Gilly Pickup

Scotland’s diverse landscapes, extensive coastline and mix of cultural and historic influences are reflected in its rich food and drink heritage. The country is famous for porridge and other oat foods, haggis, grouse and whisky, but there is much more to Scotland’s food and drink than these foodstuffs. There are many interesting dishes that deserve to be celebrated and the huge variety of local produce stretches far beyond Forfar bridies, Arbroath smokies, Fochabers gingerbread and Montrose cakes. In this book Gilly Pickup looks at the special foodstuffs, dishes and drinks that have characterised Scotland over the years, picking out the many interesting stories that contribute to this country’s food and drink narrative. Scotland has a diverse culinary heritage, each different area and region boasting its own local produce and traditions, and today its food and drink businesses and annual events associated with its food and drink are major sectors of the Scottish economy. Tipsy Lairds and Rumbledethumps: Scotland’s Food and Drink will appeal to all those who are interested in the history of Scotland and its food and drink heritage.

Assorted strange phenomena abound in Scotland – witches, wizards, fairies, sea monsters, yeti-type creatures, UFOs and a plethora of female spirits called glastigs and caoineags who appear in various forms. There are bewitching grey, white and green ladies, naughty poltergeists, unwanted love children, kilted bagpipers, bloodstained clansmen and abstract, floating columns of light. Alongside everyday ‘spooks’ are ethereal drummers, phantom vehicles, spectral dogs and horses and a ghost with a marvellous sense of humour who revisited this world disguised as a bouncing cannonball. The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui, the A75 Ghost Road, haunted Inveraray Jail, the Phantom of Melrose Abbey, and the ghostly Montrose aviator are well known but a myriad other phantoms reside among the ruins of draughty old castles or haunt battlefields, mountains, roads, barracks, beaches, railway lines, aerodromes, theatres, shops, houses, caves, standing stones, churches and factories and dozens stay in hotels and pubs all over the country. Maybe this surplus of spooky goings-on is triggered by the country’s long and bloody history, or maybe it’s down to the hauntingly bleak moorlands, craggy mountains and ancient Caledonian forests. Whatever the reason, Scotland is rich in blood-chilling tales and has more ghosts, hauntings and supernatural happenings than any other land on earth.

Calm. Centred. Inspired. Just a few words said with purpose can give you inner strength that will last all day. Let these calming mantras, simple tips and beautiful images empower you, and help to anchor you to the here and now.

Channel the power of meditation to find health, happiness, and well-being with this beginner's guide to inner peace. Dive into an ancient art and timeless tradition with The Little Book of Meditations. This charming gift book is educational, teaching readers about the practice's fascinating history, the physical and mental benefits of meditation, and the practical ways engage in mindfulness. It's also inspirational, with plenty of stylized quotes from a wide array of thinkers to motivate readers to practice relaxation and reflection. And colorful, soothing illustrations and patterns nearly make flipping through the pages of The Little Book of Meditations an act of mindfulness in and of itself.

Learn to savour every moment, notice and appreciate the little things, and discover contentment and gratitude with a more mindful approach to life. Packed with simple, easy-to-follow tips and calming quotes by writers and philosophers, this is your essential guide to feeling good and living well.

Castles and palaces around the world are structures of grandeur, might and beauty. From the flamboyance of Germany's fairy tale-Neuschwanstein Castle to the gothic, Dracula-inspiring Bran Castle, perched high in the craggy peaks of Romania's Carpathian Mountains; Tokyo's Imperial Palace, previously home to samurai warriors to Ireland's Blarney Castle, where 'the gift of the gab' will be granted to any who kiss its stone, the world's castles and palaces are steeped in history and stories to tell. Travel writer and journalist Gilly Pickup shares these stories, providing a tour of 50 of the world's greatest castles and palaces, filled with humour, interesting facts and tips on how best to visit them.

London’s shadowed alleyways, ancient buildings and misty open spaces simply swarm with phantoms – spirits of the famous and the forgotten, the lovelorn, the loveless, the damned, and the damnable. Paranormal London takes the bold ghost seeker on a hair-raising journey to visit and explore some of the capital’s spookiest places. We visit the haunts of murderers and sail on a phantom boat. There are close encounters with chilling manifestations at infamous No. 50 Berkeley Square and you can hear wails and tormented screams from Jack the Ripper’s eternally restless victims as they roam the East End’s cobbled streets. You can find a headless duke, visit the graves of plague victims and come into contact with an unseen force that tries to push you downstairs. Many of the city’s most famous landmarks are haunted, but hundreds of lesser-known sites claim paranormal happenings – pubs, hotels, parks and tunnels, churches, roads, Underground stations, banks, cinemas, council estates and the lake in St James’s Park. If you are not a true believer in the paranormal when you start to read this book, you will be by the end.

Meditation is a wonderful way to bring more peace and tranquillity into your life. This little book, bursting with practical advice, useful meditations and affirming thoughts, helps you to take a moment and feel like yourself again.

The West End of London has long been popular with theatre-goers and tourists to the capital, but this historic area is also home to a multitude of terrifying ghosts. From the theatre where a female spectre cradles a severed head in her lap and the haunted house where two people have died of fright, to the ghostly voices of children heard in a modern office block built over a plague pit, this spine-chilling collection of tales is guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Richly illustrated, Haunted West End is sure to appeal to everyone interested in the paranormal and the history of London. Read on - if you dare!

Spooky, gruesome, weird but true things about one of the world’s greatest cities come alive in The A-Z of Curious London. Discover London’s tiniest house, a 4,000-year-old mouse made from Nile clay, and have a giggle at things people leave on London’s transport (including false teeth, a human skull and a park bench - yes, really.) Why did a dentist keep his dead wife on view in a shop window? Where did a shopkeeper murder 150 customers? Which Queen showed her bosom to an Ambassador? Why was a man arrested for wearing a top hat? In the City proper, why is no thoroughfare called a road? To sum up, eccentrics, legends, folklore, murders, scandals, ghosts, incredible characters and oodles of wow factor, it’s all here.