Social Theory and Modernity Book

I picked this book up after enjoying Robert Macfarlane's the Old Ways, hoping for an insight into Scotland's oldest walking routes and how they came into being. The opening pages felt a bit anachronistic to our modern sensibilities, and I was feeling the patriarchal cringe. Fortunately this was short-lived and I was soon fully immersed in cattle-droving with the ghosts of my 17th Century ancestors.

There is so much more to this book than the title suggests. It's an almost-perfect blend of history, geography, economic analysis and social comment. It teaches you Scottish history on the sly and giving proper context to pre and post Union. The landscape comes alive as different chapters follow different areas of Scotland and their paths to markets, how trade flourished before currency was a thing and how this helped give rise to the development of the Royal Bank and Bank of Scotland.

The actual detail of the routes followed across Scotland is incredibly well-researched and detailed. My only complaint here is I would have liked a comprehensive map to accompany each section to solidify the names and geography in my head. There is a Scotland-wide map at the beginning but to be honest it just gives a general flavour. Maybe later editions do provide more detail but my 1995 copy didn't.

In summary, this book gives an excellent all-round grounding in the defining moments of Scottish history, a sound overview of her geography and an insightful analysis of trade development across the nation. The routes come alive by virtue of its excellent research, not simply focusing on one aspect. If you are interested in any of these topics you could do no wrong in reading this book. If you want to explore or re-tread some of the routes mentioned here, this book will accompany and simultaneously transport you, back through time.