In the dramatic landscapes of Scotland, beloved of Romantic poets and composers, lies a wealth of delightful villages, here revealed in Hugh Palmer's evocative photographs and commentaries.<br /><br />The traditional architecture and stunning natural settings of the Highland villages have long proved an attraction to visitors. Some of the most picturesque are former fishing villages, like Auchmithie, from which the herring fleet has long since departed, leaving the splendid harbor to the contemplation of visitors and a couple of lobster boats. Lowland villages often have an air of quiet, well-ordered prosperity. Rows of stone cottages and a fantastic profusion of hanging baskets make places like Luss on Loch Lomond a charming stop on the road north. Here, too, is the extraordinary Dean Village-a complete, self-contained community surrounded by the city of Edinburgh. And among the many ravishing port-villages on the Islands is the little gem of Tobermory on Mull, where the reflection of a main street of brightly painted houses shimmers in the waters of the harbor.<br /><br />Altogether, thirty-five villages are included. Special sections on the Scottish castle and the monuments of the country's Celtic past round out the account, making this beautiful book one of the most complete pictures of rural Scotland in recent years. A Travelers' Guide listing places to visit, to stay, and to eat helps the reader to enjoy even more a visit to the Scottish Highlands, Lowlands, and Islands.