This book weaves in all the reasons why the residents of Scotland love to live here; landscape, beautiful scenery, an air of mystery and the great history of the land. This book also explains how Verne's love for Scotland flooded into his literature.

I still see, as in a vision, beautiful picturesque Edinburgh, with its Heart of Midlothian, and many entrancing memories; the Highlands, world-forgotten Iona, and the wild Hebrides. JULES VERNE, 1895Jules Verne's first visit to Scotland lasted a mere five days, but that was enough to instil within him a lifelong passion for the small country; a passion which had a profound impact on his literary work and fuelled his creative imagination. Two journeys, 20 years apart, and five novels set partly or wholly in Scotland, show how the influence of the country rippled all the way through his life. Jules Verne's Scotland guides the reader through Verne's journeys, first in 1859 and again in 1879, where he witnessed the majesty of Edinburgh and the industrial buzz of Glasgow together with the unspoilt beauty of the Highlands and Islands. As well as providing insights into Verne's travels in Scotland, Ian Thompson provides analysis of novels such as The Underground City and The Green Ray that immortalise Scotland in their pages. Thompson evokes the history of the land, the rugged scenery and the enduring spirit of Scotland, which remained in Verne's memory all his life and was evoked with passion in his storytelling.

Verne's imagination may have taken him - and us - to the centre of the Earth and the bottom of the ocean; but it was to Scotland that it returned, over and over again. THE SCOTSMANAlthough the trip was short-lived, Verne’s experience of Scotland lived forever in his memory, sparking scenes and plots in future works. COLIN WATERS, News Net ScotlandThe reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived. ARTHUR C CLARK