It's 1943 and the war has brought rationing to the Hebridean islands of Great and Little Todday. When food is in short supply, it is bad enough, but when the whisky runs out, it looks like the end of the world.Morale is at rock bottom. George Campbell needs a wee dram to give him the courage to stand up to his mother and marry Catriona. The priest, the doctor and, of course, the landlord at the inn are all having a very thin time of it. There's no conversation, no jolity, no fun - ...

Chester Royde, an American millionaire, travels to Scotland with his new bride Carrie and sister Myrtle, to find out more about Carrie's Scottish ancestry. Their new 'relatives' turn out to be a little more authentically Scottish than they bargained for. Ben Nevis, Laird of Glenbogle Castle, is fiercely protective of his lands and the Macdonald clan spirit, but being cash-strapped he's not above attempts to marry heiress Myrtle to one of his many brawny sons. But then a group of hikers stu...

It's 1955 and the Pallas Players, an all-female theatre company, are putting on a play: Whisky Galore.They transport us back to 1943 on the Scottish islands of Great and Little Todday, where the whisky supply has dried up because of the war, leaving tensions running high. Relief seems to be at hand when a ship carrying 50,000 bottles of whisky is wrecked just offshore. Then it's every thirsty man for himself as the islanders try to rescue as many bottles as possible before...

Sir Compton Mackenzie, (1883–1972) was a prolific writer of fiction, biography, histories, and memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur, and lifelong Scottish nationalist.It is described by Dr. John MacInnes (formerly of the School of Scottish Studies) as "one of the greatest works of English literature produced in the twentieth century."Sylvia & MichaelGuy and Pauline, 1915The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia, 1918Scarle...

"Sinister Street" is a bildungsroman, or coming-of-age story, that follows the life and experiences of its protagonist, Michael Fane. The novel begins with Michael's childhood in the fictional English village of Scarsmoor and traces his journey to adulthood in London.As Michael grows older, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the constraints of small-town life and yearns for adventure and excitement. Against the wishes of his family, he decides to move to London to pursue his dreams...

Rogues and Vagabonds is a novel written by Compton MacKenzie, a Scottish author known for his diverse body of work, which includes novels, essays, and plays. This novel, first published in 1897, explores the lives of a group of unconventional and colorful characters, many of whom fall into the category of "rogues and vagabonds." The story is set in the bohemian and artistic milieu of London during the late 19th century. It revolves around the lives and adventures of a group of eccentric an...

Stanley Baxter reads the witty Compton Mackenzie story set in the Scottish Islands. The inhabitants of Great and Little Toddy think they can cope with World War II - but then the whisky runs out. Life becomes intolerable, until fate delivers them a shipwreck with a cargo of whisky.

Sinister Street is a 1913–1914 novel by Compton Mackenzie. It is a kind of Bildungsroman or novel about growing up, and concerns two children, Michael Fane and his sister Stella. Both of them are born out of wedlock, something which was frowned upon at the time, but to rich parents. In the UK, the novel was published in two volumes. However, in the United States, the volumes appeared as two separate books: Youth's Encounter (1913) and Sinister Street (1914). It is the picture of the develo...

Poor Relations follows John Touchwood, a witty but self-dramatizing playwright whose life is thrown into comic confusion by success, gossip, and the demands of family. On the Atlantic crossing home from New York, he basks in theatrical triumphs, rereads affectionate and exasperating letters from relatives, and falls into a flirtation with the reserved Miss Hamilton and her sharp companion Miss Merritt. What begins as an amused, romantic voyage soon exposes the gap between John's public cha...

In the middle of the First World War, and sweltering in the heat of a nominally neutral country in South-eastern Europe, disillusioned Naval Intelligence officer Roger Waterlow seeks to make sense of scraps of information gathered by his agents, in the face of indifference or outright hostility from most of his colleagues at the British Legation. But when word reaches him that a German officer visiting from Berlin for talks with the country’s pro-German king is to be picked up by submarine...

The Seven Ages of Woman is a novel written by Compton MacKenzie, a Scottish author known for his diverse body of work, which includes novels, essays, and plays. The novel was first published in 1930 and explores the various stages of a woman's life through the experiences of the central character, Jenny Pearl. The narrative is structured around the concept of the "seven ages" of a woman's life, a reference to the famous "All the world's a stage" monologue from William Shakespeare's play "A...

"The Altar Steps" is set in the Hebrides, a group of islands off the northwest coast of Scotland, and explores the clash between tradition and modernity in a small island community. The novel delves into the lives of the inhabitants, their relationships, and their struggles with religious and moral dilemmas.The story follows the main character, Archibald Munro, a young man who returns to his island home after studying in Edinburgh. Munro finds himself caught between the conservative tradit...