{"title":"Books by Geoff Holder","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780752456591","title":"The Guide to Mysterious Aberdeen","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAberdeen is full of mysteries, marvels and strangeness, and this book is a comprehensive guide to them all.\u003c\/strong\u003e Here you will encounter magic, witchcraft, folklore and superstitions; contemporary urban legends; gargoyles and graveyards; graverobbers and murderers; stone circles and prehistoric burial sites; UFOs and freak weather; and tales of horror, madness, humour – and dangerous porridge. Many forgotten aspects of the city’s strange history are here, from the disturbing (spontaneous human combustion, William Wallace’s dismembered limbs, the man who died of fright after a mock execution, and the bodysnatching professors) to the downright bizarre (a talking statue, a wedding celebration which was mistaken for an alien invasion fleet, and golf with giant skulls).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Guide to Mysterious Aberdeen\u003c\/em\u003e is the tenth in Geoff Holder’s acclaimed series. As with the previous volumes, it is profusely illustrated with over 100 photographs and draws on both ancient and modern sources. Full access and location details are given for both driver and walker alike, making this the indispensable companion for anyone exploring the Granite City.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294641926517,"sku":"9780752456591","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780752456591_16bcc5a1-bacc-4dd1-9f01-1cf71070d790.jpg?v=1786016348"},{"product_id":"9780752447209","title":"The Guide to Mysterious Arran","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is the essential guide to everything strange, marvellous and paranormal on the beautiful and rugged Isle of Arran.\u003c\/strong\u003e Why did the police in 1889 bury the boots of the victim of the Arran Murder below the high-water mark? What happened to the miracle healing stone of St Molaise? What is the truth behind the history of Robert the Bruce on Arran? Where have encounters with fairies been reported in the twenty-first century? Here are collected tales of folklore, witchcraft, magic, mermaids and ghosts, both historical and contemporary. Every stone circle, chambered cairn and standing stone is described, as are caves, old graveyards, castles, Viking sites, carved stones and ruined churches, all with walking directions and notes on access. This book will transform the way you experience Arran.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294665912693,"sku":"9780752447209","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780752447209_b9688585-49ad-417e-9536-3336bc3ad500.jpg?v=1786016281"},{"product_id":"9780752444857","title":"The Guide to Mysterious Loch Ness and the Inverness Area","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis is a guide to everything supernatural, paranormal, folkloric, eccentric and, above all, mysterious that has occurred on the dark waters of the enigmatic Loch Ness and the surrounding area of Inverness.\u003c\/strong\u003e Containing Celtic gods and martyrs, telepathy, exorcism and magic, mermaids, demons and saints (and based on texts both ancient and modern), it is a fascinating introduction to the heritage of the area. This is a guide that the armchair adventurer or the on-location visitor can revel in. Comprehensive entries covering Inverness' tombstones, simulacra, standing stones, gargoyles, ruins, churches and archaeological curiosities are complemented by more than 100 photographs. The book also includes notes and cross-references to enable the reader to follow up the sources.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294688227701,"sku":"9780752444857","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780752444857_9bdfd402-9814-4860-8e69-671913fac69e.jpg?v=1786016268"},{"product_id":"9780752454214","title":"Paranormal Perthshire","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStanding on a lonely Perthshire road is the only historic monument to a named witch in the whole of Britain.\u003c\/strong\u003e But did ‘Maggie Wall’ actually exist? This book reveals the controversial truth for the first time. (Even more surprising results come from a quest to uncover the reality of Perthshire’s other famous witch, Kate McNiven.) Other strange tales in this book include direct evidence for the big cats roaming the county, a catalogue of the area’s UFO sightings, the story of the Fairy Rock that halted a housing development and the tale of the notorious Victorian scandal involving Ballechin House, allegedly ‘the most haunted house in Scotland’. With contemporary eye-witness accounts of ghosts, psychic episodes and encounters with supernatural beings, as well as more than fifty photographs, this book will delight all lovers of the mysterious and the paranormal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56297085796725,"sku":"9780752454214","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780752454214_6f868215-667d-43dc-90f4-f97ce9bc400e.jpg?v=1786016329"},{"product_id":"9781803998527","title":"The Little Book of Scotland","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDid you know?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eOne of the biggest battles between the Scots and the English was fought in France.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe success of his first book of poems saved Robert Burns from working on a slave plantation.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eSix craters on Mars are named after places in Scotland.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Little Book of Scotland\u003c\/em\u003e is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information that no one will want to be without.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiscover the most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of other wacky facts. A reliable reference and quirky guide, this book can be dipped into time and tagain to reveal something you never knew.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56306943852917,"sku":"9781803998527","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781803998527_1e454067-a513-4122-a125-b631c6caa836.jpg?v=1786027407"},{"product_id":"9781803998558","title":"The Little Book of Glasgow","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDid you know?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003ePart of the Antonine Wall runs through the course of Cawder Golf Club.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe nursery rhyme ‘Wee Willie Winkie’ was written by Glasgow man William Miller.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eRab Ha’, a nineteenth-century celebrity known as ‘the Glasgow glutton’, once ate an entire calf.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Little Book of Glasgow\u003c\/em\u003e is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without.\u003c\/strong\u003e Here we find out about the most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and hundreds of fascinating facts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGeoff Holder’s new book gathers together a myriad of data on Glasgow. Discover why two archbishops had a fight at the door of the cathedral, find directions to an Egyptian pharaoh and a Native American chief, and learn where you can find half-a-dozen Tardises. A handy reference and quirky guide, this book is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56306944115061,"sku":"9781803998558","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781803998558_54539014-1dca-4826-a2e5-a64966a5fe54.jpg?v=1786027409"},{"product_id":"the-guide-to-mysterious-aberdeenshire","title":"The Guide to Mysterious Aberdeenshire","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis fully-illustrated guide explores all things strange and uncanny, paranormal and peculiar in Aberdeenshire, one of the most scenic parts of Scotland (which also includes part of the Cairngorms National Park).\u003c\/strong\u003e Historic sites and ancient monuments - such as the innumerable stone circles and castles - are surveyed in an enchanting and accessible way. Descriptions of what to observe and explore are married with detailed 'site histories' of the supernatural and mysterious. These include locations of witchcraft and fairy hills, eerie contemporary sculptures and spooky long-abandoned graveyards. There are tales of big cats and ape-men, murders and bodysnatching, and details of modern fire festivals (including the burning of a Wickerman). This is an indispensable companion for anyone journeying into the marvels and mysteries of Aberdeenshire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57481455665525,"sku":"9780752449883","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780752449883.jpg?v=1786089717"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-geoff-holder.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}