the site of a Franciscan monastery
on the edge of the Old Town below the castle, it became Edinburgh’s most important burial site. This books takes
the reader on a tour to reveal the history of the cemetery. The book explores the huge variety of its monuments and
gravestones and explains the symbolism behind the stones and carvings. Through this the author paints a
remarkable picture of life and death in Edinburgh over the centuries.
Read our full review.
Calton Hill: And the plans for Edinburgh's Third New Town by Kirsten Carter McKee (6 September 2018). (Amazon paid link.)
Calton Hill stands on the eastern edge of Edinburgh's centre. Development began in the late eighteenth century with the intention of
changing the rural periphery into the new urban core of the city. This book considers how the architectural expression of Calton Hill
has been perceived, accepted and rejected as ideas surrounding cultural identity, governance and nationalism have changed over the last
200 years.
Read our full review.
A
New Way of Living: Georgian Town Planning in the Highlands and Islands by
Gordon Haynes (31 July 2015). (Amazon paid link.) This book tells the story of the development
of new towns in the Scottish Highlands and Islands post-1750. It pulls together
the various strands that influenced development after the disastrous risings
and charts the various attempts at establishing fishing villages from Argyll to
Sutherland, and along the shores of the Moray Firth.
Read our full review.
On Tour with Thomas
Telford by Chris Morris (3 June 2015). (Amazon paid link.) Born into poverty in the Scottish
Border country in 1757, Thomas Telford rose to become a towering figure of the
Industrial Revolution. Incorporating material from the author's earlier book
Thomas Telford's Scotland, this new edition is a visual celebration of
Telford's architectural and engineering legacy, from the mighty Menai Bridge to
the harbours, manses and chapels of the remote Scottish Highlands.
Read our full review.
Bell Rock Lighthouse: An Illustrated History by Michael A. W. Strachan (15 June 2018). (Amazon paid link.)
Since its completion in 1811, the Bell Rock Lighthouse has been revered as an industrial wonder of the world. The iconic tower was
built on the Inchcape Rock, a submerged reef some 12 miles off the coast of Arbroath, and now stands as the oldest sea-washed tower
the world, surviving over 200 years of violent storms and crashing waves. The construction of the Bell Rock made the name of the
Stevenson family of lighthouse engineers.
Read our full review.
St Peter's, Cardross: Birth, Death and Renewal by Diane M. Watters (29 November 2016). (Amazon paid link.)
The ruin of St Peter's College has sat on a wooded hilltop above the village of Cardross for more than three decades. Over that time,
it has gained a mythical, cult-like status among architects,
preservationists and artists. This is a historian's account of the real story of St Peter's College: a wonderfully illustrated exploration of how one of Scotland's
most singular buildings became one of its most troubled.
Read our full review.
Who Built Scotland: A History of the Nation in Twenty-Five Buildings by Kathleen Jamie and Others (14 September 2017). (Amazon paid link.)
Experience a new history of Scotland told through its places. Writers Kathleen Jamie, Alexander McCall Smith, Alistair Moffat,
James Robertson and James Crawford pick twenty-five buildings to tell the story of the nation. Travelling across the country,
from abandoned islands and lonely glens to the heart of our modern cities, these five authors seek out the diverse narrative
of the Scottish people.
Read our full review.
Dundee and Angus:
Pevsner Buildings of Scotland by John Gifford (20 April 2012). (Amazon paid link.) Dundee is
the fourth largest of Scotland's cities and has some of the finest buildings in
the country, evidence of its Victorian pre-eminence as a port and manufacturing
centre. But beyond the city lies rural Angus, possessing fine Pictish and early
Christian monuments, major medieval ecclesiastical survivals, tower houses,
castles and country houses.
Read our full review.
Orkney's Italian Chapel: The True Story of an Icon by Philip Paris
(27 May 2010). (Amazon paid link.) Orkney's Italian Chapel was built by Italian POWs held on
the island during the Second World War. The story of who built the chapel and
how it came into existence has never before been researched in such detail, and
the result is a fascinating insight into a truly remarkable building and the
truly remarkable people who built it and have looked after it over the 65 years
since the war.
Read our full review.
The
Companion to Castles by Stephen Friar (2011 Edition). (Amazon paid link.) Stephen Friar has a
encyclopedic knowledge of all aspects of castles as well as the ability to
place issues within a historical context and explain them succinctly and
clearly for the non-specialist. This nicely illustrated and detailed A to Z
reference book with its index of castles is essential reading for anyone
interested in medieval castles.
Read our full review.
Southern Lights: The Scottish Contribution to New Zealand's Lighthouses by Guinevere Nalder (10 April 2017). (Amazon paid link.)
Southern Lights recounts the story of how New Zealand's lighthouses were established through the transfer of technology from Scotland
to New Zealand over a period of almost 90 years. This resulted in most of New Zealand's lighthouses being fully or partially built using
Scottish materials and expertise. The major Scottish contribution was the professional services provided by the firm
founded by Robert Stevenson.
Read our full review.
The
Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry (1 May 2011). (Amazon paid link.) The superb 4th Edition
of this classic book is the culmination of 15 years' research, and is the most
comprehensive and complete reference about Scottish castles available. It
covers well over 3000 castles, mansions and historic houses, all alphabetically
organised.
Read our full review.
Scottish Kirkyards by Dane Love (1 May 2010). (Amazon paid link.) This is a
must-read book for anyone interested in Scottish Kirkyards. In this book author
Dane Love shows how the social history of a whole parish can be recorded in a
single plot of land. Kirkyards have often been greatly underrated as places of
historical importance, offering, as they do, a wealth of information to
visitors and local historians.
Read our full review.
Lost Aberdeen by Diane Morgan (13 Oct 2005). (Amazon paid link.) Diane Morgan
investigates the history and fate of numerous city buildings which had
considerable historic and architectural value, but which now, sadly, are gone.
The author also visits various townscapes and uncovers the former everyday
architecture.
Read our full review.
Lost Glasgow (Paperback) by Carol Foreman (May 2003). (Amazon paid link.) In this
informative and book, Carol Foreman traces Glasgow's history primarily though
buildings which have been demolished, but which played a central part in the
city's story.
Read our full review.
Argyll and the Islands, an Illustrated Architectural Guide by Frank
Arneil Walker (October 2001) An essential companion to the architecture of
Argyll and the islands of the Inner Hebrides. The area included extends through
Argyll from Port Appin and Bridge of Orchy in the north to the Mull of Kintyre
in the South, including Cowal en route.
Read our full review.
Lost Ayrshire (Paperback) by Dane Love (21 Sep 2006). (Amazon paid link.) Over the
centuries countless buildings have been erected and demolished, and this
informative and beautifully illustrated book looks at a wide selection of
these, from castles that have been destroyed or replaced to country houses that
have succumbed due to dry rot or lack of funds.
Read our full review.
Scotland's Cinemas
by Bruce Peter (1 February 2011). (Amazon paid link.) In the first half of the twentieth
century, Scotland was movie-mad. In industrial areas, some of the biggest
cinemas in Europe were constructed. Even small towns and larger villages had
cinemas serving rural hinterlands. Illustrated with over 300 photographs, this
book is a must for anybody interested in twentieth century commercial
architecture, social history and the development of the cinema.
Read our full review.
Brochs of Scotland
by J.N.G. Ritchie (February 2011). (Amazon paid link.) This book examines some of the most
spectacular ancient monuments in Britain: the iron age brochs of north and west
Scotland. It places the building of these unique fortifications in context and
examines some of the impressive sites that may still be visited.
Read our full review.
Ayrshire and Arran: Pevsner Buildings of Scotland by Rob Close &
Anne Richesn (1 October 2012). (Amazon paid link.) The unmatched depth, expertise and coverage
of the Pevsner guides comes at last to Ayrshire and Arran. The local
architecture is diverse, marrying natural beauty with industry and modernity.
From railway bridges to farmsteads, town halls to Edwardian villas, this guide
presents a comprehensive look at life in the area through its buildings.
Read our full review.
Edinburgh in 50 Buildings by Jack Gillon (15 September 2017). (Amazon paid link.)
Edinburgh has a proud and distinctive identity. Its extraordinary history is embodied in the many fine buildings that have shaped it.
This book explores the history of the city through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures. From the elegance
of the Georgian New Town to the controversial Parliament building, this unique study celebrates the city’s architectural heritage.
Jack Gillon guides the reader around the city’s historic buildings and modern architectural marvels.
Read our full review.
Scottish and Manx Lights: A Journey in the Footsteps of the
Stevensons by Ian Cowe (31 December 2015). (Amazon paid link.)
This is an unmatched compilation of glorious photographs of Scotland`s marvellous lighthouse
heritage. Join photographer Ian as he captures this wonderful collection of images. Learn about the exploits of the
Stevensons who battled against the elements for over 150 years and the keepers who manned these inspirational sentinels
of the sea.
Read our full review.
Dynasty of Engineers, The Stevensons and the Bell Rock by Roland
Paxton (February 2011). (Amazon paid link.) To mark the bicentenary of the Bell Rock
Lighthouse, this volume provides biographies of the eight membes of the
Stevenson family who between them built many of Scotland's lighthouses and
gives a detailed account of the building of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, one of
the engineering marvels of its day.
Read our full review.
1000 Churches to Visit in Scotland: (1 Dec 2005). (Amazon paid link.)This is an
indispensable guide to over 1000 abbeys, cathedrals, churches and other places
of worship across Scotland. It is compiled from information supplies by the
churches themselves, from history and architectural details.
Read our full review.
Borders: Buildings
of Scotland: Pevsner Buildings of Scotland (7 Feb 2006). (Amazon paid link.) This is the ninth
volume of the Pevsner Architectural Guides to the Buildings of Scotland, and it
makes a fascinating addition to the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in
Scotland's buildings or in the Borders.
Read our full review.
Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie an Illustrated Architectural
Guide (Paperback) by Ian Shepherd, Charles McKean (Editor) (16 April
2006). (Amazon paid link.)This book is effectively the second edition of the book first
published in 1994 under the title Gordon. It covers a large chunk of
mid-Aberdeenshire stretching from the coast at Newburgh and Ellon inland into
upper Strathdon.
Read our full review.
Lost Edinburgh by
Hamish Coghill (November 2004). (Amazon paid link.)Over the centuries many of Edinburgh's fine
buildings have gone. Invasion and civil strife played their part. Some simply
collapsed of old age and neglect, others were swept away in the 'improvements'
of the nineteenth century. Yet more fell to the developer...
Read our full review.
