Book Review: Historic Scotland

published 1 September 2003

Historic Scotland, by David J Breeze

Aptly published at a time of burgeoning national confidence, Historic Scotland: 5000 Years of Scotland's Heritage by David J. Breeze conveys the richness and diversity of the buildings and monuments in the care of the government agency Historic Scotland. Excellent photographs accompanied by brief historical texts chart the legacy of sculptors and masons, engineers and architects over a span of 5,000 years.

Images of castles and cathedrals, towers and standing stones are juxtaposed with distilleries, lighthouses and bridges - the familiar with the less well known. This is an uncomplicated book with a direct message: the story of Scotland is told in its stones; these monuments must be protected.

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.