Scotland Beyond the Bagpipes


Book Description

Like so many people who live south of the border in England, Helen thought that she knew all about Scotland. It was a part of Britain after all, a place that was surely more the same than it was different. But then she actually went there – and everything changed...




Highland Pipe and Scottish Society, 1750-1950


Book Description

Combining newspaper and manuscript evidence from the pipers themselves with a range of historical sources, the author harnesses the insights of the practical player to those of the historian and provides a fresh account of the players and their musical traditions, which have previously been the subject of much myth-making.




Beyond the Bagpipes


Book Description

"Beyond the Bagpipes: A Comprehensive Guide to Playing, Learning, and Enjoying the Highland Pipes" is a must-read for anyone interested in learning the art of bagpipe playing or looking to take their skills to the next level. This book provides a thorough and comprehensive introduction to the history, culture, and technical aspects of playing the bagpipes. Beginning with an overview of the instrument's history and cultural significance, the book covers everything from the different types of bagpipes to the basics of music theory, tuning the bagpipes, and proper playing techniques. Readers will learn how to play a variety of tunes, from traditional Scottish melodies to contemporary compositions, and discover how to play with others in a pipe band or ensemble. Beyond the technical aspects of playing the bagpipes, the book explores the rich history and culture of the instrument, from famous pipers throughout history to the role of bagpipes in popular culture today. This book aims to provide readers with a deep appreciation for the tradition and beauty of the bagpipes. Written in a clear and engaging style, this book is accessible to beginners while also providing valuable insights for experienced pipers. It is an essential resource for anyone who loves the sound of the bagpipes and wants to learn how to play them or improve their skills. Whether you aspire to play in a pipe band, perform at special events, or simply enjoy playing the bagpipes in your own time, "Beyond the Bagpipes" is the ultimate guide to mastering this iconic instrument.




There's a Hole in My Bagpipes, Wee Hamish, Wee Hamish


Book Description

A funny Scottish twist on a much-loved rhyme from the best-selling illustrator of There Was a Wee Lassie who Swallowed a Midgie.




The Big Music


Book Description

The Big Music tells the story of John Sutherland of 'The Grey House', who is dying and creating in the last days of his life a musical composition that will define it. Yet he has little idea of how his tune will echo or play out into the world - and as the book moves inevitably through its themes of death and birth, change and stasis, the sound of his solitary story comes to merge and connect with those around him. In this remarkable work of fiction, Kirsty Gunn has created something as real as music or as magical as a dream. One emerges at the end of it altered and changed. Not so much a novel as a place the reader comes to inhabit and know, The Big Music is a literary work of undeniable originality and power.




Art and Identity in Scotland


Book Description

This lively and erudite cultural history of Scotland, from the Jacobite defeat of 1745 to the death of an icon, Sir Walter Scott, in 1832, examines how Scottish identity was experienced and represented in novel ways. Weaving together previously unpublished archival materials, visual and material culture, dress and textile history, Viccy Coltman re-evaluates the standard clichés and essentialist interpretations which still inhibit Scottish cultural history during this period of British and imperial expansion. The book incorporates familiar landmarks in Scottish history, such as the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in August 1822, with microhistories of individuals, including George Steuart, a London-based architect, and the East India Company servant, Claud Alexander. It thus highlights recurrent themes within a range of historical disciplines, and by confronting the broader questions of Scotland's relations with the rest of the British state it makes a necessary contribution to contemporary concerns.




Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method


Book Description

(Instructional). The Hal Leonard Bagpipe Method is designed for anyone just learning to play the Great Highland bagpipes. This comprehensive and easy-to-use beginner's guide serves as an introduction to the bagpipe chanter. Video lessons of demonstrations of all the examples in the book are included! Lessons include: the practice chanter, the Great Highland Bagpipe scale, bagpipe notation, proper technique, grace-noting, embellishments, playing and practice tips, traditional tunes, buying a bagpipe, and much more!




The Temporary European


Book Description

Write guidebooks, make travel TV, lead bus tours? Cameron Hewitt has been Rick Steves’ right hand for more than 20 years, doing just that. The Temporary European is a collection of vivid, entertaining travel tales from across Europe. Cameron zips you into his backpack for engaging and inspiring experiences: sampling spleen sandwiches at a Palermo street market; hiking alone with the cows high in the Swiss Alps; simmering in Budapest’s thermal baths; trekking across an English moor to a stone circle; hand-rolling pasta at a Tuscan agriturismo; shivering through Highland games in a soggy Scottish village; and much more. Along the way, Cameron introduces us to his favorite Europeans. In Mostar, Alma demonstrates how Bosnian coffee isn’t just a drink, but a social ritual. In France, Mathilde explains that the true mastery of a fromager isn’t making cheese, but aging it. In Spain, Fran proudly eats acorns, but never corn on the cob. While personal, the stories also tap into the universal joy of travel. Cameron’s travel motto (inspired by a globetrotting auntie) is "Jams Are Fun"—the fondest memories arrive when your best-laid plans go sideways. And he encourages travelers to stow their phones and guidebooks, slow down, and savor those magic moments that arrive between stops on a busy itinerary. The stories are packed with inspiration and insights for your next trip, including how to find the best gelato in Italy, how to select the best produce at a Provençal market, how to navigate Spain’s confusing tapas scene, and how to survive the experience of driving in Sicily (hint: just go numb). And you’ll get a reality check for every traveler’s "dream job": researching and writing guidebooks; guiding busloads of Americans on tours around Europe; scouting and producing a travel TV show; and working with Rick Steves and his merry band of travelers. It’s a candid account of how the sausage gets made in the travel business—told with warts-and-all honesty and a sense of humor. For Rick Steves fans, or anyone who loves Europe, The Temporary European is inspiring, insightful, and fun.




The Banana Road


Book Description

When Andy and Jack walk away from their successful careers, leaving family, friends and Manchester to move to the Canary Islands, they hope to find a new adventure and quality time together in the sun. What they do not expect to encounter is the intriguing, often amusing and sometimes downright bizarre cast of characters that inhabit their new, sub-tropical world. Buying a small house on a pitch 'n' putt golf course surrounded by banana plantations in the north of Tenerife, they set about trying to earn a living while getting to know the eccentric neighbour who hints at a double life as an espionage agent; the Disney Gang; and a white cat with no tail, an Eric Cantona attitude and a penchant for torture. An arrest and a sudden death turn their world upside down and open the door to a series of seemingly unrelated incidents. As Jesus takes up residence in the bottom of the garden and paradise begins to unravel, the shocking truth is finally uncovered and Andy and Jack face losing everything.




Dame Traveler


Book Description

A breathtaking celebration of Instagram's premier solo female travel community, featuring 200 striking photographs—most of them all-new—plus empowering messages and practical tips for solo travelers. “For those with passports full of stories, this book carries you away to every dreamy corner of the earth. I can’t stop flipping through these visually incandescent pages to see where I’m capable of traveling to next!”—Caila Quinn, The Bachelor contestant and lifestyle and travel influencer From backpackers in Peru to artists in Berlin to storytellers in Morocco, Dame Traveler celebrates the diversity and bravery of women from around the world who are not afraid to think (and live) outside the box. The revolutionary Dame Traveler Instagram account was founded by Nastasia Yakoub, who was born into a strict Chaldean-Middle Eastern community where women are expected to marry young and put aside other personal ambitions. But at the age of twenty, Nastasia embarked on a solo trip to South Africa to volunteer at an orphanage in Cape Town, which sparked a love of world travel. Recognizing a void in the travel industry, she founded Dame Traveler, the first female travel community on Instagram, now more than half a million strong. Nastasia herself has traveled to sixty-three countries on solo adventures, sharing colorful photos of her tantalizing travels along the way. Dame Traveler celebrates these women with a photographic collection of 200 stunning images paired with inspiring captions, 80% of which have never been seen on the Instagram account. Organized into sections on architecture, culture, nature, and water, each entry features travel information, plus tips, advice, unique solo-travel experiences, and wisdom from contributing globe-trotters to embolden the next generation of Dame Travelers.