After his retirement from a career in medicine, Donald Macdonald turned his acute and wide-ranging mind to the study of the history and traditions of his native Lewis. Despite suffering from severe osteoarthritis, he was extremely active in the social and cultural life of the island, and contributed numerous articles to the "Stornoway Gazette". However, much of his collection of tales, legends and history remained in private circulation until after his death in 1961, when his wife Emily arranged for the publication of this volume. With over sixty essays on people, places and tradition, it reveals the full range of the author's erudition, and is informed by his love and deep knowledge of his native island. To read through or simply to dip into this collection is a fascinating experience for anyone who loves Scotland and her islands.
Irish immigrants and their descendants have made a vital contribution to the creation of modern Scotland. This book is the first collection of essays on the Irish in Scotland for almost twenty years, and brings together for the first time all the...
The kingdoms of the Dal Riata and the Picts, by their union in the ninth century, formed the nucleus of medieval Scotland. The author, a recognised authority on sources of early Scottish history, has made a fresh critical analysis of the evidence...
The law comes from, and runs through, society at all levels. It regulates human interactions and touches individuals at key moments in their lives. This volume provides an easily comprehensible account of the law in Scotland, beginning with its...
Europe is marching blindly into the First World War and Berlin is in a storm of nationalist marches and army recruitment. Albert Einstein anticipates the carnage to come when his university colleagues begin work on poison gas to ‘shorten the...
