Sunset Song
Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1932)
Regarded by many as the greatest Scottish novel of all time, Sunset Song is the moving story of a young woman growing up in a farming community in the north east of Scotland at the turn of the 20th century.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
James Hogg (1824)
A complex and influential novel which goes to the heart of the human condition, The Private Memoirs defies categorisation.
Silver Darlings
Neil M Gunn (1941)
Gunn believed in the importance of preserving the songs and folktales of the Highlands and this tale of a Caithness fishing community pays homage to that culture of storytelling.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
A timeless adventure for readers of all ages featuring pirates, skulduggery and buried treasure.
The Thirty Nine Steps
John Buchan (1915)
In this superb thriller, the main character, Richard Hannay, is unwillingly caught up in a web of deceit he doesn't understand.
The White Bird Passes
Jessie Kesson (1958)
Kesson's semi-autobiographical book tells of the hardship of coming of age of Janie in an orphanage in 1920s Elgin.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Muriel Spark (1961)
Miss Jean Brodie and the girls she teaches at a conservative Edinburgh school in the 1930s are some of the most complex and beautifully drawn characters in literature, and are testament to Muriel Spark's unique writing talent.
A Study in Scarlet
Arthur Conan Doyle (1887)
The first ever mystery to feature the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.
A Night Out with Robert Burns: The Greatest Poems
Robert Burns (arranged by Andrew O'Hagan)
No list of classic Scottish books would be complete without a mention of Robert Burns, one of the most famous poets of all time and author of Auld Lang Syne. This new edition includes responses from the acclaimed writer, Andrew O'Hagan.
The House with the Green Shutters
George Douglas Brown (1901)
Described as the Trainspotting of its day, this is a darkly humorous portrayal of petty jealousies and divisions in a small Scottish town.