Top 5 Scottish Romantic Novels

Scotland has long been known internationally as a country of romance. From Sir Walter Scott to Robert Burns and into the present day, authors have been conjuring images of lochs and glens as a backdrop to smouldering passions.

If you're dreaming of soft Scottish light and mist-covered glens this Valentine's Day, why not give one of theses top 5 romantic Scottish novels a try, recommended by The Scottish Book Trust, Scotland's agency for reading and writing.

Return of John McNab – Andrew Greig

This book about a group of friends restaging the exploits of John Buchan's legendary poacher is a satisfying, modern take on the old-fashioned adventure story.

The friends' plans take an unexpected turn because of a young woman, whose curiosity lands her right in the middle of their scheme.

ISBN: 0571212581
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Written: 1996

Game of Kings – Dorothy Dunnett

This novel follows Francis Crawford, Master of Lymond, who has been judged a traitor and disowned by his family and friends.

He sneaks back into Scotland to take control of his notorious band of mercenaries and pursue his own agenda across the taut political chessboard of the Scottish Borders.

The adventures of this brilliant, elegant and deeply flawed hero make for compulsive reading, as he plays a devastating game across the complex, and corrupt world of 16th century Scotland.

ISBN: 0140282394
Publisher: Penguin
Written: 1976

Calendar of Love – George McKay Brown

A Calendar of Love and Other Stories was George Mackay Brown's first collection published in 1967. The stories range in their setting across the centuries from the dark ages to the present.

They offer a series of impressions of the lives and loves of a closely knit community, in the landscape and seasonal changes of the Orkney Islands.

ISBN: 0719560217
Publisher: John Murray
Written: 1967

Gowk Storm – Nancy Brysson Morrison

This is the story of three close-knit sisters, the daughters of a minister, living in a remote parish on the fringes of the Highlands.

Narrated by Lisbet, the youngest sister, the novel is mainly written in English, but given a strong sense of place by the use of Scots words and some Scots dialogue.

Lisbet describes the love affairs of her older sisters, Julia and Emmy, each of whom falls in love with a man deemed an unacceptable match by their patriarchal, rigid and prejudiced society.

ISBN: 0862412226
Publisher: Canongate
Written: 1930

Trumpet – Jackie Kay

This is a story of love which transcends time, space and gender. It is described as one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking romances ever to be written.

ISBN: 0330331469
Publisher: Picador
Written: 1998

The Scottish Book Trust

The Scottish Book Trust is dedicated to expanding people's intellectual, emotional and imaginative horizons through books, enriching lives and experiences for both children and adults.

The Trust's project BRAW is an initiative by authors and illustrators living in Scotland to promote books, reading and writing for young people, as central to the cultural life of the nation and the cultural entitlements of its children.

Find out more about the work of the Scottish Book Trust: www.scottishbooktrust.com

Want to find more great Scottish literature? Books from Scotland: www.booksfromscotland.com

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