Scotland is a treasure-chest of natural history, but it also offers a wealth of wonderful literature about its wild creatures. Delving into Robin Hull's own experience of the mammals in Scotland and drawing on the texts of many of the great Scottish natural history writers, this book, the first of its kind, examines the historical and cultural relationship between humans and mammals in Scotland over the last 10,000 years. All the wild mammalian species of Scotland are covered, including marine mammals which have been sighted in Scottish waters, such as walruses and narwhals. Insightful and meticulously researched, Scottish Mammals is an analysis of the impact of humans on the planet, as well as a riveting study of the facts and fictions associated with mammals in Scotland.

"Terrific, life-lit moments come howling out of Hunt for the Shadow Wolf."—The Telegraph "[Derek Gow is] a wry, profane truth teller who is equal parts yeoman farmer, historical ecologist, and pirate."—Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager and Crossings "Beautifully crafted, fascinating and unbearably poignant, I totally loved this book."—Isabella Tree, author of Wilding Renowned rewilder Derek Gow has a dream: that one day we will see the return of the wolf to Britain as it has already returned elsewhere. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with this creature grew. With increasing curiosity, Derek started to piece together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction as coexistence turned to fear, hatred – and domination. What Derek came to realize was that the underlying motives behind our hatred were actually far more prosaic and, like most persecutions, to do with power and profit. We turned the wolf into a savage beast and saw its extirpation as a civilizing mission. But the wolf survived far longer than many thought and Derek tells of his sightings of the wolf through folklore and mythology, the records of grand estates and parish churches as well as wolf heads, both real and recreated. With bitingly funny but also tender stories, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is Derek’s quest to uncover the true nature of this creature because, as we seek to heal our landscape, we must reconcile our relationship with it. Before we can even begin to bring the wolf back, we need to understand it. "I have loved this chase dearly and though what unfolds might be an ending of sorts, I have no intention to let this hunt cease."―Derek Gow, from Hunt for the Shadow Wolf "Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside."—The Guardian