Following on from the runaway success of The Magicians of Edinburgh, renowned poet and novelist Ron Butlin conjures up Scotland's past, present and future in this new collection. From Skara Brae and the Roman invasion to the independence referendum and beyond, the former Edinburgh Makar explores what Scotland means to itself and to the outside world. With his customary wit and insight, he takes a good hard look at some of its magicians - from James Hutton to Professor Peter Higgs, from Robert Burns to Dame Elizabeth Blackadder and even Tony Blair. Underlying all these poems is a deep love for Scotland's uniqueness, and its magic!

'A lively collection of poems that will entertain, move and frequently amuse . . . this book confirms [Butlin] as one of our finest contemporary poets' - Alexander McCall Smith on The Magicians of Edinburgh 'The poetical genius of Butlin . . . Ron Butlin is the voice of Edinburgh' - FringeReview.com 'Butlin is the best, the most productive Scottish poet of his generation' - Douglas Dunn The Magicians of Scotland will build upon the success of The Magicians of Edinburgh (reprinted five times) and on that book's critical acclaim. Ron Butlin was the Edinburgh Makar and this collection will have an Edinburgh emphasis while seeking to celebrate and interrogate Scotland and its people at a crucial turning point in our country's history. Just as The Magicians of Edinburgh's themes ranged from Sir Walter Scott to the new parliament, from Greyfriar's Bobby to the trams, the themes of the new collection will include Scotland's past, present and future, its landscape and people, its myths and politics - from Bannockburn, Flodden to Faslane, the Loch Ness Monster, wind farms, Hutton to Higgs, Bonnie Prince Charlie to Donald Trump. It will be accessible, serious and entertaining.