NEW BOOK by J C Borland

Over the years we've had all sorts of people including historians (who should know better) claiming that William Wallace was born in Ayrshire and not Renfrewshire!!
To knock this scurrilous rumour on the head the Society has commissioned a second edition of the hugely popular book "William Wallace, His Birthplace And Family Connections" read it and be assured once and for all where Scotland's favourite son was born!! Highly recomended for those who believe in an Ayrshire birthplace.

On the Trail of William Wallace offers a refreshing insight into the life and heritage of the great Scots hero whose proud story is at the very heart of what it means to be Scottish, and whose effect on the ordinary Scot through the ages is manifest in the many sites where his memory is marked.
In trying to piece together the jigsaw of the reality of William Wallace's life, David R Ross's book, On The Trail of Willam Wallace, weaves a subtle flow of new information with his own observations. His engaging, thoughtful and at times amusing narrative reads with the ease of a historical novel, complete with all the intrigue, treachery and romance requitred to hold the attention of the casual reader and still entice the more knowledgeable historian.

• 74 places to visit in Scotland and the north of England
• One general map and 3 location maps
• Stirling Bridge and Falkirk battle plans
• Wallace's route through London
• Wallace connections in North America and elsewhere
• Reproductions on rarely seen illustrations

On the Trail of Robert the Bruce charts the story of Scotland's hero-king from his boyhood, through his days of indecision as Scotland suffered under the English yoke, to his assumption of the crown exactly six months after the death of William Wallace. Here is the astonishing blow by blow account of how, against fearful odds, Bruce led the Scots to win their greatest ever victory. Bannockburn was not the end of the story. The war against English oppression lasted another fourteen years. Bruce lived just long enough to see his dreams of an independent Scotland come to fruition in 1328 with the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh. The trail takes us to Bruce sites in Scotland, many of the little known and forgotten battle sites in northern England, and as far afield as the Bruce monuments in Andalusia and Jerusalem.

• 67 places to visit in Scotland and elsewhere
• One general map, 3 location maps and a map of Bruce-connected sites in Ireland
• Bannockburn battle plan
• Drawings and reproductions of rarely seen illustrations

On The Trail of Bonnie Prince Charlie is the story of the Young Pretender. Born in Italy, grandson of James VII, at a time when the German house of Hanover was on the throne, his father was regarded by many as the rightful king. Bonnie Prince Charlie's campaign to retake the throne in his father's name changed the fate of Scotland. The Jacobite movement was responsible for the '45 Uprising, one of the most decisive times in Scottish history. The suffering following the battle of Culloden in 1746 still evokes emotion. Charles' own journey immediately after Culloden is well known: hiding in the heather, escaping to Skye with Flora MacDonald. Little is known of his return to London in 1750 incognito, where he converted to Protestantism (he re-converted to Catholicism before he died and is buried in the Vatican). He was often unwelcome in Europe after the failure of the uprising and came to hate any mention of Scotland and his lost chance.

• 79 places to visit in Scotland and England
• One general map and 4 location maps
• Prestonpans, Clifton, Falkirk and Culloden battle plans
• Simplified family tree
• Rarely seen illustrations

Eschewing xenophobia, his deep understanding of how Scotland's history touches her people shines through. All over Scotland, into England and Europe, over to Canada, Chicago and Washington - the people and the places that bring Scotland's story to life, and death - including

This is not a history book. But it covers history. 
This is not a travel guide. But some places mentioned might be worth a visit. 
This is not a political manifesto. But a personal one. 
Read this book. It might make you angry. It might give you hope. You might shed a tear. You might not agree with David R. Ross. 
But read this book. You might rediscover your roots, your passion for Scotland.

David R. Ross is passionate about Scotland's past. And its future. In this heartfelt journey through Scotland's story, he shares his passion for what it means to be a Scot, tackling the Act of Union, the Jacobite rebelion and revealing, for the first time, the final resting places of all Scotland's Kings and Queens. 8 in stock 

His tour takes us northwards towards Edinburgh through Athelstaneford, the place where the Saltire was born. From there we head to the Forth valley and on into the Highlands and beyond, taking in the stories of the villains and heroes through Scottish history.

Pride and passion for his country, the people, the future of Scotland; and his uncompromising patriotism shines through Desire Lines,David R Ross’s homage to his beloved country.

"...people have taken the shorter route - the route they wish to take... That is a desire line. It is the people's desire to take that line rather than the one that has been laid out for them."
From the introduction to Desire Lines 2 in stock