Product Description

This text is part of a series that provides an introduction to the archaeological heritage of Scotland. Each book tells the human story of one part of Scotland, tracing human impressions on the landscape from World War II relics back to the earliest pioneer days of settlement. The details are filled in by a gazetteer of the most interesting and best preserved monuments and each edition also features a full-colour excursions section with easy-to- follow trips. From Culloden battlefield to Fort George, this edition testifies to the Highland's turbulent past which was dominated by the Highland chiefs and forms such an integral part of Scottish heritage. The great diversity of buildings and monuments celebrated here provides an illustrated history of life in the Highlands; how people lived and what they have built.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #863453 in Books
• Published on: 1995-08-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 172 pages

From the Inside Flap
Exploring Scotland’s Heritage Series provides an up-to-date and authoritative introduction to the rich archaeological heritage of Scotland. Each book tells the story of one part of Scotland, tracing human impressions on the landscape from World War II relics back to the earliest pioneer days of settlement. The details are filled in by a gazetteer of the most interesting and best preserved monuments and each new edition also features a full-colour Excursions section with easy to follow trips.

The Highlands contains a wealth of fascinating information. From Culloden battlefield to Fort George, it testifies to the area’s turbulent past which was dominated by the Highland chiefs and forms such an integral part of Scottish heritage. The great diversity of buildings and monuments celebrated here provides an illustrated history of life in the Highlands; how people have lived and what they have built.

About the Author
Joanna Close-Brooks is now a freelance archaeologist, but was formerly Assistant Keeper in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Excerpted from The Highlands (Exploring Scotland's Heritage S.) by Joanna Close-Brooks, Anna Ritchie. Copyright © 1995. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Highlands of Scotland, that most evocative of names, may conjure up romantic visions in the modern imagination: stern castles looming over dark lochs, thatched huts in the glens below great mountains, clan warfare and cattle-receiving, and the battlefield of Culloden. An over-romantic view of the Highlands (popular among the Victorians) belies the tough struggle for life in the harsh mountainous interior or on the treacherous northern seas, but there is an extra dimension to life in the far north, where people are scattered thinly across the landscape, and nature often seems more important than the works of man. 'My heart’s in the Highlands' wrote Burns, and the region has captured the imagination of both native and stranger, who are drawn not only by the beauty of the scenery but by some sense that their roots are there. Man-made structures in the Highlands, often erected in direct response to some natural phenomenon, bridging ravines, sited in naturally defensive positions, or built of stone won from the hills, convey us an unusual understanding of and identity with the past.