Glasgow Natural History Society

A number of books have been published by members of the Society; current prices of new and used books (for those that are out of print) are are best found from internet sources, unless given below:

The Flora of Lanarkshire by the late Peter Macpherson is now available to order on-line at Nature Bureau bookshop or Members may order direct from GNHS

This is the first comprehensive flora of this Scottish county; the author was official plant recorder for Lanarkshire for over 35 years. This Flora represents decades of meticulous research and field work and contains historical and current records of plants growing in wild situations across a very diverse areay.

Extending south from the west of Glasgow to the source of the River Clyde, the area includes upland regions, heaths, rivers, woodlands, lochs and urban areas including much of the greater Glasgow conurbation. Over 2,000 taxa, including native and alien species, specific to different habitats are described in addition to detailed analysis of sites of particular botanical interest.

The Amphibians and Reptiles of Scotland by Chris McInerny and Pete Minting. Published by GNHS; download it free here (zipped PDF, 135Mb)

The book is also available in print form; email Chris McInerny to buy a copy for £22.50.

The Flora of Renfrewshire by Keith Watson is still available. This long-awaited book will be an essential reference book for ecologists, naturalists, land managers and students, and a valuable resource for anyone interested in the local environment and its conservation. It is the first full flora of the old County of Renfrewshire (modern-day Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and SW Glasgow), and marks the culmination of over 50 years of field recording by local botanists and over 18 years of fieldwork and in-depth research of historical records by the author.

John Scouler, Scottish Naturalist: a life in two voyages by Charles Nelson was published as the 2013 issue of The Glasgow Naturalist. It is available from Glasgow Natural History Society at £11.00 plus P&P.

John Scouler has been overshadowed as a plant collector and general natural historian by the reputation of David Douglas, the best known 19th century Scottish botanist. Scouler was one of the first naturalists to visit the Galapagos islands (1825, several years before Darwin) during a voyage to the Pacific northwest of America, in the company of Douglas. With the aid of funding from the Blodwen Lloyd Binns bequest, Charles Nelson has studied Scouler’s original notebooks and research papers and has written a fully illustrated book on his life and contributions to science. This research was suggested by Blodwen Lloyd Binns herself.

See the review in The Ormsby Review here

An Annotated Checklist of the Larger Moths of Stirlingshire, West Perthshire and Dunbartonshire This extensively annotated checklist written by John Knowler is 143 pages long and contains four colour plates. It has been published by the Society and costs £5.00 plus £3.00 P&P. Please contact Glasgow Natural History Society.

Flowers of Iona by Jean M Millar; 2006 edition
This is the only guide to the botanical richness of the famous and sacred Hebridean island of Iona. In this third edition, the list of flowering plants is brought up to 335, along with rushes, grasses and ferns and an informative guide to the local habitats. Botanical, Gaelic and common names are included.
The late Jean Millar was a botanist and artist, active in the Glasgow Natural History Society and a regular visitor over many years to Iona, where she had family links.
The book has eight fine, full-colour illustrations by the author, showing flowers from Heath, Bog-land, Machair, Rock-face, Shoreline and Springtime plus individual plates of Yellow Iris and Bluebell. These plates are also available as cards.

48pp, A5 paperback, retail price £6.95
ISBN 0-9538938-3-9

Published by The New Iona Press and available by mail order from Louise Millar Book Design and Production email; tel: 020 89441402

From the same source: Cards: one-sided, A5, pack of 6 different designs £4.95; and 2 Flowers greetings cards:£1.95 each; and a tea towel and mug (which comes in a presentation box) £14.95 each.

A Garden of Herbs, Traditional uses of herbs in Scotland by the late Agnes Walker published by Argyll is now out of print, but used copies may be available from specialist bookshops. It considers the medical evidence for the therapeutic traditions associated with some herbs; culinary, aromatic and cosmetic uses are also noted, together with applications such as the dyeing of natural fibres.

The Changing Flora of Glasgow is the first comprehensive Flora of the Glasgow area since JR Lee's 1933 Flora Of The Clyde Area, and is available from bookshops, or members of GNHS may buy at £14.00 from contact us). The main authors, Professor Jim Dickson, Keith Watson and Dr Peter Macpherson are all experienced botanists and members of GNHS (Peter Macpherson since sadly deceased). Photographs are by Norman Tait, an experienced photographer, who is also a member of the Society. It is published by Edinburgh University Press.

Plants and People in Ancient Scotland by CA Dickson and JH Dickson is published by Tempus Publishing. It is now out of print, though used copies can be readily purchased.

Loch Lomondside by John Mitchell describes the topography and economic development of Loch Lomondside, including forestry, agriculture, water storage and supply, but above all its natural history, and the long struggle for the area's wild places. It is published as one of the "New Naturalist" series by HarperCollins. It is available on Kindle as well as from used book-sellers.