Favourite Scottish (themed) Novels

[Dale Seago]

Tell me what u think the best bits are?. . .and what would you want to see from the books?

The fornication!!

[Baldybrown]

I love the classics, but this is my favorite.

[Woodsheal]

Love Kidnapped and David Balfour, but my favorite Stevenson Scottish novel is The Master of Ballantrae.

[Azrobert]

Wife and I got hooked on the Hamish Macbeth BBC TV series, so we decided to check out the books by MC Beaton. We really enjoy listening to the books on audio in the car. Mostly on our way to Highland events! Warning, the TV series has very little resemblance to the books.
My SIL is a huge Gabaldon fan so I decided to give them a try. I read all of them, and found them entertaining. Not great literature, too sci-fi for some, historically terrible expecially if your name is MacKenzie!! but interesting. You must credit Gabaldon for her research though.

[Sir William]

Perhaps some of the novels of A J Cronin would be of interest to you if you have not already read them although not all of them are located in Scotland

Read quite a bit of Cronin when about 40 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them. I need to go back and read them again.

[Tony]

Trainspotting.

[Bugbear]

I have never managed to complete reading a whole Sir Walter Scott novel Bugbear. I am currently attempting to read his Rob Roy, and have made several attempts at The Heart of Midlothian, but I must say I find his prose style a wee bit dull.

I understand what you mean: I wasn't able to complete any of them either.

It's hard enough to keep history strait in my head without the cloud of historical fiction. Although, Scott did influence how people perceived Scotland, and in that way, I was looking at the novels as a piece of history.

[Meggers]

I really (REALLY!) enjoyed the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It's a historical fiction w/ time travel and a sold romance. I believe it's been mentioned on here before.
Warning: these books are long. About 1000 pages each and there are 7. I got thoroughly sucked in on book 1, but they're not for everyone.
Disclaimer: books contain sex, violence, horrific prison abuse, spousal discipline (18th century style) Culloden hi-lights, Jacobites, and a mancrush or two.
Well written with thoroughly researched Scottish details.

Ive heard of those and have been meaning to read them.

Unfortunately the only Scottish themed novels that I seem to read are the really stereotypical poor Scottish woman meets handsome English soldier who is sent there to oppress her and her family. She has never been the lady that she was meant to be, since she learned to kick *** and roll around in the heather and thistles all day and beat up the local Scottish boys since shes so awesome with her sword or bow and arrows. This rebel soul is why the Englishman loves her. She hates this Englishman but his square jaw and dark hair are too much for her to handle so she inevitably falls in love with him, much to the disgust of both of their people, and Englishman and Scottish woman live happilly ever after, after Englishman turns against his brutal English people and helps Scottish woman defend her land...

delete Englishman and add in Roman OR Norman OR Saxon and then you have about 980938048230480384039843 different romance novels all built on the same theme.

So please, im dying for a new story

[J_Mimbs]

So please, im dying for a new story

Which explains why you have a picture of Daenerys on here lol.

The closest thing to a Scottish story I can offer is Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle, which in part shows the conflicts between the various tribes of Britain and Ireland, of which the Scots were one. Unfortunately I don't remember any mention of kilts or the like.

[Peter Crowe]

Always thought that Kidnapped should have been compulsory in Scottish schools, not only because it is a great story but the journey from the Western Isles after the shipwreck to David's home near South Queensferry is a great geography lesson for all.

Perhaps some of the novels of A J Cronin would be of interest to you if you have not already read them although not all of them are located in Scotland

In my youth I felt that David Balfour was the character in fiction with whom I had most in common, perhaps because his speech, and his values are similar to those with which my parents brought me up.

As to A J Cronin, I remember his Citadel being dramatised by the BBC in the early 80's with Ben Cross as the young Scots doctor serving a Welsh mining community. In terms of lighter fare, I have also always enjoyed and re-read many times Neil Munro's Para Handy Tales.