The Little Book of Scottish Beasties

Book excerpt: Scotland is renowned for the huge range of its wildlife, which comes in all shapes and sizes. In this book Tim Kirby introduces 45 of them, from the iconic red deer and golden eagle to the Highland cow and ubiquitous midge. In addition, he offers his take on animals of myth and legend, such as the world-famous Loch Ness Monster and the mysteriously watery kelpies. And he also includes other creatures which may or may not be classed as animals in the conventional sense - such as the haggis (rarely seen alive but eaten every Burns Night) and even the bagpipe (surely some kind of animal given its appearance and piercing call).