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Tartanry and 'Balmoralty': is Scotland's thriving heritage industry an economic blessing or the curse of negative stereotyping? Since the eighteenth century, heritage has been synonymous with 'heritage tourism'. This book is the first to explore the images which this industry conveys and to analyse its centrality to Scotland's definition of itself. Based on an influential study by three leading sociologists, it examines the specific role and character of the major players in Scottish heritage - the National Trust for Scotland, the Scottish Tourist Board and Historic Scotland - as well as the lairds who have a stake in the industry. In describing its consumers, the authors show how heritage fits into their patterns of leisure, consumption and lifestyle. It also discusses the importance of 'heritage' (as opposed to 'history') to the country's identity and politics.
Scotland faces its biggest choice since the 1707 union that made the United Kingdom - should Scotland be an independent country? The Yes and No campaigns are well under way but with the vote looming closer the information available to the public is still limited. What will happen after the referendum? What are the international implications? What about the UK's nuclear deterrant, currently housed in Scotland? What happens if the vote is 'No'? Is it even clear what independence will mean? What about the oil? What will the currency be? What will happen to the Old Age Pension pot if the UK splits? Scotland's Choices, now fully revised for the critical last few months before the referendum, does just that. Written by one former civil servant, one academic and one think-tanker - one a resident Scot, one a Scot living in England and one an Englishman - the authors clearly explain the issues you may not have considered and detail how each of the options would be put into place after the referendum.
Discover Scotland's turbulent history through the lives of its medieval queens, who ruled, loved, and sacrificed for their nation. Scotland's history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England's northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland's queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland's Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.
Is the 'United' Kingdom really as united as its name suggests? For many people in the UK, increasing nationalism in Scotland has come as rather a shock, raising questions about what Britain is, and where its future lies. In "The Road to Independence? Scotland since the Sixties", Murray Pittock not only gives an account of modern Scottish nationalism, but also explains what Scotland's role in Britain has been historically, and why it has changed radically in the last fifty years where the debate about independence has come to the fore. The author relates the economic, social and cultural history of Scotland, the rise of modern Scottish nationalism and the reasons for it, the recent history an...
This study documents and analyses the expectations of political elites about Scotland's role in a changing European Union. Based on 60 interviews with members of civil society, government officials, and politicians that were conducted during the key months preceding the first elections to the new Scottish Parliament, the book considers two key questions. First, how do elites expect the Scottish Executive to influence European policy-making? Second, how do elites understand the operation of governance under new constitutional arrangements? The study draws from the conceptual framework of Multi-Level Governance, using an actor-centred approach to obtain a nuanced understanding of perceptions. Many elites conclude that devolution is unlikely to affect significantly Scottish involvement in European policy-making. They do believe, however, that it can change the domestic legislative process in accordance with new forms of governance. This approach - which includes the principles of partnership, participation, and co-operation - could also guide Scotland's relationships with the UK and Europe.