COASTAL SCOTLAND

Celebrating the History, Heritage and Wildlife of the Scottish Shores. Musicians and writers including Samuel Johnson and Felix Mendelssohn have discovered the romanticism of Scotland's coastline with its freestanding stacks, magnificent hills, mysterious caves and the constant shriek and whirl of its bird life. In this gorgeous book with colour photos on every page the author takes us round clockwise, combining authoritative text with striking photography. Starting in the Solway Firth the author does full justice to fortified houses such as 16th century Carsluith Castle overlooking Wigtown Bay, then moves on to Galloway, an area beloved of English visitors, where an otter sculpture on a rock celebrates the writer Gavin Maxwell. Loch Striven's NATO fuel jetty is a reminder that Scotland's defence systems have an importance well beyond the country itself. On the island of Bute, Rothesay's striking Art Deco Pavilion was a social centre in World War II when the town was a naval base. Kintyre is the place to view seals, and a lovely photo of highland cattle looks across to the island of Jura. Rock formations on Scarba at the gulf of Corryvreckan are truly spectacular. Among many smaller islands the Isle of Mull is a volcanic giant, with a long architectural heritage such as the 14th century Duart Castle, and with beautiful Iona at its western end. The island of Skye, captioned "the best scenery in Britain" is the biggest section in the book, showcasing crashing waterfalls and long vistas towards the peaks of the Cuillin from Loch Coruisk, cliff formations on the Glasnakille coast that look like abstract art, rock sculptures on Soay Sound, and thousands of caves. Journeying up the Minch we reach the North Highland area and follow the coast down Caithness with its many freestanding stacks, the hidden bays of the Moray Firth and the rock arches of Aberdeenshire, finishing with the fishing towns of Angus, Fife, East Lothian and the Borders. 208pp, softback, maps, colour photos on every page.