For thousand of years the River Forth has been utilised by man. from the stone age shell middens at Kinneil to the Roman port at Cramond, there is evidence of man's early use of the river and its estuary. From medieval times onwards, fishing villages have grown up on both banks of the river, while ferries have plied their trade for the same period. Once navigable all the way to Stirling, little commercial traffic now uses most of the river. It was not always so, with ports at Dysart, Methil, Leven Stirling, Alloa, Airth and Bo'ness, all serving the buoyant coal trade. Now few ports survive. Grangemouth and Leith are shadows of their former selves and the huge naval base at Rosyth has been sold and is now also operating on a much smaller scale than even twenty years ago. Shipbreakers, like the ships themselves, were once a common sight, with yards at Bo'ness, Alloa and Rosyth demolishing old ships - including such famous liners as the Cunard Mauretania, White Star's Britannic and Red Star's Belgenland. Within the pages of Shipping of the Forth are views of long gone ships, the fishing industry, coasters and ocean liners as well as paddle steamers, shipwrecks and the people involved in maritime industries along both banks of the river.

From the 'House in the Midst of the Boar Wood' to its present position at the heart of Scotland's burgeoning 'Silicon Glen', Bathgate and it surrounds have played a subtly significant part in Scotland's history. The preceptory of the Knights of St. John, where William Wallace last met his nobles before the ill-fated battle of Falkirk in 1298, can still be seen at Torphichen. Birthplace of the inventor of chloroform, James Simpson, and site of the world's first oil refinery, the area may claim indeed a worldwide importance. But this book presents the reader with a more vivid picture of the past than even famous names can. The 200 photographs on its pages record the Procession Days, charabanc outings and everyday working lives of a vanished era. Here both the children's games in the quiet streets of old Bathgate and the hard labours of their elders almost come alive again for us. Nor yet is the more recent, equally rich, history neglected. The post-war years were not easy ones, with the decline in industry and the closure of the British Leyland. Education of the next generation, considered crucial by forward-thinking locals since the seventeenth century, was an issu once more at the forefront and Bathgate's schools received international attention for their pioneering techniques. Here William Hendrie, himself a local former headmaster, has gathered and expertly elucidated a collection of photos ranging from church to colliery and station to school. They should appeal to any who feel that Bathgate is a town unjustly 'passed by many, and visited by few'.

This collection of over 200 old photographs provides a fascinating insight into the places and the people that have made Bo'ness such a unique town in Scotland. Famed from its days as Scotland's second largest seaport, the book examines and delves into not only its seafaring past, but other industries such as coal mining, oil and salt production which thrived on the south shore of the River Forth. To many people, however, Bo'ness will always be Scotland's 'Fair Town' and great detail and attention has been paid by the author to the event which has transformed a mere march into Great Britain's largest and most successful children's festival. Other aspects of the town's varied history examined include the connection with James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, the founding of Britain's first local version of the welfare state in Bo'ness, and on a anecdotal note, stories of witches and ghosts, including what is reputedly Scotland's most haunted home. This book illustrates beautifully the character of the town and will be enjoyed by everyone who knows Bo'ness whether they be visitors, newcomers or real 'Bo'nessians'.

The Scots Guards can trace their history back to 1642 when the regiment was raised as the King's Lifeguard of Foot by the Marquis of Argyll. From those early beginnings the Scots Guards have played a pivotal role in the history of the British Army. They fought on many different battlefields, from the Battle of Namurin to Waterloo. Going through various name changes the regiment became known as the Scots Guards in 1877, and fought at Telel Kebir in 1882, Mahdi in 1885 and the Boer War. At the First Battle of Ypres the regiment lost three quarters of its strength and won five VCs on the Western Front. In the Second World War Scots Guards fought in Norway, North Africa, Italy and from Normandy to the Baltic. Post-war the regiment has fought in Malaya, Suez, Borneo and in the Falklands. Its history is one of perseverance, of great bravery and of privation in time of war. Its troops have served Britain for five centuries, which is a record few can match. Within the pages of The Scots Guards are over 200 images of the regiment and its men at their best, in battle and in play, and the images and accompanying text are a unique record of a unique regiment.

This book is part of the Images of Scotland series, which uses old photographs and archived images to show the history of various local areas in Scotland, through their streets, shops, pubs, and people.