Resources

Posted on 29th May, 2020 in For Readers

Of Stone and Sky Background Reading

Below are written sources that I drew from in my research for the novel Of Stone and Sky. My greatest sources, however, were the people who live and work in this area and who so generously shared their stories with me. They are included in the acknowledgements in the book.

LOCAL HISTORY & CULTURE
Bishop, Bruce, Lost Badenoch & Strathspey
Forestry Commission Scotland, Glenmore & Rothiemurchus in the 20th Glen, Ann, Old Kingussie and Badenoch
Grant, I.F., An Old Highland Farm; Highland Folk Ways
Gray, Affleck, Legends of the Cairngorms
Goodall, Steve, People of the Moor and Strath; People of the Clachans; People of Conviction, Rebellion and Enlightenment; People of the Railways and Village
Gunn, Donald & Spankie, Mari, The Highland Clearances
Macdonald, Fiona, The History of Scotland for Children
MacPherson, Sandra, A Strange & Wild Place
Marshall, Meryl, Glen Feshie, The History & Archaeology of a Highland Glen
Rennie, James Alan, Romantic Strathspey, Its Lands, Clans & Legends
Russell, Helen, The Past Around Us: History of the Parish of Alvie & Insh
Century
Scarlett, Meta, In the Glens Where I was Young
Sinton, Thomas, minister of Dores, The Poetry of Badenoch
Taylor, John, The Wild Black Region

LANDSCAPE & ENVIRONMENT
Barr, Donald & Brian, The Spey, From Source to Sea
Davies, John, The Scottish Forester
McIntosh, Alastair, Soil and Soul; Rekindling Community
Monbiot, George, Feral
Shepherd, Nan, The Living Mountain
SNH, Scotland, The Creation of its Natural Landscape

LAND OWNERSHIP & REFORM
Hunter Prof, James, On the Other Side of Sorrow; From the Low Tide of the Sea to the Highest Mountain Tops; The Making of the Crofting Community
Wightman, Andy, The Poor Had No Lawyers: Who Owns Scotland (And How They Got it)

ESTATES & FIELD SPORTS
Eden, Ronald, Going to the Moors
The Field magazine
Williamson, Jamie, History & Challenges of Running a Highland Estate in Badenoch

SHEEP FARMING
Clarke, Reay, Two Hundred Years of Farming in Sutherland
Duncan, Tom, Magic Moments, Four Seasons on a Scottish Hill Farm
Rebanks, James, The Shepherd’s Life, A Tale of the Lake District
Slimon, Campbell, Stells, Stools, Strupag: A personal reminiscence of sheep, shepherding, farming and the social activities of a Highland Parish
Thomson, Iain R., Isolation Shepherd

TRAVELLERS
Documents from the Highland Folk Museum
Neat, Timothy, The Summer Walkers, Travelling People & Pearl Fishers in the Highlands of Scotland
Smith, Jess, Jessie’s Journey
Williamson, Duncan, Fireside Tales of the Traveller Children

BIRDS
Dennis, Roy, Birds of Badenoch & Strathspey
RSPB Handbook of British Birds

FICTION
Fletcher, Susan, Corrag
Gunn, Neil, Highland River; Butchers Broom; The Silver Darlings
Jenkins, Robin, The Cone Gatherers

POETRY
MacCaig, Norman
MacLean, Sorley

DRAMA
McGrath, John, The Cheviot, the Stag & the Black, Black Oil

DOCUMENTS
Cairngorms Nature Action Plan 2013-2018
Stronach’s Short History of Agricultural Tenancy Legislation
Summary of Land Reform Acts 1999-2003
432:50 SAC Land Reform Paper – July 2013
The Land of Scotland and the Common Good – May 2014
Summary of Land Reform Review Group Report – 23 May 2014
Land Reform in Scotland: Final Report Mar 2015
EA & HTC Submission to RACCEE Committee
Alastair McIntosh’s letter to Land Reform Team Feb 2015
Consultation on the Future of Land Reform – Analysis of Responses , 2015