The Debatable Land was an independent territory which used to exist between Scotland and England and it is the oldest detectable territorial division in Great Britain. The Debatable Land – Graham Robb It was once one of the most revered parts of our native island – the bloodiest region in the country, fought over by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and James V. After the the Union of the Crowns this territory was the last part of Great Britain to be conquered and brought under state control. But until now, the history of this unique part of the country has been widely  ignored or forgotten. Historian Graham Robb has been writing acclaimed, prize winning books for years and this is his first look at his homelands. When he and his wife moved to a lonely house on the very edge of England, he discovered that the river which almost surrounded his new home had once marked the Debatable Land’s southern boundary. Intrigued by the remarkable and yet unremarked history of this area, he began a journey on foot, bicycle and into the past, and uncovered the lost towns and roads of this region. In the course of the narrative, Robb sheds new light on the Dark Age and delves into several discoveries of major historical significance. In stock now - find it here .

'Hame' - a Scottish home; a valued place regarded as a refuge or place or origin Hame - Annalena McAfee This is a fabulous new novel set on a fictional island of Fascaray - a remote and wild small isle off the coast of Scotland. A combination of letters, poems, journal extracts and fiction, it's been described by Irish Times as 'a hugely entertaining roller coaster of a ride through poetry and language'. The novel centres around Mhairi McPhail, a young American  curator who, following the break down of her relationship, picks apart her New York life and moves thousands of miles to a place that couldn't be further from her previous home. She arrives in Fascaray - nine year old daughter in tow - to write the biography of the island's late Bard, Grigor McWatt. Here's the blurb from the back: 'But who was the cantankerous Grigor McWatt? Despite his international reputation, details of his past are elusive. As Mhairi struggles to adapt to her new life she begins to unearth the astonishing secret history of the poet regarded by many as the custodian of Fascaray's - and Scotland's - soul. A highly acclaimed debut novel, this is a wonderful read for Spring. It's in stock now: find it here .

2018 marks the 150th anniversary of one of Scotland's finest and most renowned artists, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. As you would expect, to celebrate one of our great cultural icons there is a programme of events for all things Mackintosh created by heritage partners from across Glasgow and beyond. We'll be doing our own bit to celebrate too! Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in Townhead, Glasgow, on the 7th of June 1868. He was part of a large family of eleven children. After winning a Traveling Student scholarship, Mackintosh began work as an architect in Glasgow where his first major project was the Glasgow Herald Building - now known as the Lighthouse. Mackintosh spent most of his life in Glasgow and was heavily influenced by its industrial, modernist characteristics. He became an internationally respected architect following the success of projects including the Glasgow School of Art, the Queen's Cross Church in Maryhill and the Hill House in Helensburgh. He also worked in interior design, furniture production, textiles and metalwork. As his affection for architecture dwindled in later life, Mackintosh became a more prominent artist. He and his wife had been part of 'The Glasgow Four', a collaborative art group since their youth and both were prominent members of the Glasgow School movement. His later work was predominantly in watercolour, particularly after his move to France in 1923. As is so often the case for great artists, much of Mackintosh's recognition came posthumously. He is widely regarded now as a pioneer of modernism and has a well established and internationally recognised aesthetic. Today, Glasgow and its surrounding area are home to the world's largest and most important collection of Mackintosh buildings, artifacts, artwork and designs. In this celebratory year, a number of attractions and groups are partaking in the 'Mackintosh 150' events programme: Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum - host of a major exhibition The Lighthouse Glasgow Art Club V&A Dundee The Glasgow School of Art The Hill House House for an Art Lover Mackintosh Queen's Cross Church The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society Mackintosh Club Scotland Street School Museum The Hunterian Mackintosh at the Willow Throughout March we will be posting our selection of the best Mackintosh books on the market - keep an eye out for our Mackintosh Month posts on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram !

We're very excited about our book of the month for March - as soon as we saw the preview information, we knew it was going to be a big one! Our selection this month is... The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster This utterly stunning new paperback is from Lari Don, author of numerous best-selling children's books including the tremendously successful 'Secret of the Kelpie'. Amidst what can be a crowded Nessie market, this is a tale that draws on traditional myth and local folklore to create a more traditional story that is sure to appeal to children from Scotland and further afield. Here is the publisher's blurb: Ishbel and Kenneth need to save their family from going hungry, so when they remember the old local tale about treasure under Castle Urquhart, they set off across Loch Ness in a rowing boat. But the loch may be hiding its own secrets. There's another ancient story about a giant monster living in the depths... One of the outstanding features of 'Secret of the Kelpie' was its illustrations - the jacket perfectly captured the spirit of one of Scotland's newest landmarks and brought them to life. This latest book does the same for one of our oldest icons. Natasa Ilincic's Nessie is dragon-like, almost Tolkien-esq. Her illustrations of the Scottish Highlands have just the right amount of realism and atmosphere to evoke this magical place but leave enough to children's imaginations to create their own world. This beautiful new book would be a welcome addition to any bookshelf. It's due to be published on March 22nd so keep you're eyes on our Facebook and Twitter feed to find out when it's in stock - and remember you'll receive 10% off when you order from us!

Happy World Book Day! Today, 1st of March, is officially the day to celebrate all things bright and book-iful! Kids in schools across the country will be celebrating today in a whole host of ways – and here’s how you can get involved too: #ShareAStory – this is the big activity for 2018; take just 10 minutes to share a story with someone at some point today. Today in the office we’re sharing one of our favourite stories… Harry the Highlander: Up the Glen Harry the Highlander: Up the Glen Join a book club – young or old, start your own group or join an existing one and make some noise – lots of noise – about your favourite books Collect, receive, gift and spend National Book Tokens in your favourite bookshops There are lots of ways to celebrate World Book Day and we’d love to hear what you’re doing in Scotland! Send us a picture on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram of your WBD celebrations; we know us Scots are great at hosting some fantastic events! For more on World Book Day, visit the official site here: www.worldbookday.com

The opening of the Queensferry Crossing in August this year was one of Scotland’s biggest civic events. 50,000 people walked across our newest landmark and close to 4,000 guests were present to see HRH Queen Elizabeth II officially open the bridge. We’re delighted to have the only book about this incredible new feat of engineering in stock. Lily Publication’s The Queensferry Crossing: Vision to Reality is a quality, informative book packed with stunning colour photographs. It celebrates both the new bridge – the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world – and the 15,000 men and women who worked to complete the structure. The Queensferry Crossing: Vision to Reality This is a must-have commemorative book that marks one of Scotland’s largest and most innovative projects. Spanning the bridge’s new history from conception to completion, it details the technical challenges triumphs lying behind its construction. It includes forwards from First Minister Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP and key individuals in the project’s management. The Queensferry Crossing: Vision to Reality  is available now to order now here . Jenny, Scottish Bookstore

We love to see new books as they arrive in our warehouse and one in particular today has caught our attention... The Tale o the Wee Mowdie You may know of a popular children's book 'The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew it was None of his Business' which recently celebrated it's 25th anniversary. It's now been translated into Scots by Matthew Mackie and the result is an absolute delight! The Tale o the Wee Mowdie That Wantit tae ken wha Keeched on his Heid is a brilliant Scots translation that will have children and adults laughing out loud. It's a fantastic book to encourage Scots language among children (as supported now across most of our primary schools) and teaches some wonderfully fun vocabulary that kids will love. Here's the synopsis text from the back to give you a hint of what's inside - An awfu stramash befaws the wee mowdie, yin bricht sunny morn. It looks a bit like a link sasser, and the warst o't is - It faws richt ontae his heid. Oor gallus wee hero gangs oot tae speir Wha's keeched on his heid. Featuring such great lines as "five great muckle cuddy-aipples duntit doon juist a midgie's whisker frae the wee mowdie," it really is a joy to read! It's available now with 10% off - just click here . Jenny, Scottish Bookstore

Today is St Andrew's day and you can read a bit more about Scotland's patron Saint with these great books. Learn all you need to know about St Andrew

Welcome to our new blog! Those of you who have visited our site before will notice that it has undergone something of a face lift. It's a little Christmas gift to ourselves, and we hope you like the new, modern feel. The site has been redesigned to provide more information on our products and services. We are still working on it and will be streamlining our categories to improve usability to help you to find titles and place orders more quickly. We also have this rather nice new blog, on which we'll keep you updated with new books and products, news, events and special offers. If you have any queries about how to use the new site, please don't hesitate to contact us on 01506 855955 or at sales@scottishbookstore.com Happy browsing! Jenny, Scottish Bookstore

Iain Kirk Campbell's Isle of Skye is this week's Book of the Week for the Press & Journal! The book is in stock now!