A collection of essays by historians and sociologists on the importance of sport in the history of Scottish culture. The study encompasses the historical and the contemporary, the male and the female, the royal and the commoner, the middle class and working class aspects of Scottish sport.

Scotland may not have won a World Cup (yet!), but many of the country’s sportsmen and women are revered as global legends, including Olympic and US Open champion Andy Murray and winner of six Olympic gold medals, Sir Chris Hoy. In football, the likes of Denis Law, ‘Slim’ Jim Baxter and Jimmy ‘Jinky’ Johnstone would not have looked out of place in the canary yellow of Brazil, while managers Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein have become part of football folklore, as has Sir Alex Ferguson in more recent times. Amazingly, Scots have reached the top in just about every major sport: Jim Clark and Sir Jackie Stewart in Formula One; Andy Murray in tennis; Ken Buchanan and Benny Lynch in the boxing ring; Chris Hoy in cycling; sprinters Allan Wells and Eric Liddell on the Olympic track; and, as befits a nation renowned as ‘the home of golf’, Sandy Lyle was recognised as the greatest player on the planet upon winning the Masters in 1988. Scottish sport is the richest of tapestries and in Scottish Sporting Legends the cream of the crop are entertainingly profiled in a revealing collection of pen portraits of stars past and present.

In 1860 the first ever golf 'major' was held in Prestwick - a man from East Lothian won. In 1871 the first ever rugby international in the world took place in Edinburgh - Scotland won. In 1872 the first ever association football international in the world was hosted in Glasgow - it was a draw. All three of these momentous events in the history of sport - even if they did not seem that way at the time - were held in Scotland, and for the next century and more Scottish sporting men and women were pioneers in the growth of sport around the world. "Sporting Scots" tells the incredible stories of the Scots who brought sport to the globe and transformed the histories of golf, football, rugby, athletics, ice hockey, cricket, swimming, baseball, cycling, motor racing and many other sports in the process. It is also the modern history of the Scots abroad as they left the Auld Country far behind them for fame or fortune or for simple economic necessity and left a lasting sporting legacy around the globe.

A multidisciplinary analysis of sectarianism and bigotry in Scottish football Sectarianism and bigotry are among the most publicly debated issues in Scotland, often reported in the newspapers as the "e;shame"e; of Scotland's national game. The current crisis in Scottish football includes high profile controversies and disorder related to bigotry and sectarianism which resulted in new legislation to tackle offensive behaviour in and beyond football grounds. In this collection, contributors from a range of disciplinary positions present the latest empirical research evidence and social theory to examine and debate fundamental issues about bigotry in Scottish football and society. The topic has raised many questions. How should sectarianism and bigotry be defined and understood? What are the experiences and impacts of bigotry on different populations in Scotland? Are recent events unique or do they have historic precedents and contemporary comparisons beyond Scotland? What should be the response of government, football authorities, clubs, football supporters and other institutions and organisations in Scotland regarding legislation? What vision should we have for a future Scottish society and its diverse population? Bigotry, Football and Scotland will appeal to all those interested in Scotland's national game, the role of football in the 21st Century and how multicultural contemporary societies attempt to resolve prejudice and promote diversity.

In Extreme Scotland, award-winning adventure-sports photographer Nadir Khan takes us on a jaw-dropping tour through Scotland¿s epic mountain landscape. Nadir showcases his work with some of the best adventure athletes in the world ¿ including Ines Papert and James Pearson ¿ in a portfolio that has placed him at the forefront of adventure-sports photography in the UK. From the icy walls of Ben Nevis¿s frozen north face to the raging seas of the north coast, Scotland plays host to world-class adventure sports of every discipline. Ice climbing, kayaking, ski-touring, trail running, surfing, mountain biking and rock climbing are all captured beautifully in this fitting testament to Scotland¿s outstanding landscapes and adrenaline sports. Alongside contributions from climber and author Nick Bullock, Tom Livingstone and Stuart B. Campbell, Nadir gives us an insight into his photographic inspirations, and shares insights and approaches to composition and other elements of his photography.

This book provides a broad range of international case studies to examine how sport has helped to shape national identities, and how national cultures have shaped sport.

Golf is a Scottish game. It has been played by the Scots for centuries, and Scotland is its spiritual and cultural home. This is a book devoted to one nation's devotion to a game of stick and ball which today casts its enchantment over the entire world. The beginnings of golf and its early development are shrouded in mystery and are part fact and part fable. The Scottish Golf Book separates one from the other as it traces the early history of golf to the multimillion-dollar, worldwide obsession it has become today. Images from the earliest days of Scottish photography recall titanic battles between the early superstars of the game, while the modern lens takes the reader on a spectacular and magical journey around the historic, the classic, and the hidden treasures of Scotland's finest courses.

Sport and Secessionism examines how sporting cultures reflect, inform and sometimes frustrate secessionist movements around the world. Investigating a wide range of cases, the book explores key themes including nationalism, nation building, state-region antagonisms, independence movements, identity and ethnic politics, sovereignty and autonomy processes, all through the lens of sport. Sports are uniquely positioned to shed light on secessionist politics due to their pervasiveness in society, and their ability to absorb, reflect and produce political projections. The book presents analyses of a wide range of geographical, cultural and political contexts in which sports are deployed to pursue regional independence, or greater sovereignty and autonomy, and explores the dual processes of sub-national identity construction and state sovereignty deconstruction. The book includes fourteen cases from such diverse parts of the world as Ireland, Taiwan, Turkey, Catalonia, Biafra, Canada and the UK, among others. Offering a unique perspective on an important geopolitical issue, this book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport and politics, the sociology of sport, political science, political geography, nationalism studies or international history.

Arthur Kinnaird was the First Lord of Football, the most influential figure in England football in the Victorian era. He won the FA Cup five times, played for Scotland and - as Lord Kinnaird - was President of the Football Association for 33 years. His extraordinary life and his contribution to the formative years of football is told by sports historian Andy Mitchell. Kinnaird was an outstanding sportsman, who oversaw football's growth from its primitive and muddied beginnings in the 1860s through to the professional era of the 20th century when stadia were packed with thousands of fans. This book reveals his role in stories such as the birth of international football, the epic FA Cup victories with Wanderers and Old Etonians, his clashes with Darwen and Blackburn Rovers, and his selection to represent Scotland. This new edition updates and revises Arthur Kinnaird's biography which was first published in 2011. It contains new information and new images, bringing his story up to date. Andy Mitchell runs a sports history website and has written several books including First Elevens: the Birth of International Football and 1824, The World's First Foot-Ball Club. He has worked as a researcher for the FIFA World Football Museum, was a consultant to the Netflix mini-series 'The English Game' which dramatised Arthur Kinnaird's involvement in the FA Cup and football's transition from amateur pastime to professional sport.

Explores the relationship between sport and national identities within the context of globalization in the modern era.