The Scots have been in the British capital since before Britain was a nation - as commoners and kings, engineers, scientists, doctors, actors, politicians and writers. For more than 400 years they have been feared and favoured, praised and condemned. Their ambition and drive has provoked envy and admiration, and their clannishness has aroused the suspicions of those around them. As one of the oldest immigrant groups in London, and the most successful, the Scots have made more of a mark on the city than any other.

The very streets of the British capital are paved, not with gold, but with a road surface invented in 1816 by John Loudon McAdam, who became the Scottish surveyor-general of metropolitan roads in England. Somerset House, the home of the Courtauld Institute and the Navy Board, was designed by Sir William Chambers. The world famous Adam brothers designed Portland Place and the Adelphi buildings in the Strand. The Scots are responsible for an almost full set of the bridges which span the Thames. Blackfriars was built by the Edinburgh architect Robert Mylne, who had walked all the way to London in search of opportunities that Scotland could not offer him.

Pagination: 336. ISBN: 1 84018 981 9 Cost:GBP 7.99. Quotes: "It's a splendid title: Sheena McDonald, Sunday Express. "A terrific book about the powerful Scots who have taken over London." The Independent. "The Scots are London's oldest and most successful immigrant group. This book is required reading for anyone who wants to know how and why they made their mark." Daily Mail.

Buy your copy of the book today. p.s. David is a great guy and has attended and spoke at numerous Scotsin functions.