When it came to the launch of a Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 there could have been no more natural choice than Jim Clark – by any standard, a Scottish sporting great. Winner of a then record twenty-five Formula 1 Grand Prix, Clark was a respected international motor-racing superstar whose sheer skill meant […]
Category: 21st-century items
‘Engraved in the Flesh’: Tattoos in History
On the ground floor of the Surgeons Hall Museum in Edinburgh there is a glass jar with a piece of skin. On this skin is the tattoo of a lady. This tattoo is discolored and disfigured by chemicals and age. Any other information is purely speculative. We don’t know who created the tattoo, who bore […]
Posh Pancakes
If you plan to mark Shrove Tuesday by making some pancakes this year, look no further than Posh Pancakes for some inspiration. With over 70 different pancakes to choose from, it is the recipe for the perfect Pancake Day next week!
Siren Song: Ron King’s Alluring Artist’s Books
Fitting for wintry January days is this sculptural work of art, new to the National Library’s Artists Books collection. Sedna and the Fulmar is one of forty signed, limited-editions by artist Ron King at Circle Press in collaboration with Scottish poet Richard Price.
The last Viking
(Image shows the cover of the book which is a picture of Roald Amundsen. Photo credit: Aurum Press) In the early twentieth century, many of the great geographical mysteries that had intrigued adventurers for centuries remained unsolved; leaving unexplored blank areas on otherwise increasingly detailed global maps. Whereas Tibet, African and the Amazon had […]
Micromastery : learn small, learn fast and find the hidden path to happiness
As the nights draw in this autumn, it could be the perfect time to learn a new skill or hobby. If you feel daunted, or that you don’t have the time to devote to something new, look no further than Micromastery, which is new to the Library’s collections.
Making Public Alasdair Gray Prints
Two signed, limited-edition prints by Scottish artist, writer and cultural icon Alasdair Gray have just been acquired by The National Library of Scotland.
Miracle brew: hops, barley, water, yeast and the nature of beer
Do you like beer? Do you fully understand the process of brewing beer? There is no doubt that beer is a highly popular alcoholic drink but how many of those who enjoy it stop to think about how its four ingredients – hops, malted barley, water and yeast – miraculously combine.
Stephen King turning seventy
Master of horror Stephen King, who has written over fifty novels and roughly two hundred short stories, turns seventy next month. The influence of his work is as strong as ever, with film adaptations of “The Dark Tower” and “It” due for cinema release in the coming weeks and a series based on one of […]
Great discoveries in medicine
Sickness and health, birth and death, disease and cure: medicine and our understanding of the workings of our bodies and minds are an important part of how we know who we are. Great Discoveries in Medicine is a fascinating account of the evolution of medical knowledge and practice from ancient Egypt, India, and China […]