Antiquarian Scottish Books in Adobe Reader format

Over the years Electric Scotland has acquired many antiquarian books with the intention of adding them to the site.  However in very recent times we have seen a start made by various libraries to scan in copies of their books.  Also, companies like Microsoft and Google are now busy scanning in books from libraries around the world.  We note that some of the books that are appearing in Internet archives have been taken from ourselves and we really don't mind that being done. The purpose of Electric Scotland is to make a body of work available so people can learn about the History of Scotland, the Scots and people and places of Scots descent.

The files in here have been downloaded from various sources and we have then optimised them for the web.  For example one book was 525Mb in size but after we optimised it we got it down to 85Mb and so making it much easier to download. Many of the books in here we have purchased ourselves but see little point in duplicating work already done by others.

Each link goes to a web page where we endeavour to provide an introduction to give you a better opportunity to decide if you wish to download it. At the foot of each page you'll find a link to download the book and information on the file size.

Here is a list of the books that we've made available so far...

• Dictionary of the Gaelic Language
  Part I - Gaelic to English. Part II - English to Gaelic
• A Highland Tour
  Three weeks with Dr Candlish
• Campbells of Argyll
  A 150 page book about the Campbells of Argyll and around the world.
• A Volume of Verses
  Some great poetry of Will Buchanan
• Scot in America
  A history of the Scottish race in America
• Henry Drummond
  The author of "The Greatest Thing in the World", it went on to sell over 12 million copies and it continues today to influence people to follow God's two great commandments: to love God and to love each other.
• Out On The Pampas
  This is a story of an English family that emigrated from England to Argentina and settled on the Pampas. As we have books on the site about Scots in Argentina it was felt that this book would provide some interesting information on the process of settlement and in fact near neighbours of this family were Scots.
• Urquhart and Glenmoriston in Olden Times
  By William MacKay LL.D.  (1914). THE following pages are the result of much gathering, begun during my school and college days, of the traditions and legends and songs of my native Parish, and of much searching, in more recent years, for written records referring to it. I have endeavoured to give in them a plain and accurate account of the Olden Times, and a true picture of the Past.
• Scotch-Irish in New England
  A short 55 page book by the Rev. A. L. Perry published in 1891.
• War Diary of the Fifth Seaforth Highlanders 51st (Highland) Division
  Great information of this Division during the 1st World War.
• The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland
  From the Twelfth to Eighteenth Century in 5 volumes, by David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross (1887)
• The Scots Peerage
  Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland, containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Nobility of that Kingdom, Edited by Sir James Balfour Paul, Lord Lyon King of Arms with Armorial Illustrations.
• Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart.
  In 7 volumes published in 1837.
• How to Learn Gaelic
  By Alexander MacBain LL.D. and John Whyte
• The Black Book of Taymouth and Other Papers
  From the Breadalbane Charter Room (1855)
• Baronial and Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Scotland
  In 4 volumes by Billings
• Gazetteer of the United States of America
  By John Hayward (1853)
• Ancient Scottish Lake-Dwellings or Crannogs
  By Robert Munro (1882)
• The History of Windham
  In New Hampshire, a Scotch settlement embracing nearly one third of the ancient settlement and historic township of Londonderry by Leonard A. Morrison (1883)
• Carmina Gadelica
  This work consists of old lore collected during the last forty-four years. It forms a small part of a large mass of oral literature written down from the recital of men and women throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, from Arran to Caithness, from Perth to St. Kilda.
• Topography of Great Britain
  This is a 26 volume set which we felt was worth making available on the site. Volumes 24, 25 and 26 are to do with Scotland but as the Scots also were well travelled in England and Wales we thought it worth making the whole set available.
• John L. Stoddard's lectures
  His volume on England and Scotland complete with many illustrations.
• Caledonia
  By George Chalmers
• Ledger of Andrew Halyburton
  Conservator of the Privileges of the Scotch Nation in the Netherlands (1492-1503)
• Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition
  By Lord Archibald Campbell (1889) in 5 volumes
• An Account of the System of Husbandry of Scotland
  An account of farms and farming methods in Scotland (1813)
• Deirdire
  and the Lay of the Childen of Uisne, Orally Collected in the Island of Barra and Literally Translated by Alexander Carmichael (1914)
• Life of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland
  By Turgot, Bishop of St Andrews, translated from the Latin by William Forbes-Leith
• The Beauties of Scotland
  Containing a clear and full account of the agriculture, commerce, mines and manufactures of the population, cities, towns and villages, &ct, of each country. By Robert Foryth in 5 volumes printed in 1805.
• Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine
  Introducing the first 3 volumes of some 150 available volumes.
• History of Civilisation in Scotland
  By John Mackintosh in 4 volumes.
• Series of Chronicles and Memorials
  Published by authority of the Lord's of her Majesty's Treasury under the direction of The Right Honourable The Lord Clerk-Register of Scotland.
• The Scots Magazine
  Here is a copy of Volume 1 of the Scots Magazine which was compiled in 1739.
• Chronicle of Scotland
  By John of Fordoun
• The historie and life of King James the Sext
  Being an account of the affairs of Scotland from the year 1566 to the year 1596; with a short continuation to the year 1617. [Edited by Thomas Thomson] (1825)
• The Compt Buik of David Wedderburne
  This is the first book issued which contains authentic details of the imports, exports, and home trade at a busy Scottish seaport during the eventful period between 1587 and 1630. It thus covers sixteen years before the Union of the Crowns, and twenty-seven years after that event, in all, forty-three years of Scottish mercantile life, in a time of political and national transition.
• History of Dundee
  We have been researching books about Dundee and the surrounding area and on this page we show you some truly excellent resources for research.
• The Autobiography of a Seaman
  By Thomas Cochrane, Tenth Earl of Dundonald, G.C.B. Admiral of the Red, Rear Admiral of the Fleet (1861)
• Vindication of the Celtic Character
  or the Scotchman as he was and as he should be in a series of letters to a young friend by William Livingston (1850). This is an interesting book with some details on early Scottish history that I haven't come across before.
• Leabhar Nan Gleann - The Book of the Glens: with Zimmer on Pictish matriarchy
  Includes Matriarchy among the Picts by Heinrich Zimmer, p. 1-42
• The Celtic Who's Who
  Names and Addresses of Workers who contribute to Celtic Literature, Music or other Cultural Activities along with other Information (1920). We felt this publication would be useful to researchers.
• Four Perthshire Families
  Roger, Playfair, Constable and Haldane of Barmony by the Rev. Charles Rogers.
• Monuments and Monumental Inscriptions in Scotland
  By Rev. Charles Rogers in 2 volumes (1871)
• Scottish History Society
  This society provides a huge amount of information on old records of Scotland.
• Golspie
  Contributions to its Folklore (1897)
• The Earl of Stirling's Register of the Royal Letters
  Relative to the affairs of Scotland and Nova Scotia from 1615 to 1635
• The History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland
  From A.D. 1493 to 1625 with an Introductory Sketch from A.D. 85 to 1493 by Donald Gregory (1881)
• A study of the diet of the labouring classes in Edinburgh
  carried out under the auspices of the town council of the city of Edinburgh (1901)
• The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland
  A selection of these rolls to illustrate their research potential.
• Stoddard's Lectures
  Scotland
• Highland Papers
  Edited by J. R. N. MacPhail K.C. (1914)
• Sibbald's History & Description of Stirlingshire
  Ancient and Modern 1707
• Scottish Directories
  Around 500 directories are available through most parts of Scotland
• Annals of Scottish Printing
  From the Introduction of the Art in 1507 to the beginning of the seventeenth century by Robert Dickson L.R.C.S.E and John Philip Edmund
• The Arniston Memoirs
  Three centuries of a Scottish House 1571 - 1838, edited from Family Papers by George W T Omand. Also on this page you will find the book "Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville".
• The Kingdom of Kippen
  Its History and Traditions by William Crystal (1903)
• Autobiography and Services of Sir James McGrigor, Bart
  Late Director-General of the Army Medical Department (1861
• The Constable of France
  And other Military Historiettes by James Grant (1866)
• Register of the Privy Council of Scotland
• The Life of George Stephenson and his son Robert Stephenson
  Comprising also a history of the invention of the Railway Locomotive by Samuel Smiles (1868)
• Annals of Hawick 1214 - 1814
  With an Appendix containing Biographical Sketches and other illustrative documents by James Wilson, Town Clerk of Hawick (1850)
• The Life and Death of Jamie Fleeman
  The Laird of Udny's Fool (1859)
• The Scottish Historical Review
  This is a series of volumes in which there are many interesting stories of a Scottish nature.
• An Account of the Behaviour of the Late Earl of Kilmarnock
  After his Sentence and and on the day of his Execution by James Foster (1746)
• Under Lochnagar
  Cathie Parish Church Bazaar Book
• Ochtertyre House Booke of Accomps 1787 - 1789
  Edited by James Colville
• The Botany of the Eastern Borders
  With popular names and uses of the plants, and of the customs and beliefs which have been associated with them by George Johnstone M.D., Edinburgh (1853)
• Early Travellers in Scotland
  Edited by Hume Brown (1891)
• Everyday Life in Prehistoric Times
  Written and Illustrated by Marjorie & C. H. B. Quennell
• Letters from the Mountains
  Being the real correspondence of a Lady (Anne Grant) between the years 1773 and 1807 (1809)
• It's Am Old Scottish Custom
  By Neil McCallum
• Collection of epitaphs and monumental inscriptions, chiefly in Scotland (1834)
• The Picture of Scotland
  By Robert Chambers in two volumes (1818)
• Hotch Potch and Kedgeree
  By Sir Allan Arthur
• The Life And Adventures of Alexander Selkirk
  By John Howell in 1829
• Keltic Researches
  By Edward Williams Byron Nocholson (1904)
• A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland
  By M Martin (1716)
• Peter's Letters to his Kinfolk (second edition)
  By Peter Morris M.D.
• Selections from the Family Papers of the MacKay's of Bighouse
  Consisting mainly of letters addressed to John Campbell of Barcaldine, some time one of the Government Factors on the Forfeited Estates after the '45.
• St. Mary's Abbey, Melrose
  The Monastery of Old Melrose and the Town and Parish of Melrose by James A. Wade. (1861)
• The Early Chronicles relating to Scotland
  A Rhind Lecture for 1912
• East Neuk Chronicles
  By William Skene (1905)

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