Scottish Borders Books

Galloway and the Borders (Collins New Naturalist) New Naturalist series, an in-depth study of the natural developments and history of Galloway and surrounding areas. Often overlooked due to the reputation of natural habitat in other parts of the country, the author here conveys the diversity and magnificence of nature in the south of Scotland. Galloway and the borders is an extremely varied region, from saltmarshes and shingle beaches to rocky islands and seabird stations. The wide range of hills, displaying a wealth of rich colours, give the area its dominant character. The varied selection of flora and fauna only add to the diversity.

Safe Sanctuaries: Security and Defence... in Anglo-Scottish Border Churches, 1296-1603. This text is about the fortified churches which form a feature of the borderlands between Scotland and England. Through these buildings the author draws a picture of the people and events which shaped this land, from the actions of government to events and incidents which shaped everyday lives.

Black Friday Black Friday is the astonishing true story of a coastal community that lost one hundred and eighty nine men in a single afternoon. Britain's worst fishing disaster decimated the coastal community of Eyemouth, yet is an almost forgotten part of the past. 125 years on, this is the story of that storm, told through the accounts of fishermen at sea caught up in the maelstrom, of their families waiting anxiously for news, and of its historical context. (At its heart is a gripping narrative of survival and high adventure when Eyemouth was the centre of a massive smuggling ring.) Author Peter Aitchison does more than simply spin a good yarn, as a direct descendant, his account of how these fishermen plied their trade, led their lives and met their fate in the 1880s is an insightful and compelling read.

The Border Reivers (Men-at-arms S.) This is an account of the uniforms, insignia, weaponry, campaigns and military practices of the border reivers, the guerrilla soldiers who ran wild in the Marches of England and Scotland between the 13th and 17th centuries, and who for a while produced the best cavalry of their time, playing a decisive role in such battles as Flodden and Solway Moss..

The Border Country: A Walker's Guide (Cicerone British Walking S.) Covering the border hills, northern Northumberland and the Southern Uplands, this third edition of the guide offers a broad selection of around 50 routes, as well as outlines of a number of long-distance trails which cross the region. The Border country that lies between England and Scotland is a countryside surrounded by ridge after high ridge rythmically fading into gently folding valleys, through which the Tweed and Teviot rivers flow. The area has been the scene of thousands of years of sometimes turbulent history, from the early iron Age, through the Roman occupation, with influences down the years of both Celtic and Christian beliefs. The guide offers the hillwalker routes which will open up this broad and expansive landscape, giving a real taste of solitude and affinity with this unique area.

St Cuthbert's Way Official Guide The official trail guide to St Cuthbert's Way. Visiting a number of places closely associated with the saint's life, this newly developed walk is full of historical interest and natural beauty. St Cuthbert is said to have started his ministry in Melrose in the Scottish Borders and finished in Holy Island, and today's pilgrims will link these places by a route which culminates in the Holy Island causeway at Beal.

Southern Uplands (Pocket Mountains S.) 40 circular routes taking in the Border, Pentland, Cheviot and Galloway Hills. Colour photos and colour maps.

Melrose Abbey This is the first authoritative account of Scotland's most famous medieval monastery.

Border Fury: England and Scotland at War, 1296-1568 For three hundred years England and Scotland fought a bitter series of wars for territorial enlargement. Border Fury provides a fascinating account of the period of Anglo-Scottish Border conflict from the Edwardian invasions of 1296 until the Union of the Crowns under James VI of Scotland, James I of England in 1603.

The Harvest of the Hills: Rural Life in... Northern England and the Scottish Borders, 1400-1700. This illustrated environmental history of rural life in Northern England and the Scottish Borders in the late medieval and early modern periods explores the relationship between society and the environment - the ways in which humans responded to and used the environment in which they lived. The author uses the orders and bylaws made by manorial courts to build up a picture of how pastoral society in the Pennine, Lake District and Border hills husbanded the resources of the uplands. It offers an upland, pastoral paradigm of land use, the management of common land, and the transition from medieval to early-modern farming systems to balance the extensive literature on the agrarian history of the lowlands.

Borders: Buildings of Scotland (Pevsner Buildings of Scotland S.) The Scottish Borders have some of the most romantic countryside in Scotland, ranging from rocky coastline to rolling moors and farmland. The early buildings reflect a history of conflict, expressed in the plethora of castle strongholds and tower houses of the Anglo-Scottish Wars and their aftermath.

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