Books published by Historic Environment Scotland

Crime fiction inspired by Scotland's iconic buildings: in Bloody Scotland twelve of Scotland's best crime writers use the sinister side of the country's built heritage in stories that are by turns gripping, chilling and redemptive.

The Pictish Symbol Stones of Scotland draws together all the known symbol-bearing stones and artefacts, providing the definitive resource for anyone, academic or amateur, with an interest in Pictish sculpture.

The first book ever published on a vast archive of 'Top Secret' WWII aerial reconnaissance photography. Includes never-before-seen and previously classified MoD imagery from across Europe that gives a new perspective on key moments in world history.

A detailed yet accessible account of Britain's most remote island. This new book explodes the myth of St Kilda as a 'lost world', demonstrating how, for 3,000 years, it has been connected to and influenced by communities across the Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland.

Can you imagine a different Scotland, one where women are commemorated in statues and streets, hills and valleys? This is a guidebook to that alternative nation, where fictional streets, buildings and monuments are dedicated to real women, telling their often untold or unknown stories.

In Who Built Scotland, the authors pick twenty-five buildings to tell the history of a nation. In vivid travelogues, they explore Scotland's social, political and cultural heritage, placing our people, ideas and passions at the heart of our architecture and archaeology. This is a story of how we shape buildings and how buildings, in turn, shape us.

Scotland's vibrant and bloody past captures the imagination. But there is far more to Scottish history than murder and mayhem, tragedy and betrayal. In Scotland's History, historian Fiona Watson looks back across thousands of years into the lives of the people of Scotland.

Historic Scotland's official souvenir guide for Iona Abbey and Nunnery.

Historic Scotland's official souvenir guide for Edinburgh Castle, packed with research, photography and illustrations.

Historic Scotland's official souvenir guide for Stirling Castle, packed with research, photography and illustrations.

Historic Scotland's official souvenir guide for Doune Castle, packed with research, photography and illustrations.

Historic Scotland's official souvenir guide for Doune Castle, packed with research, photography and illustrations.

Accompanying a landmark 3-part BBC1 Scotland documentary series, this lavishly illustrated book uses the view from above as a unique window into our past, present and future. It is a story of war, innovation, adventure, cities, landscapes and people. It is the story of Scotland, from the Sky.

The Honours of Scotland tells the turbulent story of the Honours - Scotland's crown jewels - and the equally dramatic tale of the Stone of Destiny.

Combining beautiful new photography with rare archive material, Building Knowledge explores the evolution of Edinburgh University through its celebrated architecture.

The Pictish stones uncovered at St Vigeans are an astounding collection of exquisitely preserved Pictish sculptures. This definitive and generously illustrated study explores the history of the carved stones as part of a powerful ecclesiastical landscape.

The 107-year history of an organisation set up in 1908 to create an 'inventory' of Scotland's archaeology and buildings.

Whithorn, known as Scotland's Cradle of Christianity, is unique as a centre of worship, administration and pilgrimage dating back to the 5th century. This publication examines the 'lost excavation' at Whithorn Priory - the only modern excavation campaign to focus on the high status burials near the high altar of a major Scottish medieval church.

In this landmark book, Diane Watters looks at the history of St Peter's Seminary, Cardross. She traces the story of an architectural failure which morphed into a tragic modernist myth. This is a historian's account of St Peter's: an exploration of how one of Scotland's most singular buildings became one of its most troubled - and most celebrated.

In this sumptuous new book, Alexander McCall Smith curates his own distinctive story of Edinburgh - combining his affectionate, incisive wit with a wealth of stunning imagery drawn from Scotland's national collection of architecture and archaeology.

The complete story of Stirling Castle, from ancient times to the present, drawing on intensive research and investigations carried out over two decades.

A celebration of Scotland's scheduled monuments through twenty stunning postcards.

A celebration of Scotland's listed buildings through 20 stunning postcards.

It is almost 900 years since David I founded the medieval monastery of Holyrood. Since then, the site has been home to powerful abbots and great monarchs. Recent archaeological work has brought lost fragments of this rich history to light, revealing the development of the palace and gardens under successive monarchs to the present day.

The complete story of Scotland's most iconic building, from ancient times to the present, drawing on 30 years' worth of research

This extensively illustrated book explores all the available information on the Picts in an appealing, accessible and authoritative way.

Illustrated with forgotten and previously unpublished wartime plans, historical imagery and specially-commissioned modern photography, this book is one of the first to focus on Scotland's built heritage of war as a whole - from coast and air defences to hospitals and prisoner of war camps.

In the year that Scotland plays host to the Commonwealth Games for the third time, this new book celebrates the diverse range and outstanding quality of historic purpose-built sporting architecture that exists across the country.