Scotland: An Intimate Portrait

by Geddes MacGregor

Informative and amusing, MacGregor's book recounts the history and origins of golf, kilts, bagpipes, and other distinct parts of Scottish culture. MacGregor captures the essence of Scottish life, religion, dress, literature, and history.

Genres: Scotland, Travel, Nonfiction, History, Historical, Cultural

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a slightly dated book with the original copyright of 1980 and first published in 1985 under the name: Scotland Forever Home. This edition was published in 1990, but hard to say if anything was changed from the original. It reads like this was written in the 1980s.

The later chapter about Scottish politics and outlook on independence was where the age showed itself the most. As part travel guide it there may be some changes there. Then again, some buildings, castles, and bridges have been around for centuries so a few decades may not make much of a difference.

The book is partly history, partly travel guide, partly cultural guide and partly entertaining. MacGregor has a way of writing that made sure the book wasn’t dull. Peppered throughout were small vignettes, stories, or tales that would help give the flavor of the people of Scotland.
One I found hilarious, paraphrased here found in the description of Aberdeen and tradition of fishing. A “fishy story” of a fishwife and a man asking about the freshness, who also happened to be a ventriloquist. He asks if the large cod she was carrying around to be sold was fresh, of course she answered yes, “I’ve just brocht it in fae the sea.” The cod replied “Sh’es a lee-ar. I’ve been here for a week!”

Just about all aspects of Scotland was covered, although not thoroughly as that would be way too much to fit all in. Such as the section on islands, MacGregor had to pick some to describe and provide some information, but many of the 787 islands had be overlooked.

The book concludes with 9 appendices, two are for Scottish words, two for historic dates, one on cuisine, another on whisky and a few others. It does feel like MacGregor covers it all.

I would be remiss not to mention how MacGregor is writing this for the Scottish Diaspora, particularly the American with Scottish ancestry, which would mean myself. Several times he says you must visit the homeland, perhaps like a pilgrimage. I’ve had this book many years, perhaps since the mid-1990s and I’m not sure why I neglected to read before. It certainly would have been a good book to read before either of my visits to the homeland.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this shortly before my trip to Scotland. I continued reading pieces of it here and there during the trip, and finished it up on my arrival home, when my head was still buzzing with things Scottish. At first I was worried that the book might be a little out of date for my purposes, but this concern quickly vanished as I began reading. In fact, this book completely fit the bill, and was more or less just what I was looking for. It is a combination of history, anecdote, and personal experience, written by a Scotsman who had left for America but continued to make many trips to his native land. MacGregor is a connoisseur of many aspects of Scottish life – the regional differences, the attitudes of the locals, and he is quite good with the history. There are discussions of clans and tartans, the famous Scottish ghosts, speech, literature, Edinburgh and other cities, etc. A solid book that delivers just what it promises.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Now a modern classic, Scotland: An Intimate Portrait is an introduction to the soul of Scotland for the millions who have visited this enchanting land and come away wanting to know more that the guidebooks tell us. With wit and warmth, Geddes MacGregor examines his homeland's traditions, history, eccentricities, and contradictions, offering a portrait of Scotland as only a native can. Golf, kilts, clans, tartans, whisky, and other things quintessentially Scottish are described in loving detail. There are sections on local speech, literature and songs, kings and queens, religion, education, and nationalism.

"Described by the New York Times as 'useful and endearing,' Scotland: An Intimate Portrait is indispensable for tourists, armchair travelers, people of Scottish descent, or anyone with a curiosity to know more about this beguiling land."
~~back cover

This is indeed a very informative book! The author very methodically covers just about every aspect of Scotland past & present. A very basic book -- there's too much to know about Scotland to get it all crammed into 235 pages. I read it through, & learned some things I didn't know. But the book didn't capture me -- I was never dying to get my chores done so I could go back to reading it. All that being said, I do recommend it if you're going to Scotland, or wanting to know more about the country.

[Drick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in preparation for my trip to Scotland this summer. Written by a Scottish expatriate, the book give some interesting insights and fact about Scottish culture and history. However, the book was written i 1990 and seems a bit dated when talking about Scotland's push for individual sovereignty and the state of the cities. I found the writing to a bit wordy and hard to follow at times. Nontheless for an overview of culture, history and the lay of the land, it was a good place to start.