Scotch whisky is unquestionably among the most beloved distilled spirits in the world. Its colorful history, the complex process of its distillation, the variety of forms it takes, and its inextricable involvement with the culture, history, and character of its native country have all contributed to a recent worldwide explosion of interest in this unique liquor, comparable only to the sudden growth of interest in French wines that took place in the 1950s and 1960s. In Single Malt Scotch, author Roddy Martine and photographer Bill Milne have combined their talents to produce a rich and sumptuous volume in which the romance, mystery, warmth, and tradition surrounding Scotch whisky are brought gorgeously to life.
Between 1883 and 1890, John Martine, a retired brewer, farmer and corn merchant wrote three volumes of reminiscences on the parishes of the County of Haddingtonshire. Classics of the genre, they chronicled in detail East Lothian's historic past: the families, characters, events and anecdotes which have molded this agriculturally rich but often overlooked region since its early beginnings. To this end, the Martine family's East Lothian origins can be traced back to the reign of David I in the 12th century when Alexander St Martine was appointed Sheriff of Haddington. In the centuries that followed, his descendants emerged as tacksmen, clerics, tanners, merchants, bakers, post masters and doctors. Two of their number even served as Provosts of Haddington, and over a span of six centuries, family members married into virtually all of the old farming families of the area, from Dunbar to Tranent. Taking all of this into account, Roddy Martine has embarked upon a voyage of revelatory discovery. Through family connections and old papers, he has brought his ancestor's history of East Lothian up-to-date with tales and anecdotes to embrace the 20th and 21st centuries. From John Knox, Jane Welsh Carlyle and the patriot Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun to Robert Louis Stevenson, the Italian impresario Gian Carlo Menotti, the golfer Ben Sayers and the painters William Gillies and John Bellany, they are all here with a story to tell.
Ever since its creation in the mid fifteenth century, Rosslyn Chapel has cast a mesmerising spell over all who have visited it. Nestling in an exquisite glen barely seven miles from the centre of Edinburgh, it exudes an extraordinary atmosphere, serene yet charged, as if it holds the secret of some vast, unearthly mystery. Almost 600 years after its creation it remains an enigma that continues to confound, intrigue and fire the imagination of those who believe that the treasures of the Knights Templar lie hidden within its precincts, as well as other more outlandish speculations. In this book, Roddy Martine sifts through mounds of unfounded conjecture and fantasy to make sense of the various theories surrounding the chapel. The Secrets of Rosslyn lets the facts speak for themselves, showing that the truth is no less amazing than fiction.
Song and dance are at the very centre of any nation's culture and are said to represent the innermost character of a people. The whirling, dashing and spinning of the classic Scottish reels are no exception. Here, Roddy Martine and Andrew Campell provide a lighthearted guide to the basic steps of Scottish reels and country dances, all broken down into bullet points and illustrated with easy-to-follow diagrams. With further, indisposable hints on the social niceties of reeling, the conventions of the dance and the timetable of the Scottish social season, The Swinging Sporran is a hilarious companion to anyone who ventures into the social world north of the border.
Roddy Martine looks beyond the everyday world in this thought-provoking selection of real-life encounters with the supernatural. Based on personal experience and interviews with those who have witnessed all manner of paranormal activity, Haunted Scotland is a fascinating glimpse into a world unexplainable by the laws of science, and includes spine-chilling cases of hauntings, time slips, exorcisms, reincarnation, omens and witchcraft from all parts of Scotland.
The essence of virtual reality lies with computer-based three-dimensional environments. Often termed worlds, these conceptual models can be navigated, interacted with and updated in real-time. This guide to good practice is intended for individuals and organizations who are interested in potential ways to use virtual reality within the arts and humanities. It concentrates on the most widely used form of virtual reality, desk-top virtual reality, which may be distributed and viewed on-line via the World Wide Web. In these systems virtual reality worlds run on users' desk-top computers, are displayed on a standard monitor, and navigated using a mouse or 3-D space ball and keyboard.
Filled with dramatic photographs of castles and countryside, this celebration of the Scottish highlands mixes tradition, history, and lore to introduce readers to this unique region.
Tartans, mountains, lochs, gloomy castles and humble crofts make up the Scotland of the tourist brochures, yet Scotland from the inside offers a tapestry of infinite variety, unexpected and continually dazzling
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