Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment and is responsible for more than 300 properties including Edinburgh Castle, Glasgow Cathedral, Skara Brae and Elgin Cathedral. But did you know that we also publish books? From coffee table must haves celebrating Scotland’s historic environment to visitor guides on heritage sites, conservation guidance for historic buildings and even children’s books, there is something for everyone’s bookshelf.
What is the historic environment? After our people, it’s one of Scotland’s most precious assets. It’s not just our wonderful castles and cathedrals – the historic environment is all around us in our towns and villages, tenements, factories, gardens, lighthouses, battlefields, railway stations and even skateparks! The places we live in, work at and visit remind us how people have shaped our society and landscape over time, right up to the present day.
Our heritage is expanding, with buildings that have not yet been designed destined to one day become a part of our historic environment. History never stops. It’s a lived, participative experience where new generations will decide what is valued.
The stories our historic places tell connect us with our families, our friends and ourselves. They mean something to us as a nation, a community or as individuals and they belong to everyone. Without these local or national landmarks, Scotland just wouldn’t be Scotland.
Part of our mission is to tell Scotland’s story, which we strive to do across the properties in our care, our events, outreach and learning programmes, and our publications.
Each year, we publish a varied range of books about Scotland’s historic environment, working with top award-winning authors. Bloody Scotland, which is one of our best-sellers, is a collection of gripping short stories by 12 of the country’s best crime writers including Val McDermid and Denise Mina. Other popular titles include Where Are the Women? by Sara Sheridan, which celebrates Scotland’s forgotten heroines and entertainingly reimagines a history of what might have been, dedicating fictional streets, buildings and monuments to real women and sharing their true stories; and For the Safety of All, written by Donald S Murray, which explores Scotland’s lighthouses through history, storytelling and the voices of the lightkeepers.
Many of our books delve into stories of the heritage on our doorstep, showcasing how history has shaped Scotland, as well as featuring images from our extensive archives collection, including the Honours of Scotland, that we are entrusted to conserve.
St Kilda, The Last and Outmost Isle by George Geddes and Angela Gannon is a detailed account of Britain’s most remote island; A History of Scotland’s Landscapes by Fiona Watson and Piers Dixon brings the past to life with a new perspective on Scotland and the renowned Alexander McCall Smith takes readers on a unique tour of Scotland’s capital with Edinburgh: A Work of Beauty telling the story of Edinburgh’s famous landmarks and lost buildings, the people who made them and the people who lived in them.
Meanwhile, St Peter’s: Birth Death and Renewal by Dianne Watters, explores the history of the 1960s Modernist seminary, featuring an insightful photographic essay by the artist Angus Farquhar.
A number of our works have been shortlisted for and won prestigious literary awards including Bloody Scotland, which won the Crime Writers’ Association’s Silver Dagger award. From Mousa to Mackintosh: the Scottishness of Scottish Architecture by Professor Frank Walker was shortlisted in Scotland’s National Book Awards 2023 for an exceptional study of the country’s architecture over the millennia. We were also highly commended as runner-up for ‘Publisher of the Year’ at the Saltire Society Literary Awards 2018.
You can enjoy our range of detailed pocket books, available at our sites, that visitors can conveniently carry around with them while exploring Scotland’s historic places. Among these is Scotland’s History written by one of the country’s leading historians, Fiona Watson, as well as Above Scotland by the writer and broadcaster, James Crawford, which features striking archive and contemporary aerial photography to provide a unique insight into Scotland today.
Our latest publication is one of the most exciting yet and one of our fastest selling books to date. Art Deco Scotland: Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age by Bruce Peter is the latest book from the HES publishing stable. Its publication ties in with the centenary of the Art Deco movement, which was born in 1920’s Paris.
The book has been two years in the making, working with Bruce Peter, Professor of Design at Glasgow School of Art, who had an idea for a book on the decorative style that encompassed not just architecture and buildings but furniture, textiles, ceramics and sculpture. Featuring over 400 photographs and illustrations, including more than 150 images from our archives, Art Deco Scotland shines a spotlight on a fascinating part of Scotland’s 20th century heritage and is a beautiful reflection of the period. The combination of expert knowledge coupled with striking imagery and design has created a compelling new book which has been flying off the shelves.
Art Deco Scotland: Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age by Bruce Peter is available on stor.scot for £30.
To celebrate its release, we are delighted to offer readers of The Herald the chance to purchase a signed copy of Art Deco Scotland, where the first 25 copies sold will be signed by the author Bruce Peter. Visit stor.scot/products/art-deco-signed to claim your copy.
We hope readers enjoy Art Deco Scotland, and do head to stor.scot to explore our wide collection of books – with topics ranging from architecture and industry to landscapes and royal history, there truly is something for everyone!
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