Undiscovered Scotland

 

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, with maps, visitor information, illustrations, and anecdotes of hauntings and family histories.

Anyone familiar with the 3rd Edition will find the book has been significantly enlarged and expanded for its 4th outing. The result is a much more imposing book which, if now less suited to be a glovebox companion than its predecessor, really does look and feel like the definitive work of reference it is. The bulk of the book, nearly 600 pages, is given over to the alphabetical listing of every castle the author has unearthed over the last decade-and-a-half. These range from castles we have all heard of and probably know, right through to castles which barely exist above ground level; or are just sites with little now visible. The entry for each castle comes complete with background information, location, ownership and access status, and contact an opening information where appropriate. Many also come with fascinating tales of those who once lived there: and in some cases the ghosts who still do!

At the start of the book there is an excellent section covering the development of the castle in Scotland; an illustrated glossary of architectural terms used in talking about Scottish castles; and a section on the origin of elements in Scottish place names. These are followed by a map section containing eleven maps showing the location of the castles covered in the alphabetical section. Anyone with any interest at all in Scottish castles really has to own this book.