No comments about Edinburgh Popout Map.

5 comments about Beyond the Highland Mist (The Highlander Series, Book 1).

1. This is an awesome story, Karen is a fantastic author and does a wonderful job with this story. She makes the story come to life. I absolutely love all of her books. Each book could stand alone, but they are all a lovely foundation for each other as well.



2. It's interesting how one author can depict King James IV as a ruthless cad, and another can portray him as honorable to a fault. In this book, Ms. Moning shows the king to be spoiled and vindictive, almost evil. In a book by Patricia Potter called Beloved Stranger, which is fabulous, by the way, James IV is a great man who loves his wife and is loved and respected by all of the Scots.
   
   Adrienne started out with a fairly good sense of humor, but lost it quickly. And we've all read stories where the hero & heroine kiss and the reader thinks that FINALLY it will lead to more, then the scene abruptly ends - well, it happens here a lot.
   
   Hawk was the perfect hero, very loyal to his family and his people, perfect in looks and personality, and was extremely intelligent, and so it was unfortunate that he suffered so much for so long. He really didn't have a happy adult life and it didn't exactly improve with the arrival of Adrienne. She treated Hawk abominably. It was hard to like her.
   
   The overall story was interesting, though. I adored Grimm, but Adam Black was thoroughly unlikable here.



3. I just wasn't thrilled about this book. After seeing the Moning Mania around the web I thought this was going to be great. The whole "I hate beautiful men." plot was way to unbelievable. Based on one bad experience Adrienne had made up her mind to hate all handsome men. Really? How silly.
   
   What was the point of the time travel? Adrienne just took it in stride much too easily without questioning what happened for more than a few paragraphs. If you're going to do a time travel then show the conflicts that arise from it. The story would have been much better off if she had just been a synical woman from that time.
   
   I actually really liked the conflict between Adrienne and Hawk for the first 1/3 of the novel. She was strong and funny and didn't put up with anything. After the first 1/3 of the novel it just seemed cruel and unnecessary. She even knew that she was being horrible and kept on with her behaviour. It just seemed childish and I started to wish for someone better for Hawk.
   
   Most of the dialogue was just too modern. I like a good Scottish burr and this was definitely lacking it. The language just kept taking me back to the current century. There was some witty banter between the two but it was pretty sparce.
   
   The whole faery thing seemed so cartoonish. Like a bad comedy. Snap your fingers and she's back in the 21st centure. Snap again and she's naked in Hawk's arms. Lame. I like a good fantasy but this was just too contrived.
   
   From the reviews I've read this is not her best work so I'll try again with Grimm's story.



4. This is the second time I have read Beyond the Highland Mist and it is still one of my all-time favorites.
   
   Adrienne de Simone lands in the lap of the horrible Red Comyn in 1513 in Scotland and finds herself pretending to be the "Mad Janet" who is betrothed to Hawk Douglas. Her life with Hawk is all brought out through the jealousy of Adam Black, the court fool and the king of faery who did not like that Aoibheal, queen of the fae was satisfied by a mere mortal. Hawk was so legendary that even the queen herself took interest, but she was only jesting when she brought him up to her king. The King and his fool devise a plan to ruin the Hawk using Adrienne who at the time hated all beautiful men because of a man named Eberhard who abused her and tried to kill her. She distrusts all men and especially despises the beautiful ones. Adrienne is scared to let anyone get close to her.
   
   There is major intensity between Adrienne and Hawk because of Adam, the smithy and fool who has forced a bet out of Hawk. Adrienne uses Adam to anger Hawk and to make him jealous therefore making it harder for the love to develop between them. They face many conflicts throughout the book, but their love in the end is strong and pure.
   
   Hawk is the perfect man, gorgeous, strong, caring, posessive, and even wants children. I found that endearing about him. Adrienne is too strong and has a thick protective shield around her, but I like how Hawk uses the technique of Falconing to bring her to heel.
   
   Moning weaves wonderful stories and is a brillant writer. I am never disappointed with her works. You will not be disappointed with Beyond the Highland Mist



5. 3.5 Stars-This book was a tad bit better than okay. I felt that the idea of the story was good, but the relationship lacked the soulmate factor. Some of the scenes were a bit choppy and left me wanting more of Scotland's Highlands in the story. I needed a better description of what I was reading. Considering this is KMM's first published book, I'll let a some things slide, especially since my last shelfkeeper was Bloodfever, I know her writing has developed tremendously. I am reading this series mainly because there are glimpses of some characters in the Fever series, which I think just ROCKS!

No comments about Scottish Exodus: Travels Among a Worldwide Clan.

No comments about Harry Benson's Glasgow.

2 comments about Castles & Ancient Monuments of Scotland.

1. This is very useful as a general introduction to the castles in Scotland. It looks at over 200 sites, giving information about the history of the castle plus opening times . It gives a little information , obviously limited by space , about a lot of castles rather than a lot of info about any one castle. It certainly isn't a detailed guide to any single castle. It is well illustrated with many pictures of the castles. If you like castles , you will love this book.




2. You will love the look and feel of this book. Stunning photographs grace virtually every page. Definitions of the different types of ancient structures, as well as a summary of different time periods in Scottish history, are provided. Opening times and entrance costs of the castles are also included. The geographic organization of attractions is perfect for travelers.

   What I like most about this resource are the opinions and recommendations given by the author. So many travel books refuse to offer information about the quality of the site and how worthwhile a visit would be. I found that some of the castles I thought were the best (and was planning to visit) were hardly given the time of day in this book. That was because this book gives the most information about the most interesting castles and monuments. I discovered several fascinating sights that we weren't even planning to visit.

   I give this book five stars because it offered enough information for me to change and rearrange my trip itinerary. That means that it was both thorough and helpful. Some may be disappointed, because certain castles are covered in two full pages, while others are listed with only their address, opening times, and a one-line description.

2 comments about Orkney (Pevensey Island Guides).

1. Patrick Bailey, Orkney (David and Charles, 1985)
   
   Patrick Bailey's survey of Orkney, which came up on my screen during a search on travel books, is only travel writing in some sick, sadistic parallel universe where one cannot travel to a foreign country without knowing everything, and I mean everything, there is to know about it.
   
   Wait a minute. That sounds rather like utopia.
   
   If you pick up this book, you will learn about Orkney. You can forget tourist destinations, with the exception of a chapter in the back (which sounds much like most other travel writing). The bulk of the book is taken up with history, geology, the study of place names, population movements, that sort of thing. It's quite an excellent overview, given its brevity (just shy of two hundred fifty pages). Not really for the traveller, but the armchair archaeologist and the person who really wants to get down to the nitty-gritty of the Orkney Islands will really get a kick out of it. *** ½



2. Patrick Bailey's "Orkney" is an excellent travel guide for the Orkney Islands off northeast Scotland. The Orkneys, although long part of Scotland, are also a land apart. In easy to read prose, Bailey describes the unique prehistoric (standing stones) and later Norwegian heritage of these northern isles, along with their more recent history as a principal anchorage of the British Fleet during two world wars and as a port for the North Sea oil industry today. Bailey provides descriptions of each of the major islands, with lots of notes on historical structures, customs, terrain, and weather. The book is richly illustrated with photographs, maps, and diagrams that impart the charm of Orkney.
   
   Travelers to Orkney will wish to consult the internet or other resources for accomodations and flights; otherwise, this book provides an excellent resource for planning a vacation there.
   This book is highly recommended to those planning a vacation for northern Scotland who may wish to take the ferry or a flight for the short hop across the Pentland Firth.

5 comments about A Season in Dornoch : Golf and Life in the Scottish Highlands.

1. This is a lovely book about a lovely place. The author had the great good fortune to spend an entire summer in the north Scotland burgh of Dornoch, one of the hallowed locales for lovers of links golf. His stories of experiences with residents are charming, and along with reflections on the infamous Clearances of the 1800's, make this far more than a book about golf.

   As someone who cherishes the memory of a mere 2 days in Dornoch, I am green with envy, but the envy is tempered by the flood of good memories that Mr. Rubenstein brought back to me. So, I suggest: read this terrific book; also read Michael Bamberger's equally wonderful 'To the Linksland'; and finally, make it your mission to play Royal Dornoch, Cruden Bay, Macrihanish, and other splendid Scottish links. Ah..........




2. I bought the book for a lesson in golf history, but was fascinated by the ecology, history and culture of the Scottish Highlands as desribed by the author. It is also a beautifully written travelogue, poetic and mystical, and has certainly changed the way I think about golf. This book could only have been improved by the addition of photographs.



3. When I picked up a "Season in Dornoch" I was expecting something different. However, Lorne Rubenstein, with his words, has painted a beautiful landscape of the people and place that is Dornoch. I had the privledge of playing there several years ago but was on a whirlwind tour at the time and was in Dornoch for less that a day. This book does a wonderful job in showing me what I missed.
   Two things of which I would be critical. First, the focus on the Clearances. Obviously the Highlanders were hard done by this event but is was over 200 years ago. Time to put it in the past. Second, I would have liked to see better descriptions of the course itself. Many of the stories from the book are written while golfing, but there is not that much specific information on the course. One of the reasons for Dornoch's fame is it was the birthplace and training ground for one of the world's most respected course designers, Donald Ross. Showing how this course influenced Ross' later works would have added an excellent dimension to the book.
   A definite read if you enjoy golf.



4. If golf is good friend of yours, you will enjoy this book. It certainly helps to have been in Scotland to understand better much of what is written.



5. Lorne Rubenstein has written a wonderful account of his stay in Dornoch , a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands, famous for its legendary golf course Royal Dornoch.
   
   In superbly crafted prose, the Author tells of his Golfing experiences at this 'Holy Grail' of Golf Clubs, which along with St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Royal Aberdeen, Turnberry, Muirfield and North Berwick is one of the most historic and revered courses in Scotland.
   
   He and his non-golf playing wife Nell meet many warm and wise locals and form a strong bond with them and the community in Dornoch. The story is so well told, both in terms of pace and content, that it makes for very enjoyable and rapid reading.
   
   Lorne is obviously already a very capable golfer but falls under the spell of golf in such a beautiful and remote location, rediscovering the shear joy of non-competitive play, the grandness and openness of the natural surroundings, the kindness and decency of Scotland's people and his own longing to reconnect with the pleasures and benefits of Golf as played in Dornoch.
   
   A highly recommended read for the golfer who has traveled, or wishes to travel to the Homeland of Golf.

No comments about Roaming Britain;: 8,000 miles through England, Scotland, and Wales.

No comments about The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

2 comments about Scottish Journey.

1. Muir combines vivid descriptions of people and scenes with passionate discussions of socialism, unemployment, and the spiritual poverty of the Scottish people in the 30's. Truly a political poet's book



2. Edwin Muir, Scottish Journey (Mainstream Publishing, 1935)

   Edwin Muir is a pretty good writer, when he sticks to travelogues and abstract philosophy. He doesn't do so in Scottish Journey, though one would think so from the first hundred pages. Scottish Journey is meant as (and was commissioned as) a travelogue, and for the most part, Muir sticks to the template. He writes well of the Scots countryside, and passably of Edinburgh, slipping in bits of philosophy here and there, as is to be expected in any good travelogue. As well, Muir is an extremely quotable writer; his words are clear and precise, and draw excellent pictures in the reader's mind.

   Muir was, however, an ardent Socialist of the closed-minded sort, as much as he professes otherwise. This affects the book in his long chapter on Glasgow, which he starts with a screed against Industrialism (he always capitalizes the word, I might as well, too) and capitalism. Humorously, he attempts to say that Industrialism, in and of itself, isn't all that bad. He does so in a paragraph that spans almost two and a half pages. The first and last few sentences are of the opinion that Industrialism isn't all that bad. It's the middle hundred or so sentences that shoot the argument in the foot, as he catalogs a list of the horrors he sees in Glasgow. One wonders how it's possible to write all these things and frame them with "it's not bad." It would be kind of like a pagan writing the same of the Inquisition, from the evils that Muir ascribes to Industrialism.

   What's worse, he can't see the forest for the trees. In one breath, he talks about ho a capitalist system can't take population contraction into account; in the next, he's talking about unemployment. And he sees no correlation between the two, or at least none he's willing to admit. At one point, perhaps the book's nadir, he says, while discussing the rise of the Scottish Nationalist party, "....If such devotion and fidelity are not to be admired, then all our ideas of morality are mistaken." Leaving it as it is, he infers that no such thing could possibly be true. Yet not five pages later, at the beginning of his chapter on the Highlands, he has little good to say about the morality of a people who are so embarrassed by the twin hills known as the Paps of Jura, one of Scotland's biggest tourist draws at the time, that he couldn't find a postcard that showed them clearly anywhere in the town. One is tempted to see the inconsistencies as a (sub?)conscious undercutting of Muir's own arguments, but nothing else in the book points to it; the man's to solid and straightforward a writer to resort to such tricks.

   Overall, though, it's worth checking out for the travel writing and the easy read. Just take his political outlook with a grain of salt. ** ½