The characters of Edinburgh and Isle of Skye
July 11, 2022 2:55 PM Subscribe
Looking for book recommendations in which either or both modern Edinburgh and Skye themselves are 'characters' in a way. Visiting those areas in the fall and want to get a feel for them from the page.
So what I'm *not* looking for are history books or travel books or historical fiction.
What I *am* looking for is a book where the place is so clearly written about that when I show up I'll feel like I know it, in its current modern form. Happy for modern fiction or compellingly told non-fiction, but I don't want recommendations of books that just take place in those areas unless the locations themselves play a big role and are painted beautifully.
A perfect example of this is City of Falling Angels by John Berendt that I read just before visiting Venice that painted such a clear picture of the it that I felt like I'd almost been there before.
I realize 'Skye' is vague, and I'm leaving it that way on purpose. Edinburgh is specific. Not interested in Glasgow. But I *would* be interested in similar London recommendations potentially.
So what I'm *not* looking for are history books or travel books or historical fiction.
What I *am* looking for is a book where the place is so clearly written about that when I show up I'll feel like I know it, in its current modern form. Happy for modern fiction or compellingly told non-fiction, but I don't want recommendations of books that just take place in those areas unless the locations themselves play a big role and are painted beautifully.
A perfect example of this is City of Falling Angels by John Berendt that I read just before visiting Venice that painted such a clear picture of the it that I felt like I'd almost been there before.
I realize 'Skye' is vague, and I'm leaving it that way on purpose. Edinburgh is specific. Not interested in Glasgow. But I *would* be interested in similar London recommendations potentially.
These are all Edinburgh -
- Ian Rankin’s Rebus series, though you might need to read a few to accumulate a sense of the city, but they’re not a tough read so that’s not too hard.
- Some of Val McDermid’s crime books are set in Edinburgh (others are in Fife, Glasgow etc). You can probably tell from the blurbs which are in Edinburgh.
- Ditto Doug Johnstone - locations are various but he has at least two set in Edinburgh based around a fictional newspaper that’s basically the Edinburgh Evening News.
- Jenni Fagan’s Luckenbooth (I’ve not actually finished it yet - it’s written recently but set at various points in history. But most of old Edinburgh is still there). This is the most atmospheric/descriptive/literary of my suggestions which sounds like it might be what you’re after.
- Some might say Trainspotting but I tend to think that’s quite a specific point in time (1990s) and not places you’re likely to see as a visitor - it’s based around the lives of people living in housing schemes on the outskirts of the city; they do go elsewhere but not exactly the tourist spots.
posted by penguin pie at 3:29 PM on July 11, 2022
- Ian Rankin’s Rebus series, though you might need to read a few to accumulate a sense of the city, but they’re not a tough read so that’s not too hard.
- Some of Val McDermid’s crime books are set in Edinburgh (others are in Fife, Glasgow etc). You can probably tell from the blurbs which are in Edinburgh.
- Ditto Doug Johnstone - locations are various but he has at least two set in Edinburgh based around a fictional newspaper that’s basically the Edinburgh Evening News.
- Jenni Fagan’s Luckenbooth (I’ve not actually finished it yet - it’s written recently but set at various points in history. But most of old Edinburgh is still there). This is the most atmospheric/descriptive/literary of my suggestions which sounds like it might be what you’re after.
- Some might say Trainspotting but I tend to think that’s quite a specific point in time (1990s) and not places you’re likely to see as a visitor - it’s based around the lives of people living in housing schemes on the outskirts of the city; they do go elsewhere but not exactly the tourist spots.
posted by penguin pie at 3:29 PM on July 11, 2022
Alexander McCall Smith’s series of books, starting with 44 Scotland Street, deals with a very small and privileged subsection of Edinburgh society - but skewers it absolutely and deliciously.
posted by JJZByBffqU at 3:57 PM on July 11, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by JJZByBffqU at 3:57 PM on July 11, 2022 [3 favorites]
I know you pretty much excluded historical travel books, but I really enjoyed reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes during a past visit. It's a quick read. Lyrical descriptions of different parts of the city with flaneur-like observations.
posted by casaubon at 3:58 PM on July 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by casaubon at 3:58 PM on July 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
I’m not entirely sure I’m reading your question correctly, but maybe the first and last of the Emma series, set in Edinburgh. Review here. These are fiction, but novels where the place is a character as you say. They are from the sixties - the built environment hasn’t changed much but the society has of course, so may not be modern enough for you.
I also wonder if you’d like Scottish by Inclination. This is partly a memoir by a German immigrant to Scotland and partly interviews with other immigrants. The author, Barbara Henderson, writes about her time at Edinburgh University and teaching in the city.
posted by paduasoy at 4:10 PM on July 11, 2022
I also wonder if you’d like Scottish by Inclination. This is partly a memoir by a German immigrant to Scotland and partly interviews with other immigrants. The author, Barbara Henderson, writes about her time at Edinburgh University and teaching in the city.
posted by paduasoy at 4:10 PM on July 11, 2022
A certain type of person [meeeee!] would prep by poring over the Ordnance Survey map of South Skye and the Cuillin Hills
posted by BobTheScientist at 6:26 PM on July 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by BobTheScientist at 6:26 PM on July 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
There aren't many fiction books set on Skye which aren't cringey historical romance type things. And to be honest the only book I can think of with a compelling story and even remotely modern timescale would be Calums Road, but that is about Raasay (which by the way you should visit if you will be on Skye). That said the Highlands and Islands are a village the size of Belgium*, so anything set in or around Inverness will give you much of the same flavor, such as several of the books by Ali Smith.
* as in literally you can kayak to an off grid Hebridean island inhabited by about 30 people, go to the pub, and find yourself face-to-face with somebody you last saw on Academy Street and would rather avoid.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 8:30 PM on July 11, 2022
* as in literally you can kayak to an off grid Hebridean island inhabited by about 30 people, go to the pub, and find yourself face-to-face with somebody you last saw on Academy Street and would rather avoid.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 8:30 PM on July 11, 2022
Author Neil Gaiman has a house on Skye. He hasn't set any novels there (yet) but speaks very lyrically about the character . There's a lovely conversation here with him here from BBC scotland. Ignore the vid if you don't want visual 'spoilers'.
posted by freya_lamb at 2:19 AM on July 12, 2022
posted by freya_lamb at 2:19 AM on July 12, 2022
John Buchan's Mr Standfast has a long passage partly set on and around Skye that evokes it well, and captures some of the essence of Skye from when I cycled it.
posted by unearthed at 2:39 AM on July 12, 2022
posted by unearthed at 2:39 AM on July 12, 2022
10000% luckenbooth by jenni fagan!
posted by sedimentary_deer at 4:54 AM on July 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by sedimentary_deer at 4:54 AM on July 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
Robert MacFarlane - specifically The Wild Places
posted by saucysault at 8:03 AM on July 12, 2022
posted by saucysault at 8:03 AM on July 12, 2022
Oh wait, I thought of a very good one. Hebridean Sharker by Tex Geddes.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 10:27 AM on July 12, 2022
posted by Ardnamurchan at 10:27 AM on July 12, 2022
The Stonor Eagles
Cuillin - last of the great sea eagles of Skye. For her there will be many bitter years of exile, sustained only by a belief that one day her offspring will return to her abandoned homeland...
posted by NailsTheCat at 10:54 AM on July 12, 2022
Cuillin - last of the great sea eagles of Skye. For her there will be many bitter years of exile, sustained only by a belief that one day her offspring will return to her abandoned homeland...
posted by NailsTheCat at 10:54 AM on July 12, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by rongorongo at 3:21 PM on July 11, 2022