Scotland from the Sky

As seen on TV! Prepare yourself for a journey into the skies above Scotland.

In this book, you will travel in both space and time, starting in the years around the First World War and moving all the way up to the present day. As you go, you will see just what our pioneering aviators saw as they stared out from their cockpits. And more than that, you will also explore what they were trying to find. Because from above, Scotland can be many different things, depending on what you choose to look at - and who is doing the looking.

Accompanying the BBC documentary series Scotland from the Sky, this lavishly illustrated book draws on the vast collection of aerial photography held in the archives of Historic Environment Scotland. Historian and series presenter James Crawford opens an exraordinary window into our past to tell the remarkable story of a nation from above - taking readers back in time to show how our great cities have dramatically altered with the ebb and flow of history, while whole communities have vanished in the name of progress.

It shows how aerial imagery can reveal treasures from the ancient past, uncovering secrets buried right beneath our feet. And it demonstrates how the view from above has been at the heart of the post-war transformation of both our countryside, and our urban landscapes.

This is a fascinating  - and little know - story of war, innovation, adventure, cities, landscapes and people. This is the story of Scotland, from the sky.

About the author:

James Crawford is a Publisher at Historic Environment Scotland and the Saltire nominated author of Fallen Glory: The Lives and Deaths of the World's Greatest Lost Buildings. He has previously written a number of books on aerial photography, including Above Scotland, Scotland's Landscapes and Aerofilms: A History of Britain from Above. This is his first series for the BBC as writer and presenter.

‘Remarkable … explores Scotland’s cities, coasts and countryside from the air and uses a century of aerial photography to show how rural and urban landscapes have changed’ The Herald

‘Opens up many secrets and surprises … exhilarating’ The Courier

336 pages

Available in Hardback or Paperback