Three Short Books I Would Recommend When Asked, “How Do I Really Understand Scotland?”

Reading about Scottish history and landscape before travelling

By Antony McCord | January 2026 Scotland is often introduced through its landmarks — castles, glens, distilleries, and dramatic coastlines. These matter, of course, but they are only the visible surface. What shapes Scotland more enduringly are ideas: who owns the land, how landscape is inhabited, and how history is remembered, revised, and sometimes misunderstood. … Read more

The Lifelong Learner – How Great Guiding Never Stops Evolving

The Lifelong Learner – How Great Guiding Never Stops Evolving One of the quiet truths about guiding is that you never truly finish learning. Each season brings new faces, fresh questions, and unexpected moments that sharpen your understanding of both people and place. Great guiding, I’ve come to realise, is built not only on knowledge … Read more