Four Books That Take Place In Scotland
Authored by: Laura Bray
One of the wonderful things about reading is its ability to turn you into an armchair traveler. No matter which corner of the world interests you, reading can take you there for the cost of a book-or even for free if you have a library card.
When I travel in real life, I love to take books that are set in the place I am visiting. It brings the book alive when I’m sitting amongst the scenery described in the book.
So, with that, let’s travel to Scotland today! Here’s a list of four books that take place in Scotland:
-
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
This book takes place in Edinburgh in the 1930s. An eccentric teacher, Miss Jean Brodie is a self-described “woman in her prime,” she teaches her questionable views about life and love to a group of her favorite female students. The lessons she teaches have life-long effects on her students.
-
The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan
The Bookshop of the Shore is part of a cozy, bookish romance series by Jenny Colgan but can stand alone. It takes place on the shores of a loch in the Highlands of Scotland, in a crumbling estate where a young woman is hired to watch over the rambunctious and lonely children of a grieving widower. Romance, reading, moody Scottish weather, and cozy food descriptions abound. This one is pure comfort to read.
-
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Charlotte McConaghy is a master of writing unique mysteries with brooding atmospheres that explore the effects of climate change on people and places. In Once There Were Wolves, a biologist comes to rural Scotland as part of a team trying to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish countryside to promote forest regrowth. Prejudices about wolves, based on their long vilification in fairy tales, cause the farmers in the area to revolt against the scientist, causing the reader to wonder, who are the real wolves in this story? The writing is as dark, deep, and beautiful as the Scottish countryside.
-
Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes
A love story to the Scottish Highlands, two mothers and their sons walk the same path through the Scottish Highlands. Their stories are centuries apart but the timelessness of motherhood and the drive to save their children from past trauma and prepare them for their futures is beautifully braided across time in this stunning historical fiction novel.
Are you inspired to escape to Scotland through books?
March’s Prairie Pages Pick is Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes. Get a copy of the book from your favorite bookseller or local library, read it, and join us on March 18, 2026, to discuss it. The author will be joining us, so you won’t want to miss this special Prairie Pages event.
1 comment
Since Scotland is some place I want to go to, I am always up for a good book that takes place there. I will definitely be checking these books out. Smoke in the Wind, just took you on a journey through the highlands. You literally thought you were there walking beside the characters.