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The Mile
It’s a week before 2014’s referendum on Scottish independence. Three friends: a nationalist, a unionist and a couldnae-care-lesser meet for a pub crawl down Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile.
Can Ian convince Euan to vote for independence or is he just gambling with all their futures? Will Euan’s defence of the union break Ian’s resolve, or is he just hanging on to another struggling marriage? Does Stuart even care? And how can a travel writer have a fear of flying?
And who is the mysterious ninety-five year old man in the red tartan trousers?
The Mile is an entertaining alcohol-fuelled stagger down a street that has a lot more to it than tartan rugs and cashmere shops. Join our friends, their hangers-on, and their pursuers, as they take in 300 years of Scottish history. And a skinful of beer and whisky…
Can Ian convince Euan to vote for independence or is he just gambling with all their futures? Will Euan’s defence of the union break Ian’s resolve, or is he just hanging on to another struggling marriage? Does Stuart even care? And how can a travel writer have a fear of flying?
And who is the mysterious ninety-five year old man in the red tartan trousers?
The Mile is an entertaining alcohol-fuelled stagger down a street that has a lot more to it than tartan rugs and cashmere shops. Join our friends, their hangers-on, and their pursuers, as they take in 300 years of Scottish history. And a skinful of beer and whisky…
- GenresScotland
170 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2013
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Craig Smith
2 books1 followerCraig Smith lives on the edge (of Edinburgh) with his wife and (now grown-up) children.
In a former life he was a musician with a couple of NME Singles of the Week to his name. In this life, his spare bass gathers dust in a corner while his Fender Precision left to begin a new life in Marseilles.
His debut novel The Mile (Pilrig Press) was published to much acclaim in 2013.
His latest novel The River (Into Books) will be released in March 2025 and is now available to pre-order.
An alumni of the Faber Academy, he continues to write about Scotland, Scottishness, and Scots, and hopes one day he might live in a normal country.
Preferably Scotland.
In a former life he was a musician with a couple of NME Singles of the Week to his name. In this life, his spare bass gathers dust in a corner while his Fender Precision left to begin a new life in Marseilles.
His debut novel The Mile (Pilrig Press) was published to much acclaim in 2013.
His latest novel The River (Into Books) will be released in March 2025 and is now available to pre-order.
An alumni of the Faber Academy, he continues to write about Scotland, Scottishness, and Scots, and hopes one day he might live in a normal country.
Preferably Scotland.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 27, 2015
Though billed by some as a novel about the referendum, the political debate is largely superficial and really just serves to give the story some context and sense of place. The book's strength instead lies in its pace and humour; it is a short and enjoyable diversion dealing with age, love and loss. The dual narrative works well to bring balance and tension, and charismatic old Jock is an interesting character with a tale or two to tell.
What the novel might lack in subtlety it makes up for in good-natured wit and an evident fondness for its city. At the price the Kindle edition is selling for it's certainly worth what little it will take of your time and money to join Rosie's search and Ian's pub crawl.
What the novel might lack in subtlety it makes up for in good-natured wit and an evident fondness for its city. At the price the Kindle edition is selling for it's certainly worth what little it will take of your time and money to join Rosie's search and Ian's pub crawl.
February 5, 2014
Oh man, I loved this book. A pub crawl down the Royal Mile with a pensioner wearing red tartan trousers. Hard to beat that. Can understand why people who are less inclined to vote yes in next year's referendum might find the politics a bit over-bearing, but as I'm leaning that way anyway I loved it. Although saying that, through one of the characters he does give the Unionist's arguments a fair bit of air time as well so maybe not. Great craic and makes me want to head to Edinburgh for a night out again soon. Love that city. Love this country. Love this book.
January 13, 2014
Thee middle-aged men go on a pub crawl in Edinburgh and encounter an old soldier.
An amusing and touching story, the character of Jock (the old soldier) is particularly likeable. The ‘political debate’ section of the story fell flat (in my opinion), but this novella is still worth reading.
I rated this 3 star, but it is more like a 3.5.
An amusing and touching story, the character of Jock (the old soldier) is particularly likeable. The ‘political debate’ section of the story fell flat (in my opinion), but this novella is still worth reading.
I rated this 3 star, but it is more like a 3.5.
November 9, 2014
Great book, wish I'd read it before 18th September when I was all fired up about the referendum!
January 15, 2014
Set a week before the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, three old friends go on a pub crawl down Edinburgh's Royal Mile. It turns out to be a life-changing night for them all.
The characters are engaging, and you quickly warm to them, especially Jock in his tartan trousers. The plot rattles along at a good pace, and there are little mysteries along the way to keep you turning the pages.
Regardless of your political stance, this is a great story. Craig Smith makes a passionate case which may or may not change your mind about independence, either way, I found The Mile to be a really enjoyable read.
The characters are engaging, and you quickly warm to them, especially Jock in his tartan trousers. The plot rattles along at a good pace, and there are little mysteries along the way to keep you turning the pages.
Regardless of your political stance, this is a great story. Craig Smith makes a passionate case which may or may not change your mind about independence, either way, I found The Mile to be a really enjoyable read.
January 15, 2014
A touching fun read where three mates go on a pub crawl and discuss Scotland's independence - or not. There's also Jock, an enigmatic older man wandering about in tartan trews creating havoc and saving lives! It's as much a story about male friendship, as a love story – and that could be love of Edinburgh and Scotland, as well as love of a lassie. You don't have to be Scottish to enjoy this, and it doesn't matter if you are a yes voter or no voter. This is a great "feel good" read, for all. Loved it!(less)
June 30, 2014
Lord knows I love the setting. But, though it may not be as preachy as an editorial, it's still pretty preachy, which is not my taste for fiction. After all, if I were out drinking with an old friend I hadn't seen for years and he decided to devote the evening to forcibly changing my politics, then regardless of the issues under discussion, that would be our last time out drinking together.
October 22, 2014
A bit slow to start but once I got into it I loved it! Not as political as I expected. Love Edinburgh!! Jock is amazing :)
July 29, 2016
Funny and touching. Not sure I'll rely on the opinions espoused for my final decision come September, but a good read!
October 25, 2014
Since it is the month of the Referendum, I thought this would be a cool time to read it. Really fun book, easy to read and relate to the characters. Glad that I decided to read it.
July 23, 2014
Funny and tragic in equal measures.
June 15, 2021
A lovely, easy book which I read over my last two days in Edinburgh. Easy but not lightweight!
Set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, it is exploring not only its watering holes but also Scottish politics past and present. Three friends meet up for a pub crawl just before the 2014 Independence referendum. They team up with Jock, a 95-year old pensioner and a WWII hero. While they drink their way from pub to pub all the way down the Royal Mile, from the Castle to Holyrood, they argue over the pros and cons of an independent Scotland, they get overwhelmed by Jock's lively personality and WWII exploits and see their personal lives take unexpected turns, luckily for the better, except for Jock. However, he marks their lives in many different ways and inspires in them a stronger belief in Scotland's future as an independent nation.
For a lover of Edinburgh, this is a story to transport you in the city and its unique atmosphere.
It is also a story about the complex politics of the Union between Scotland and England with much to think about again as another Independence referendum looms in the horizon. There are plenty of small independent countries, some even smaller than Scotland, which have made a success of their national independence. Who is to say that Scotland cannot be equally successful? I have a feeling this book could soon become topical a second time around!
As for me, next time I am in Edinburgh, I hope to retrace the friends' steps, stop and notice the pubs and places they visited and generally soak up the atmosphere, although not the drinks! Is it really possible to drink that much?
Set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, it is exploring not only its watering holes but also Scottish politics past and present. Three friends meet up for a pub crawl just before the 2014 Independence referendum. They team up with Jock, a 95-year old pensioner and a WWII hero. While they drink their way from pub to pub all the way down the Royal Mile, from the Castle to Holyrood, they argue over the pros and cons of an independent Scotland, they get overwhelmed by Jock's lively personality and WWII exploits and see their personal lives take unexpected turns, luckily for the better, except for Jock. However, he marks their lives in many different ways and inspires in them a stronger belief in Scotland's future as an independent nation.
For a lover of Edinburgh, this is a story to transport you in the city and its unique atmosphere.
It is also a story about the complex politics of the Union between Scotland and England with much to think about again as another Independence referendum looms in the horizon. There are plenty of small independent countries, some even smaller than Scotland, which have made a success of their national independence. Who is to say that Scotland cannot be equally successful? I have a feeling this book could soon become topical a second time around!
As for me, next time I am in Edinburgh, I hope to retrace the friends' steps, stop and notice the pubs and places they visited and generally soak up the atmosphere, although not the drinks! Is it really possible to drink that much?
June 16, 2022
this is a nice story and an easy read. about 3 guys who go on a pub crawl and are joined by a 95 year old man. it helped me to picture where they were thanks to my recent trip to edinburgh, plus it was interesting to learn about each characters life. one downside is the major talk about politics
December 13, 2022
Enjoyable wee read.
It was simply written with a more than obvious message. Not intellectually challenging, not that it was meant to be…but it was very cathartic.
Recommend it ? There’s only one answer tae that. YES 🏴
It was simply written with a more than obvious message. Not intellectually challenging, not that it was meant to be…but it was very cathartic.
Recommend it ? There’s only one answer tae that. YES 🏴
August 6, 2020
Readable, good fun, with some referendum politics thrown in for good measure - an easy and enjoyable read!
May 24, 2023
A joy from start to finish!
Loved this wee tale, full of great characters & with a wonderful message of hope all the way through. Would definitely recommend.
Loved this wee tale, full of great characters & with a wonderful message of hope all the way through. Would definitely recommend.
March 21, 2020
This is an entertaining short novel which blends two plot threads and political commentary into a trip down Edinburgh's Royal Mile from the Castle to Holyrood Palace just before the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum.
The first thread is about the various mid-life crises of a pub-crawling party of male friends and is the less interesting of the two. The author has an ear for Scottish dialogue which keeps it entertaining but its hard to get much sympathy with these characters. The second thread is far more engaging: it is about an aging war veteran 'escaping' from a care home for one final set of personal errands. Action ensues as the war veteran meets up with the pub-crawling party.
If you've been to Edinburgh on holiday you would probably enjoy this trip down the Royal Mile just for the location. If you are a Scottish Independence supporter you will like the politics and the main character - the old war veteran. If you like Scottish humour there's some good comedy moments and dialog.
The plot threads are tied-off neatly when they reach the bottom of the Mile and topped off with a slightly over-egged happy ending.
All in all, it's a well crafted and entertaining short novel which is still relevant despite being tied to the 2014 independence referendum. If you are an SNP supporter or tourist then I'd recommend the e-book. If you are a unionist or Tory the best option would be the paperback and a lighter.
September 25, 2016
A mile of surprises
I so enjoyed this book, it was so full of surprises. The lives and relationship of four friends. The wisdom of an old man , that in the end changed everything.
A book for people who love people, for those in transition, for those who need hope.
I so enjoyed this book, it was so full of surprises. The lives and relationship of four friends. The wisdom of an old man , that in the end changed everything.
A book for people who love people, for those in transition, for those who need hope.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews