Scotland: A Year Of The Land

By Ian Digby

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517414848
• ISBN13: 9780517414842
• Release Date: December 1983
• Publisher: Crescent
• Weight: 3.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

For the Scotland devotee

If you have traveled through Scotland, you know the rugged and intense beauty of the Highlands and the gentle, rolling landscapes of the Lowlands. If you have never been, then "Scotland: A Year of the Land" is a small substitute. If you have, then the book is a memento of your trip. Open it to any page and revisit. Ian Digby quotes a travel guide in the introduction that Scotland and Greece are "both rich in scenery and history, both lavishly endowed with enchanting islands. But Greece is handicapped at times by too much sun, and Scotland by too much rain." But it is the frequent rain that keeps Scotland so green during spring and summer. Scotland's place on Earth is dominated by coastlines on three sides and 800 islands offcoast. The mainland is 280 miles long and 150 miles wide. Like many countries, Scotland is divided into two sections: its Highlands and its Lowlands. The people also differ by history. When the Celts retreated into the Highlands, they became a world unto themselves and were never dominated by the Romans. In the Lowlands people are mostly city dwellers. The rest of the introduction takes the reader through a summary of history, the islands, products, particularly peat and whisky, Christianity, the food (oatcakes and porridge, haggis), literature by Scott and Burns, cities, lochs, shopping, and more. The introduction is 18 pages. The rest of the 13 inch wide, 11 inch high book is filled with stunning photographs. I included a few on the product page in the image section. The scenery of Scotland is incredible. In the moors of the Highlands you are just as likely to run into a herd of sheep as not. When you do, you stop as sheep have the right-of-way. In one place the sheep were so accustomed to tourists feeding them, that one raised up on his hindquarters to put his front feet on my shoulders. At this time he was too big for that. He was a black-faced sheep and very friendly. The photograph with the Glencoe massif is just a hint of the awesome reality of the Highlands. The book is but a distant second, but it will do. Put it on your coffee table to make it available for frequent reminders of where you have been or would like to go.