Gregor Stewart – författare

The city of Perth in central Scotland can trace its history back to the Romans. As the lowest crossing point for the River Tay, the settlement has been much fought over through the centuries, earning the city the title ‘Gateway to the Highlands’. Established as a royal burgh, Perth is often stated to have been the capital of Scotland. It has been frequently besieged over the years, including during the Wars of Independence with England and in clan wars. King James I was assassinated in the city in 1437 and it was later one of the birthplaces for the Scottish Reformation during the sixteenth century. The seventeenth century was turbulent for Perth, with witch trials, plague and an assassination attempt on King James VI when he was kidnapped in the Gowrie Conspiracy. Oliver Cromwell built the Citadel in the South Inch area and, during the eighteenth century, Perth was occupied by the Jacobite forces in the 1715 and 1745 uprisings. At the same time Perth was growing as an industrial town, with agriculture also important, as are the tourist and financial sectors today.With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret Perth will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this city in the heart of Scotland.

The town of St Andrews in Fife has much to celebrate. Its cathedral was the largest church built in Scotland and the bishops, and later archbishops, played an important role in ruling medieval Scotland. Scotland’s first university was established in St Andrews, which began teaching religious studies in 1410. The university has been the choice for many famous people and is also responsible for many of the town’s traditions. The town was a favourite of Mary, Queen of Scots, who owned a home in St Andrews. In 1663, astrologer and mathematician James Gregory published a design for the first reflecting telescope in St Andrews, and in 1673 Gregory laid the first Meridian line, which earned St Andrews the title ‘the place where time began’. St Andrews is best known, however, as the home of golf. The game had been played and developed in the town for centuries before the formation of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1754, which is considered the headquarters of golf. The town is also famous for its long, sandy beaches, which attracted filmmakers who shot the opening sequence of Chariots of Fire on the West Sands. The Lammas market, the oldest surviving medieval market, is still held in the centre of town, and the annual St Andrew’s Day celebrations, the patron saint of Scotland from whom the town takes its name, are a major attraction. Yet not all of the big names from St Andrews are human: Hamish McHamish, a large ginger cat, became one of the best-known residents and is remembered by a statue in the town centre.Celebrating St Andrews chronicles the proud heritage of the town, its important moments and what draws so many to this fascinating place today. Illustrated throughout, this fascinating book offers a marvellous and refreshingly positive insight into St Andrews’ rich history.

The city of Inverness sits at the northerly end of the Great Glen, a fault line in the earth’s crust that runs from one side of Scotland to the other. The current city’s origins date back to Pictish times; however there is evidence of the area being habited long before then, with the Clava Cairns, which sit just a short distance from the city, dating back to between 1500 and 200 BC, giving it a long and often forgotten history. Inverness has connections with several major figures in early Scottish history including St Columba, who ‘tamed’ the fabled Loch Ness Monster; MacBeth, who lived in a castle in the city; and David I, who built the first stone castle on the site of the earlier timber stronghold. The city grew to become an important trading port, which in turn brought conflict with others including the Vikings and Clan MacDonald, the Earls of the Isles. Despite this the city continued to grow, yet due to its remoteness from Edinburgh it was notable for not bowing to the political powers of the country. This was perhaps best demonstrated when Mary, Queen of Scots visited and was forced to stay in a small house after having been refused entry to the castle.The ‘Capital of the Highlands’ has many secrets just waiting to be discovered. In Secret Inverness, author Gregor Stewart pulls back the curtains of history to peer into the distant and not-so-distant past to reveal the forgotten, the strange and the unlikely.

Known as a major industrial centre, the city of Dundee has a long and eventful history. Following the development of a small trading port in the eleventh century, by the fourteenth century Dundee had grown to be one of the most important towns in Scotland. The city was also a significant religious centre, with the distinctive Dominican monks – known as the Black Friars due to their robes – choosing to mingle with the people of Dundee to share their preaching, despite the danger this could present in these difficult days. Dundee also has a darker and often forgotten past. The city was attacked and extensively damaged by invading English forces, following which defensive walls were constructed, only to be demolished again when the city was further attacked by Parliamentarian forces. A number of women were accused, tortured and executed during the witch hunts, and general living conditions at one point became so poor that the average life expectancy for a man was just thirty-three years old. With epidemics such as the plague also hitting, a large area of ground was given to the burgh to be used as a burial ground in 1564, and it is now considered to have one of the most important collections of gravestones in Scotland.Scotland’s fourth city has many secrets just waiting to be discovered. In Secret Dundee, author Gregor Stewart peers into the past to reveal the forgotten, the strange and the unlikely.

Compiled by paranormal investigator Gregor Stewart, this new book contains a chilling range of spooky tales from around Kirkcaldy. From haunted public houses, which have left both customers and staff terrified, to the ruins of the ancient Ravenscraig Castle, which still attract a mysterious visitor many years after their death, this collection of ghostly goings-on, phantom footsteps and playful poltergeists is sure to appeal to everyone interested in the paranormal and the history of Fife’s largest town. Richly illustrated with over fifty images, Haunted Kirkcaldy is guaranteed to make your blood run cold.

Although known worldwide as the ‘Home of Golf’, St Andrews was also the ecclesiastical powerhouse in Scotland for centuries prior to the Reformation. Author Gregor Stewart takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the town’s past, unearthing tales of double crossing and infighting while introducing the reader to the nefarious characters who were jostling for power. He reveals connections between St Andrews and the order of the Knights of St John, who owned buildings in the town, and James Gregory, who laid a meridian line from his laboratory that pre-dates Greenwich by 200 years and is now widely credited as the ‘place where time began’. The book also explores the macabre: St Andrews was a centre for execution, using an early version of the guillotine, and there are descriptions of the fates of those accused of witchcraft and heresy. Secret St Andrews delves beneath the surface of this attractive university town, revealing a lesser-known and less savoury history that even most local residents don’t know.