Books on Scottish Architecture, Castles, Churches and Buildings

Perhaps the most famous pre-historical site in Scotland is Orkney's Skara Brae, but there is a disappointing shortage of books on the village - Between the Wind and the Water and children's novel The Boy with the Bronze Axe being the notable exceptions. Other books on early Scottish building include archaeological titles such as The Archaeology of Scottish Islands and Neolithic Scotland.

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  The Archaeology Of Scottish Islands
  - Paperback - Tempus
  The contributions to this volume look at many aspects of archaeology from across the time periods of ancient Scotland, including late Bronze Age metalworking in the islands and the economics of the Iron Age infrastructure.
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  £30.99
  Neolithic Scotland: Timber, Stone, Earth And Fire
  Gordon Noble - Paperback - Edinburgh University Press
  Providing an account of the Neolithic period in Scotland from its earliest traces to the transformation of Neolithic society in the Early Bronze Age 1500 years later, this book synthesizes and interprets excavations and research and brings together the evidence essential to understanding the first farming communities of Scotland.

Many come to visit Scotland specifically for her ancient castles. Some - like Edinburgh and Stirling - are still working buildings attracting tens of thousands of tourists each year. Others are mere ruins on isolated headlands. Regardless, there are numerous books on Scottish castles: a good place to start is Martin Coventry's practical guide Castles of the Clans, his pictorial The Castles of Scotland, or Sampson Lloyd's Scottish Castles.

Handy pocket books include Colin Baxter's photographic Scottish Castles and Richard Dargie's Scottish Castles and Fortifications.

There are also specific guides, such as Graham Coe's Castles of Edinburgh and the Lothians.

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  Castles Of The Clans: The Strongholds And Seats Of 750 Scottish Families And Clans
  Martin Coventry - Paperback - Goblinshead
  This work investigates the strongholds and seats of Scotland families and clans. Organized by clan name, there follows information on the history and origins of the family, and any castles, towers, and historic houses which they owned.
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  £9.95
  Castles Of Edinburgh And The Lothians
  Graham S. Coe - Paperback - Coecast
  Spanning Dunbar in the east to Linlithgow in the west as well as the city of Edinburgh itself, this guide contains details of over 150 castle sites in the area, including ownership, history, location, and access.
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  Scottish Castles
  Sampson Lloyd - Hardback - AAPPL
  Cameron Brown guides the reader through Scotland's turbulent history, the development of the castle from the Iron Age to the 19th century, and includes brief information on the 45 photographed castles. Sampson Lloyd's photographs include many interior shots of the privately-owned castles.
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  Scottish Castles
  - Paperback - Colin Baxter
  Throughout Scotland, over 2000 castles stand in testament to a land rich in heritage and tradition. This collection reveals the magic of some of its most timeless strongholds.
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  £6.79
  Scottish Castles And Fortifications
  Richard Dargie - Paperback - GW
  Historian Richard Dargie explores over 100 Scottish castles and fortifications and examines why they were built and what their defences were, as well as revealing the battles, plotting and treachery that took place in and around them.

There are several guides to the churches of Scotland, from EUP's Scotland's Best Churches and Richard Fawcett's comparison of English and Scottish medieval architecture Scottish Medieval Churches. Of course, the one church which draws the most attention is East Lothian's famous Rosslyn chapel, and we're have a separate feature on Rosslyn related books.

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  £24.99
  Scotland's Best Churches
  John R. Hume - Paperback - Edinburgh University Press
  Over one hundred and fifty churches still used for worship are illustrated with line drawings and photographs, with pithy texts drawing out where they fit into the fabric of Scotland, and into nearly a thousand years of church construction.
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  £16.99
  Scottish Medieval Churches: Architecture & Furnishings
  Richard Fawcett - Paperback - Tempus
  This ground-breaking work, which shows how different Scottish medieval architecture is from its English counterpart, will be welcomed both by scholars and by the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors to Scottish churches.

Robert Adam, born in 1728, was one of Scotland's first architectural leaders, famed for his role in the neoclassical revival in Scotland and England in the mid 18th century. His father William and brother John were also leading architects - Scottish projects he worked on include Hopetoun House and Fort George in Inverness. Two books which celebrate his live and work include Robert Adam by Richard Tames, and Robert & James Adam.

Working around the same time as the Adams brothers was James Craig, the architect awarded the contract to design and build Edinburgh's New Town after a competition in 1766. Edinburgh's New Town is now regarded as a masterpiece of city planning and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of his work is featured in The Edinburgh New Town Gardens by Connie Byrom.

Alexander 'Greek' Thomson was a Glaswegian architect in the middle of the 19th century, and his inspiration from classical Ionic Greek forms earned him his nickname. Thomson was also considered a visionary for his ideas in social, sustainable and workers' housing.

Our best represented author is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Charles Rennie MacIntosh. Famed for his Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts buildings, furniture, water-colours, his tea rooms and much more besides. His signature rose is recognised the world over. Books on MacIntosh and his work include:

• Charles Rennie Macintosh by Colin Baxter and John McKean, plus a handy pocket guide
• David Stark's Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Co.
• Monsieur Mackintosh by Robin Crichton, which celebrates his paintings from his travels in France
• The Quest for Charles Rennie Mackintosh by John Cairney
• Glasgow School of Art
• The Mackintosh Style by Elizabeth Wilhide

Other architects and builders celebrated in print include lighthouse engineer Thomas Stevenson (father of RLS) (The Lighthouse Stevensons); stadium builder Archibald Leitch, town planner Patrick Geddes and engineer Thomas Telford.

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  Arbiter Of Elegance: A Biography Of Robert Adam
  Roderick Graham - Hardback - Birlinn
  Roderick Graham follows Adam's life and career from schooldays in Edinburgh through study in Italy and the establishment of his architectural practice in London. It explains his passionate ambition, not only to excel as an architect, but to be accepted as a gentlemen in that most snobbish period of our history.
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  Charles Rennie Mackintosh
  Colin Baxter; John McKean - Paperback - Colin Baxter
  Introducing the life and work of the renowned Scottish architect, artist and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, this book looks at some of his best-known buildings and designs, painting a vivid picture of the man, his life, and his accomplishments in architecture and art.
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  Charles Rennie Mackintosh And Co., 1854 To 2004
  David Stark - Hardback - Stenlake
  Charles Rennie Mackintosh was the third partner of John Honeyman and Keppie, the architectural practice now called Keppie Design which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2004.
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  Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Pocket Guide
  John McKean - Paperback - Colin Baxter
  An introductory guide to the work of Scotland's renowned architect, artist and designer, his buildings, furniture, textile designs, paintings and drawings and where to see them in Glasgow and elsewhere.
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  £25.50
  The Edinburgh New Town Gardens: 'Blessings As Well As Beauties'
  Connie Byrom - Hardback - Birlinn
  For most people, a garden is a private refuge where they can satisfy their need for beauty, tranquillity and order. These concepts were very much to the fore during the planning, building and maintenance of the gardens in Edinburgh's New Town, and this book features some of the most elegant and beautiful examples.
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  £11.01
  Glasgow School Of Art: Charles Rennie Mackintosh
  James Macaulay - Paperback - Phaidon
  One of the great works of Arts and Crafts architecture, the school is a creative synthesis of opposites, austere and delicate, dark and light, derivative yet innovative.
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  £12.75
  Monsieur Mackintosh: The Travels And Paintings Of Charles Rennie Mackintosh In The Pyrénées Orientales 1923-1927
  Robin Crichton - Paperback - Luath
  Discussing Charles Rennie Mackintosh's years in France, this work includes reproductions of 40 of his French paintings alongside photographs of the actual locations and images from the period 1923-1927.
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  £11.04
  The Mackintosh Style
  Elizabeth Wilhide - Paperback - Pavilion
  In this compelling study, Elizabeth Wilhide reviews in context the work of one of the most influential figures in modern design. She considers Mackintosh's sensitive handling of colour, use of materials and graphic approach to form.
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  £7.64
  The Quest For Charles Rennie Mackintosh
  John Cairney - Paperback - Luath
  This biography of the life of Charles Rennie Mackintosh not only explores the work and legacy of the Scottish artist, but also examines his relationship with his wife Margaret Macdonald, which ended with his sudden death, aged 60.
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  £5.09
  Robert Adam: An Illustrated Life Of Robert Adam, 1728-1792
  Richard Tames - Paperback - Shire
  An examination of the life and work of renowned Scottish architect Robert Adam, perhaps best known for his fireplace designs.
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  £60.00
  Robert And James Adam, Architects Of The Age Of Enlightenment
  Ariyuki Kondo - Hardback - Pickering & Chatto
  During the second half of the 18th century British architecture moved away from the dominant school of Classicism in favour of a more creative freedom of expression. At the forefront of this change were architect brothers Robert and James Adam. Kondo's work places them within the context of 18th-century intellectual thought.
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  Thomas Telford
  L. T. C. Rolt - Paperback - Sutton
  Published to co-incide with the 250th anniversary of his death, this is the biography of Thomas Telford.

There are guides to the houses of Scotland, from the very grand - Scotland's Lost Houses, Scottish Houses and Gardens, Great Houses of Scotland, The Scottish Chateau - to the small - Little Houses. We can also recommend The Western Seaboard. Yale University Press publish a series of books on the Buildings of Scotland. And of course, there are books on the much maligned, and equally much loved, Scottish Parliament: Creating a Scottish Parliament and Jencks' The Scottish Parliament.

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  Creating A Scottish Parliament
  Alan Balfour - Paperback - StudioLR
  This book puts the building of Scotland's new parliament in perspective, making use of unique access to documents and materials. It also includes the drawings of the architect, Enric Miralles and photographs of the Holyrood building as well as prints from Edinburgh's past.
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  £14.95
  Great Houses Of Scotland
  Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd - Paperback - Silverdale
  'Great Houses of Scotland' features 25 houses selected to reflect the evolution of architectural style in Scotland, from old tower houses such as Cawdor and Traquair to the bartizans of Glamis and the baroque of Drumlanrig.
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  Little Houses: The National Trust For Scotland's Improvement Scheme For Small Historic Homes
  Diane Walters; Miles Glendinning - Paperback - RCAHMS
  This text presents a history of small-burgh conservation in Scotland. It provides a comprehensive overview of the National Trust for Scotland's Litte Houses Improvement Scheme.
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  Scotland's Lost Houses
  Ian Gow - Paperback - Aurum
  Since 1945, it has been estimated, over 200 major houses have been lost in Scotland, through fire, dry rot, mining subsistence, or simply demolition resulting from the prohibitive cost of upkeep. Ian Gow features details of 20 of the country's most important lost houses.
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  £12.74
  The Scottish Chateau: The Country House Of Renaissance Scotland
  Charles McKean - Paperback - Sutton
  In this work, the author overturns the theories that Scottish Renaissance country houses were merely 'castles' or fortified houses, alongside a country left behind in a backwater, and reveals 16th-century Scotland as vivid, colourful and European.
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  Scottish Houses And Gardens: From The Archives Of Country Life
  Ian Gow - Paperback - Aurum
  It is exactly 100 years since Country Life began to commission leading architectural photographers to record the great country houses of the British Isles. This book features some 20 of the most important & remarkable houses in Scotland from the archive.
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  The Scottish Parliament
  Charles Jencks - Paperback - Scala
  Written by Anglo-American architect and historian, Charles Jencks, designer of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and winner of the Gulbenkian prize for Museum of the year 2004, this is an account of a fascinating building with superb photography and a stylish format.
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  The Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide
  Mary Miers - Paperback - Rutland
  Mary Miers provides ample proof that Scotland's Western Seaboard is not an empty wilderness in this illustrated architectural guide. She discusses the wide range of buildings found there, from ruined duns to the great 13th century castles.