New Publication – Buildings of the Land

The story of the ever-changing countryside of Scotland can be traced through its buildings.  All of the successive phases of agricultural development – from the 18th century revolution of ‘improvement’ to the factory farming of the 20th century – are recorded in stone, concrete and steel.

Buildings of the Land: Scotland’s Farms 1750–2000 is the result of over 10 years’ research by RCAHMS and is the first book to look at the farm buildings of Scotland as a whole. Its wealth of images and illustrations cover more than 300 farms stretching from the Shetland Islands to the Borders, including the only remaining records of a number of farms that have now disappeared or have been converted beyond recognition.  Plans, drawings and photographs explore a wide variety of building types – from great estates and lowland steadings to highland crofts – detailing the revolution in farm building techniques.

Written by Dr Miles Glendinning, Director of the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies, and Susanna Wade Martins, an agricultural and buildings historian, Buildings of the Land presents a fascinating story of diversity and change and will appeal to readers interested in agriculture and landscape history, and to all those, from farmers to conservationists, who wish to know more about agricultural development.

Dr Miles Glendinning said, “We are delighted to have produced this important publication with RCAHMS.  The book has been a labour of love over the past 10 years and its publication provides an important record in our understanding of how the agricultural landscape of Scotland has developed.”

The book is priced at £30.00 and is available now from all good booksellers. You can also order direct from BookSource, 50 Cambuslang Road, Cambuslang, Glasgow, G32 8NB, telephone 0845 370 0067, email orders@booksource.net

Visit the publications page of our website for more details.