Presenting the most in-depth, relatable, and picturesque guidebook to the North Coast 500 on the market - this is Destination NC500 .   “Your book is fantastic. I am not much of a reader and cannot put this book down. Just bought our 1st ever camper and so excited. Can’t wait to visit some of the spectacular places you have talked about in your book. Well done!”   The North Coast 500 coastal route ties all that Scotland has to offer into one epic road trip. The incredible beauty of the remote and unforgiving highlands of Scotlands make it one of the most unique places on Planet Earth, a definite bucket-list location for any traveller. Plan the NC500 road trip like never before with this in-depth and relatable travel guide, detailing where to eat, where to stay, essential road trip information, and over 100 of the top sights that cannot be missed - an unforgettable adventure!  During the research for this book, Campbell and Gemma spent two months living on the route, turning over every rock and leaf to make sure that they included all of the best-hidden sights and attractions that the NC500 has to offer.     “This is a fantastic book that details a fantastic journey through some of Scotland’s most inspiring scenery. An absolute joy to read. Makes you want to do it, and makes you feel like you’re already there. Wonderful.”     Shop ‘Destination NC500’ here today and get 10% off your order when you shop with us on our website!    

Exciting news for author Allan Martin, whose thrilling and atmospheric novel The Peat Dead has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Debut Crime Novel 2019. The Peat Dead Set predominantly on the magical island of Islay, The Peat Dead is a remarkably assured first novel that introduces us to Inspector Angus Blue and his team, who are confronted by the grisly discovery of five corpses in a peat bank. Skilfully blending historic and current political events with the intricacies of a police investigation and astute insights into island life The Peat Dead grips the reader from the very first page. On hearing of his nomination, retired teacher and university lecturer Allan said, 'I am thrilled to be shortlisted for such a prestigious prize. It is a great honour and something I could not have imagined when I started writing.' Seonaid Francis, Editorial Director at ThunderPoint Publishing added, 'Allan Martin has crafted a gripping novel that draws on historic events and places them firmly in current times, and reminds us that the past effects us all. He is an author to watch and we strongly recommend people search out The Peat Dead'. Reviews of The Peat Dead “A mystery so redolent of its island setting that you practically smell the peat and whisky on the pages.” – Douglas Skelton “This atmospheric crime novel set on Islay gripped me from the start. A book that shows decades-old crimes cast long shadows.” – Sarah Ward About The Peat Dead On the Scottish Hebridean Island of Islay, five corpses are dug up by a peat-cutter. All of them have been shot in the back of the head, execution style. Sent across from the mainland to investigate, Inspector Angus Blue and his team slowly piece together the little evidence they have, and discover the men were killed on a wartime base, over 70 years ago. But there are still secrets worth protecting, and even killing for. Who can Inspector Blue trust? About the Author: Allan Martin worked as a teacher, teacher-trainer and university lecturer, and only turned to writing fiction after taking early retirement. He lives in Glasgow and with his wife regularly visits the Hebrides and Estonia. He has had several short stories published, notably in iScot magazine and 404Ink magazine. He has also translated from Estonian a ‘closed-room’ mystery, The Oracle, originally published in 1937. The Peat Dead is available in paperback at £9.99 and can be ordered from Scottish Bookstore.

At the top of the new releases list in Scottish fiction this month is this extraordinary and un-put-down-able wartime romance, We Fought for Ardnish . Following the tremendous success of Ardnish Was Home (now on it's 5th reprint), this is a sure-fire hit for the summer. The story focuses on a young Highlander recruited to his local regiment at the beginning of the Second World War, and follows his dangerous liaisons with a Canadian SOE agent. We Fought for Ardnish - Angus MacDonald We caught up with author Angus MacDonald to discuss all things writing, Ardnish and his latest novel - Jenny: Firstly Angus, tell us a bit about your latest novel, We Fought for Ardnish… Angus MacDonald: The book is the sequel to ‘Ardnish was home’, a romantic story about a lad growing up on the remote West Highland peninsula of Ardnish. At the outset of WW2 he joins the local regiment The Lovat Scouts and then switches to the Special Operations Executive (SOE), in order to fight with the French resistance. On a mission in the alps he meets Canadian SOE agent, Francoise who has a mission to complete. Their lives become intertwined; dangerous and romantic... J: Set in the Second World War, how does this differ from your first novel? Did you undertake a lot of research in the period? AM: The baby from the first book becomes the hero of the second. The stories of the highlands and Cape Breton in Canada are true and the details of the Lovat Scouts and SOE are accurate. The characters are fictional however. J: Tell us about Donald Angus and Francoise, the heroine? AM: Donald Angus is a proud, generous and capable lad, brought up in a very simple existence in a crofters house on the shoreline. A legendary bagpiper and soldier who is rapidly promoted, his love for his beloved highlands is completely authentic. Francoise is strong, fearless and very intelligent. Her father is a doctor in Cape Breton, Canada. The deprivations she copes with during her mission behind enemy lines are remarkable. J: Both of your novels are set (in part) in the Scottish Highlands – do you find your surroundings influence your writing? Why does this setting appeal to you? AM: The village on Ardnish is a row of houses along a sandy beach with the islands of Eigg and Rum the view. Its impossible not to marvel at the beauty of this place, its stirs the heart. J: Has your own background in the military influenced your writing? AM: My ability to rise at 3.45 in the morning to write and discipline of focusing and getting on with the job may be a result of time in the army. But the writing is such a pleasure its easy to do really. J: Since you’re not a full time writer – we’d imagine you have a very busy schedule. How do you find time to fit writing in? AM: I write in the winter months, and the early start allows me to do my day job. The editing process as I work with Erica Munro, Jo-Anne MacDonald in Canada and Alison Rae from Birlinn is a long and sometimes painful experience. J: We hear you have a great deal of publicity for your latest release – tell us all! AM: BBC Alba, the Gaelic TV station, and Radio Nan Gaidheal came to visit Ardnish and interviewed me, aired on Monday 9 th July. And BBC Scotland had Janice Forsyth interview me, really thorough and interested questioning. Nevis radio and Oban FM too. Lots of coverage in the regional press as well as The Scotsman so far. The Inverness Courier will run almost a full page along with their many subsidiary newspapers across the north of Scotland in mid July. I'll be at The Edinburgh Festival, Wigtown, Mallaig and Tobermory festivals over the course of the next few months. J: If you had to sum up We Fought for Ardnish in a tweet, how would you describe it? AM: A dangerous war time mission resulting in romance, ‘We fought for Ardnish’ is better than Outlander. J: And if you imagine the reader you think would most enjoy this novel, how would you describe them? AM: Considerate, exciting, loves adventure and the Highlands. J: What's your best piece of writing advice? AM: Just get on and do it, stop talking about it and prevaricating! J: And lastly, if you could only recommend one place in Scotland for someone to visit, where would it be and why? AM: Two miles north of Lochailort on the A830 past the stunning ‘Our lady of the Braes’ church, park in the big lay-by on the left. Peanmeanach is signposted, put on good boots and set along the same route that Donald Angus and the hundreds of people of Ardnish before him walked for two hours to their stunning village. Sit on the rock that Francoise would have as she looked down to where her beloved Donald Angus was brought up. Wave, then walk down to Ardnish and home... We Fought for Ardnish - Angus MacDonald Angus's recommendation sounds truly blissful, as is his writing. We'd highly recommend We Fought for Ardnish as a summer read - it's the perfect mix of nostalgia, romance, escapism and action. It's available from Scottish Bookstore now with 10% off!

The search for the Loch Ness Monster has been ongoing for years - it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Loch Ness every year and many people have dedicated their lives to it. Myths around the monster range from it being an escaped circus elephant to the last remnants of the dinosaurs, or just a floating tree branch. But have you ever wondered what will happen if someone actually catches the Loch Ness Monster? Nessie Code of Practice Well, believe it or not there is actually an official code of practice for what would happen should Nessie be found. Scottish Natural Heritage have been in possession of the 'partly serious, partly fun' plans since 2001, and according to BBC News SNH are preparing to bring out the code again - just in case - amid DNA collection from the loch. Catch and Release Should Nessie be found, the SNH will protect him or her as a new monster species and they have stipulated that once DNA samples have been taken, Nessie should be released to back into the loch. SNH have added that should Nessie be discovered today, local communities and businesses would need to be consulted about her protection. First Minister - 'I'm a Believer' Just last month, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that she believes in Nessie's existence in the loch - and she joins a huge number of people who are convinced that this mythical creature lies in wait under the surface. So why hasn't Nessie been found yet? Well, it's not for want of trying. With origins in 565AD, the tantalising, brief sightings of something in the water have kept cropping up in the news. There have been numerous small and large expeditions to find the monster - including a £1m operation in the 1980s. But Loch Ness is not your average body of water. In fact, it contains more water than all of the lakes in England and Wales combined. (and even at that, Loch Morar is deeper and Loch Lomond is bigger!) It's 23 miles long and at it's deepest is 230m deep. That's an awful lot of water to look in, and that gives Nessie plenty of opportunity to evade discovery! Finding Nessie So, the search for Nessie will continue - but at least we can all be safe in the knowledge that should the monster be found, it will become Scotland's newest protected species and allowed to live in its natural habitat. If you're among the 400,000 people visiting Loch Ness this year be sure to keep an eye out for oor Nessie. And if you're not, try your hand at spotting her on Google Earth !

We can't quite believe we've made it to May already - the year is disappearing fast! Scottish Bookstore on Instagram Since it's the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and the Islay Festival of Malt and Music this month, we've decided to make May our month of all things Malt, and we'll be highlighting some of our best recommendations in the whisky range on our Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . We love reaching out to our customers on these platforms and talking about our books - so be sure to follow us, and have a chat when you can! Have a great month of May, and check back in tomorrow for our Book of the Month...

Today - 2nd of April - is not only Good Friday but it's also International Children's Book Day! The Kilted Coo This celebration of children's books is facilitated by the International Board on Books for Young People, and every year on April 2nd a different National Section is nominated to the day's official national sponsor. Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster 2018's sponsor is Latvia and their chosen theme is 'the small is big in a book'. In a message from renowned Latvian author Inese Zandere, the focus of the celebration is that in books, small is a relative concept. With courage, belief in our ideals, foresight, perseverance, and the power of talent we can make literature and the art of books significant and meaningful. Porridge the Tartan Cat Here are a couple of extracts from Inese's message about what children's books can be: "A children's book is a miraculous force that promotes the small person's great desire and ability to be. It promotes his or her courage to live" "A book is a mystery in which something unsought can be found, or something beyond one's reach" "A picture book can function as a treasure chest of wisdom and culture even for adults, just as children can read a book intended for adults and find their own story" Sky Dancer "A children's book signifies respect for the greatness of the small. It signifies a world that is created anew each time, a playful and beautiful seriousness" Where's Nessie? At Scottish Bookstore, we adore children's books and it's one of our strongest categories - no matter how the market is, children's books always outperform expectations and it seems that their resonance and appeal is unending. You can find our fantastic selection of children's books here.

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 !