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This collection of early colour photographs of the Scottish coastline comes from the heyday of the picture postcard, driven by the explosion in railway travel and the popularity of Scottish scenery inspired by Queen Victoria's love of the Highlands. These postcards provide a route back into long-vanished townscapes, while the costumes and millinery give us a real insight into fashion and the social life of the time. Starting on the west coast we visit the charming town of Kirkcudbright, a magnet for artists, whose picturesque harbour and sailing ships have long disappeared. Nearby Stranraer is the home of the ferry to Ireland, shown here in 1909 with the last of two paddle steamers to serve the route. Further north, McBrayne's paddle steamer is shown in 1908 entering the canal system at Fort William. In the 19th century Girvan was the embarkation point for emigrants to Canada, and its beaches became a tourist attraction with the arrival of the railway. Campbeltown at the base of the Kintyre peninsula had over 30 distilleries and 600 fishing boats at the start of the 20th century. In 1853, angry locals in Garelochhead blockaded the town's pleasure steamer from an invasion of tourists, while nowadays the town repels invasion as Britain's submarine base. Port Glasgow and Clydebank prospered because of the ships of awesome size built in the docks. On the east coast, Aberdeen has been transformed from a fishing town into a powerhouse of energy supplies. A photo from 1880 shows the partially collapsed Tay Bridge, while further down the east coast, a magnificent photo foregrounds the ferry Forfarshire on the South Queensferry slipway. 132pp, softback, handcoloured postcards on every page.