Scotland The Bold

MacLeod is drawn into a conspiracy of Immortals on a militant quest to win back the independence that Scotland lost, centuries ago, at the battle of Culloden. If Duncan follows the call of the clans he risks being drawn into a web of death.

From bold heroines to clan battles, standing stones to castles, there is hardly any aspect of Scotland's heritage that does not feature in our storytelling traditions. This collection of stories from all parts of Scotland, and from all periods of our dramatic - and often truly heroic - history is both an introduction to and a journey into Scotland's rich cultural heritage. Covering the same themes as Disney-Pixar's new fairytale film, Brave, this book provides the next step for those wishing to delve deeper into Scotland's culture and traditions. BACK COVER: There is not a stream or a rock that does not have its story. STUART McHARDY With the release of Disney-Pixar's 'Brave' the world's attention is being drawn to Scotland and its fascinating history. But 'Brave' merely scrapes the surface of Scotland's rich story-telling culture. This collection of tales is the next step for anyone wishing to look further into the traditions of Scotland. These enchanting tales reflect the wide diversity of its heritage and there are few aspects of Scottish tradition that have escaped memorialisation in folklore. With its captivating, and often gruesome, tales of heroic warriors in battle, bold heroines, deceitful aristocracy, and supernatural creatures Brave Land is a journey into the cultural heritage of a nation and the folklore surrounding the creation of the breath-taking landscape of its country. Scotland the Brave Land provides the reader the perfect opportunity to delve a little deeper into the myths, legends and history of this truly mesmerising country.

How our nation has changed and why there's no going back Scotland has changed fundamentally. This story has become a familiar one, but have we yet understood its full meaning and the resulting consequences? What kind of choices do we face as a society and nation about our future, and how can we best shape them? Scotland the Bold explores how Scotland became what it is, considers what choices and obstacles it faces, identifies signs of people taking power into their own hands and addresses what we can all do to create a radically different, democratic and better Scotland. Scotland is now visibly different from the rest of the UK and the self-evidently bankrupt economic, social and political thinking that dominate British elites. Majority Scottish opinion is repulsed by a million people relying on food-banks and the prevalence of welfare sanctions in the fifth richest economy in the world. However, that doesn’t mean that Scotland is automatically morally superior - for in our own nation we have our own poverty, our own shames and silences, and our own elites. For self-government to have any meaning it entails addressing some hard and difficult truths about ourselves. All of this requires that we begin to talk honestly and maturely about Scotland’s future and some of the difficult choices we will have to make; reflecting on where we have come from, what we are proud of, mistakes, and how we do things better in the future. 'There could be no better harbinger... of possibilities than this bracing, searching, discomforting and ultimately exhilarating book.' Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times

A dynasty of high ability and great charm, the Stuarts exerted a compelling fascination over their supporters and enemies alike. First published in 1991, this title assesses the influence of the Stuart mystique on the modern political and cultural identity of Scotland. Murray Pittock traces the Stuart myth from the days of Charles I to the modern Scottish National Party, and discusses both pro- and anti-Union propaganda. He provides a unique insight into the ‘radicalism’ of Scottish Jacobitism, contrasting this ‘Jacobitisim of the Left’ with the sentimental image constructed by the Victorians. Dealing with a subject of great relevance to modern British society, this reissue provides an extensive analysis of Scottish nationhood, the Stuart cult and Jacobite ideology. It will be of great interest to students of literature, history, and Scottish culture and politics.

Questioning Scotland considers the ways in which Scottish Literature has often been discussed in parochial, essentialist terms. It suggests that Scottish literary studies must now expand its conceptual boundaries in order to account for changes taking place at wider European and global levels. It is literary-based but also scrutinizes the methodological construction process of national traditions. Drawing on wider theories of postmodernism, (post)nationalism and globalism, it will help map the changing nature of national studies and Scottish studies in particular.