100 short essays offer an opportunity to penetrate behind the statistical surveys and explore the rich complexity of changing identity from a varied range of opinion.
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.
365 Reasons To Be Proud To Be Scottish is a year-long scenic route of jollyness taking in the quirky events, inventions, traditions, people, places and characters that make Scotland a country worth celebrating every day of the year. Has there ever been a more eccentric, creative, inventive and passionate race than the Scottish? We don't think so and 365 Reasons To Be Proud To Be Scottish proves it brilliantly. In the book you'll find a historical year's worth of the discoveries, delights and derring-do that make Scotland a place to love and cherish, a place of wonder and a country that attracts 13 million people through its doors each year. From the hallowed halls of St Andrews University – the first in Scotland (and, in 2013, celebrating its 600th birthday!) – to the glorious slopes of Edinburgh’s streets; from the magical monster myths of loch landscapes to the ancient highland whisky makers; from inventors Alexander Graham Bell to brave knights such as William Wallace – Scotland is amazing, every single day of the year.
A landmark publication celebrating over 5,000 years of creativity, The Story of Scottish Art explores Scotland’s cultural identity and artistic output through the ages. This is the fascinating story of how Scotland has defined itself through its art over the past 5,000 years, from the earliest enigmatic Neolithic symbols etched onto the landscape of Kilmartin Glen to Glasgow’s position as a center of artistic innovation today. BBC TV broadcaster and artist Lachlan Goudie passionately narrates the joys and struggles of artists striving to fulfill their vision and the dramatic transformations of Scottish society reflected in their art. The Story of Scottish Art is beautifully illustrated with diverse works from Scotland’s long tradition of bold creativity: Pictish carved stones and Celtic metalwork, Renaissance palaces and chapels, paintings of Scottish life and landscapes by Horatio McCulloch, David Wilkie, the Glasgow Boys, and Joan Eardley; designs by master architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh; and collage and sculpture by pop art pioneer Eduardo Paolozzi. Through Scotland’s remarkable artistic history, Goudie tells the story of a small country with an extraordinary creative output that influenced significant global movements, such as art nouveau and pop art, while constantly redefining its own practices.
Everybody loves Italy. Well, ok, maybe not everyone. But a lot of people do. Including me. After 12 years of living in Scotland, my Italian wife abruptly announced to me on a cold, grey November morning that she wanted to move back home. Home being the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia, slap bang in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. After having lived almost all of my life in Scotland, I suddenly found myself facing the reality of moving to a different country, a different climate and a different language to all that I had known. A lot of it was good. A lot of it wasn't so good. But most of the time, I tried to see the funny side. This is the story of someone coping with Being Scottish in Italy.
Written by a leading sociologist of Scotland, this ground-breaking new introduction is a comprehensive account of the social, political, economic and cultural processes at work in contemporary Scottish society. At a time of major uncertainty and transformation The New Sociology of Scotland explores every aspect of Scottish life. Placed firmly in the context of globalisation, the text: examines a broad range of topics including race and ethnicity, social inequality, national identity, health, class, education, sport, media and culture, among many others. looks at the ramifications of recent political events such as British General Election of 2015, the Scottish parliament election of May 2016, and the Brexit referendum of June 2016. uses learning features such as further reading and discussion questions to stimulate students to engage critically with issues raised. Written in a lucid and accessible style, The New Sociology of Scotland is an indispensable guide for students of sociology and politics.
The Handbook of Scottish Politics provides a detailed overview of politics in Scotland, looking at areas such as elections and electoral behaviour, public policy, political parties, and Scotland's relationship with the EU and the wider world. The contributors to this volume are some of the leading experts on politics in Scotland.
Understanding Scotland has been recognised since publication as the key text on the sociology of Scotland. This wholly revised edition provides the first sustained study of post-devolution Scottish society. It contains new material on: * the establishment of the Scottish parliament in 1999 * social and political data from the 1997 general elections * the new cultural iconography of Scotland * Scotland as a European society. For anyone wishing to understand Scottish society in particular or the general issues involved in nation building, McCrone's clear-headed coherently argued account of the main issues will be essential reading.