The Secrets of Scotland Book

North, south, east and west, Scotland is a land of contrasts, with towering mountain ranges, rolling hills, sandy white beaches, rushing rivers, wild moorland and glassy lochs. From its islands and highlands to its lowlands and coastline, the country contains some of Britain's most breathtaking scenery.

Nature has left its indelible mark on Scotland's landscape with its hundreds of islands that were the result of volcanic activity, and its mountains and lochs that were gouged out during the ice ages. Countless millennia of wave-action has pounded its coastline, and rivers have carved themselves a passage to the oceans. Man, too, has played his part. The country is littered with castles and cairns, crofts and kirks, evidence of the people who helped shape this great land. Splendid cities stand as testament to the kings, queens, industrialists and hard-working citizens who helped build them. Charming fishing villages are tucked snugly round the coast, and mighty bridges span many of Scotland's rivers and firths.

The Secrets of Scotland takes a look at this most remarkable place through Dennis Hardley's magnificent photos. The journey begins in the Western Isles, their austere, remote beauty brilliantly captured. Next are the Highlands, with soaring crags and wooded glens. The Inner Islands follow with their safe harbors and sandy beaches. Take a fleeting glimpse of Royal Deeside and the Grampians before arriving at Glasgow and Edinburgh, and experiencing the rich diversity of their cultural heritage and architectural splendors. Savor the undulating beauty of southwest Scotland and the Borders, the historical meeting place of the Scots and the English.

Discover The Secrets of Scotland and encounter the hidden gems of this awe-inspiring country.

Dennis Hardley (photographer) was born in Blitz-sieged Liverpool in 1940, where he spent his teenage years doing odd jobs for the Beatles before becoming a Concorde engineer. Dennis first became a photographer as an RAF civilian in 1972, supplying pictures to The Scots Magazine. In 1973, he moved to Scotland with his family and established himself as a professional photographer. He has since driven over a million miles in his pursuit of photographing the Scottish landscape. This is the fifth book to feature his work.

Michael Kerrigan (author) lives in Edinburgh, where he writes regularly for the Scotsman newspaper. He is a book reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement and the Guardian, London. As author, he has published extensively on both British and world history and prehistory. He has contributed to reference companions on World History and Irish History as well as to the Times Encyclopaedia of World Religion (2002). He is also author of Who Lies Where: A Guide to Famous Graves (1995), and Lewis and Clark: Blazing a Trail Across the American West (2004). He is currently working on an account of Charles Darwin and the voyage of the Beagle.