The Great Scot

Robert the Bruce was Scotland's greatest King ever. The Bruce, as he was known, was crowned King of Scots in 1306, a time when the ancient kingdom of Scotland was under harsh and illegal English occupation. As soon as King Robert began his reign, his army was treacherously attacked at Methven, resulting in a calamitous defeat for the Scots which forced the Bruce into hiding. Yet, steadily between 1307 and 1313 King Robert won battle after battle, shunning pitched medieval clashes, and fighting as a guerilla force, a form of warfare which he, perhaps, invented. The war peaked in 1314 when the Bruce faced a formidable English invasion. With brilliant tactics and resolute bravery the vastly outnumbered Scots defeated and routed the knights, archers, and foot soldiers of mighty England at the Battle of Bannockburn. And that's only the first part of this epic tale of the Bruce's long and event-filled life. The Great Scot is a novel filled with valor, treachery, passionate love, journeys great and small, and people of every rank and situation-all from the pages of Scottish history.

A remarkable record of fifteen trophies in thirteen seasons at Ibrox, plus two with East Fife, should be enough to give any manager legendary status. Especially when the same man became the first manager in Britain to take his club to a European final. Scot Symon did all that and more - and yet he is now an almost forgotten Rangers manager. Scot Symon actually took Rangers to two European finals and had he won one, his place in history would have been assured. Instead, he became Ibrox's forgotten man, his contribution woefully neglected. Now, in Great Scot, David Leggat tells the fascinating story of Scot Symon and shows how he helped shape the history of Rangers, managing legendary players such as John Greig, Willie Henderson and the greatest of them all, Jim Baxter - who gave his genius to Symon's most outstanding team. And among the biggest names in Scottish football, past and present, who tell their Symon stories, there is a heartfelt tribute to Scot Symon from the last signing he made for Rangers - Sir Alex Ferguson. With such support, Great Scot sets out to show that James Scotland Symon was one of the most remarkable managers Scotland has ever produced and why he now deserves his rightful, prominent place in the history of Rangers and Scottish football.

Great Scots! chronicles how penniless but enterprising Scottish emigres came to dominate almost all forms of enterprise in early Canada and literally created much of the country we know today. Through the fur trade, Scots formed the backbone of North America's first continent-wide industry more than two hundred years ago. This book demonstrates the astounding extent to which Canada's fundamental institutions and culture are a product of early, tough-minded Scottish immigrants.

The brainchild of bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith, historian Alistair Moffat and artist Andrew Crummy, the Great Tapestry of Scotland is an outstanding celebration of thousands of years of Scottish history and achievement, from the end of the last Ice Age to Dolly the Sheep and Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory in 2013. This book tells the story of this unique undertaking from its original conception and creation by teams of dedicated stitchers to its grand unveiling at the Scottish Parliament in 2013, its subsequent touring and the creation of its permanent home in the Scottish Borders.

Loch And Load, Baby Location coordinator Erin McGregor has finally found the perfect setting for her romance reality show, Your Prince Charming. The Chisholm clan stronghold in the Scottish Highlands has it all--romantic moors, windswept cliffs, misty lochs, a four-hundred-year-old castle, and possibly the most gorgeous man she's ever laid eyes on in chieftain Dylan Chisholm. His three youngest brothers spoken for, Dylan Chisholm is at the top of his village's matchmaking list. Now they've sent some impish, forthright American lass up to tempt him into a devil's bargain: a foolish romance show for the money his village so desperately needs. It took a tragic loss to get Dylan to embrace his heritage. He can't turn away from such a promising offer. But keeping his thoughts off Erin McGregor is another matter. She's everything he never wanted in a woman, and suddenly, she's everything he craves in every way possible. . .

Riveting selections from a 15-century account of Scottish history, one of Scotland’s national treasures. Writing on a small island in the Firth of Forth in the 1440s, Walter Bower set out to tell the whole story of the Scottish nation in a single huge book, the Scotichronicon— “a history book for Scots.” It begins with the mythical voyage of Scota, the Pharaoh’s daughter, from Egypt with the Stone of Destiny. The land that her sons discovered in the Western Ocean was named after her: Scotland. It then describes the turbulent events that followed, among them the wars of the Scots and the Picts (begun by a quarrel over a dog); the poisoning of King Fergus by his wife; Macbeth’s usurpation and uneasy reign; the good deeds of Margaret, queen and saint; Bruce’s murder of the Red Comyn; the founding of Scotland’s first university at St. Andrews; the “Burnt Candlemas;” and the endless troubles between Scotland and England. Weaving in and out of the events of Bower’s factual history are other subjects that fascinated him: harrowing visions of hell and purgatory, extraordinary miracles; the exploits of knights and beggars, merchants and monks; the ravages of flood and fire; the terrors of the plague; and the answers to such puzzling questions as what makes a good king, and why Englishmen have tails. This monumental work, in which the original Latin text appears side by side with a translation in modern English, was completed in 1998. It includes an introduction and notes that guide the reader through the complexities of Bower’s history and its background.

What makes the Ultimate Scot? Is it the ability to identify a tartan pattern from 50 yards? Maybe it's being able to recite the two forgotten verses of Auld Lang Syne? Or perhaps it's knowing your single malt from a double malt? The Ultimate Guide to Being Scottish examines in hilarious detail the history, politics and traditions that make Scots great. Exploring the best of scottish culture, this book focuses on the celebrations that Scots have made their own, from Hogmanay to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Mixing fact and practical hints (like the ideal recipe for boiled sheep's head) with witty banter, The Ultimate Guide to Being Scottish is perfect for injecting Scotland's unique and beloved brand of merriment into life.