Scottish Customs

by Sheila Livingstone

Customs have always played a central part in Scots' lives, and the customs of the Scots represent one of the most rich and enduring parts of their heritage. From birth to death, through work and the natural world, they are surrounded by lore and traditions, some of extraordinary antiquity. Sheila Livingstone's book is the first full study of these. She breaks her subject down into thematic chapters, each containing listings of associated customs within. The result is a fascinating compendium to skim through or delve into. This is a new and expanded edition.

Genres: Scotland, Nonfiction

156 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

Reviews

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scottish Customs is a book that explores the origins of Scottish superstitions and customs whether practiced in the past or even nowadays.

The author chose to separate the book into sections based upon milestones and these sections are furthermore divided into subsections based upon various aspects of said milestone so if you are looking for a particular subject than you can easily flip through the chapter or maybe lucky if you find it in the index in the back.

The book is supplemented with records, traditional ballads and other contributions to help illustrate a point although sometimes the selection is the whole subsection.

At the same time the reader will find a glossary that includes some of the Scottish words along with its meaning although there are others that didn't make it as far. And there is definitely no pronunciation guide for any of the words.

As much as the information would be interesting it was presented in a dry and repetitive fashion while the organization was atrocious such as putting birth before marriage.

All in all it does provide readers with an insight into Scottish culture but not one I would return to for a second read.

[Samarth Bachkheti · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I moved to Scotland, I found it to be a quite distinctive modern society. On the one hand, I adored a movie like Braveheart or compositions of Dougie Maclean, while on the other hand, I enjoyed Danny Boyle's Trainspotting 1 and 2. They portray two diametrically opposite pictures of Scottish history. This book gives you a clear picture of the Scottish culture(which has largely obscured in the modern society). I loved reading every single page of this book. Sheila Livingstone gives a vivid description of the customs, festivals and long lost history of Scottish culture.

[Kylie Sprott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read - particularly as some of these customs are present in our modern world, especially as a reconnection to nature is now more popular.

Some of my ancestors were fishermen - the number of superstitions they followed was incredible. I am not sure how they remembered them all!

Every ritual seemed to involve drinking, eating & connecting with family & community. It was such an interesting glimpse into the life of my Scottish ancestors - I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever compendium of Scottish customs, superstitions, and behaviors across that country's history. This book includes literary references, a bibliography, and a glossary of Scots English terminology.

[MKF]

DNF

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting!

[Cody · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about drinking that is what you will hear the most