Book Pick of the Week: Scotland, Home of Golf

Stunning air and ground photography coupled with fascinating facts, historical context and meticulously drawn illustrations offer readers a visual journey across 14 iconic golf courses in Scotland, Home of Golf. Iain and Chris Lowe, who specialize in golf course photography, teamed up with Scottish golf historian David Joy to honor the birthplace of golf with this stirring pictorial of 14 “must play” seaside links courses on every golf enthusiast’s wish list.

From the breathtaking grandeur of the Old Course, the oldest in the world, to the Carnoustie Golf Links, home of “Golf’s Greatest Test,” the 14 courses featured in Scotland, Home of Golf represent 600 years of the game’s history. The courses are exquisitely showcased from the air and the ground in captivating photos that illuminate the singular topography and inspired architecture of the links form of golf. Woven throughout is information sharing the rich history of the courses and the greatest players to have played them—there are moments of great sadness, of great joy and incredible achievements. Four modern designs, constructed since 2000, are also included as the most sought-after new links golf experiences. The highlighted courses in order of appearance are: Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, The Old Course, Dumbarnie, Muirfield, North Berwick, Turnberry, Prestwick, Royal Troon, Castle Stuart, Royal Dornoch, Cruden Bay, Trump International and Royal Aberdeen.

“This book is a love letter about Scottish links courses,” Iain Lowe says. “It is our best efforts to show that this is far more than just game of club and ball. It can be a consuming passion.”

Scotland, Home of Golf is the collaboration of the accomplished St. Andrews based father and son photography team of Iain and Christopher Lowe, with expert text and detailed illustrations by noted Scottish golf historian, author, artist and fourth generation St. Andrean David Joy. Joy also is known for his compelling and accurate portrayal of Old Tom Morris in acclaimed performances around the world. Together, the Lowes have four photographic golf book titles to their credit. Iain’s award-winning career of some 50 years includes 25 years shooting Scottish golf courses, and the publication of nine golf books featuring evocative photographic course tours. While Scotland is home to the Lowe’s photography business, they have performed commissioned work around the world in destinations such as the U.S., Cyprus, Morocco, Australia and South Africa.

For more information, please visit www.scottishgolflibrary.com.

Scotland Goes For Independence

Big day in Scotland today.

Cold Snap, Labor Strike Slow Travel in Europe

An early cold snap in Europe claimed more lives Saturday, and a wildcat strike by Spanish air traffic controllers added to the travel chaos caused by snow, ice, and in some countries flooding.

Freezing weather killed another nine people in Poland over a 24-hour period, bringing the death toll there to 46 since the beginning of November, police said.

Temperatures there dropped as low as minus 19 degrees Celsius (minus 2 Fahrenheit) overnight Friday.

In the neighbouring Czech Republic, it was minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) overnight, disrupting rail traffic as the ice seized up signals at several junctions.

French police blamed icy driving conditions for three deaths in the east of the country after a car slid off the road and into a canal near Plobsheim late Friday. Neither the driver nor the passengers had been drinking, police added.

Weather forecasters warned of black ice in northern France that would make driving particularly dangerous.

Officials in the French Alps meanwhile warned to watch for avalanches on Sunday in ski stations already open because of the early snow. The danger would increase Monday with fresh snowfalls and a subsequent thaw, they added.

The roof of a building at the Flamanville nuclear power station in northern France partially collapsed under the weight of snow overnight Friday, power company EDF said.

The building contained about 10 barrels of low-level radioactive waste, but France's nuclear safety agency, the ASN, classed the incident one on a scale of seven, at the bottom of the scale of seriousness.

Civil aviation officials asked airlines flying out of Charles de Gaulle, Paris' main airport, to cut back their flights by 20 percent during daylight to ease the pressure caused by the snow and ice there.

In Spain, the disruption to air traffic came mainly from a wildcat strike by air traffic controllers, which ran from Friday to Saturday evening, hitting an estimated 300,000 passengers over a long holiday weekend.

The government there put the military in command of the skies and threatened to prosecute the strikers, who had called in sick en masse rather than staging a formal strike. By Saturday afternoon, they were returning to work.

Britain's Transport Secretary Phil Hammond relaxed the maximum-hours restrictions for lorry drivers to keep the country's vital supplies moving.

"This will help us with deliveries of fuel, it will help supermarket chains with their deliveries to their stores and it will help with deliveries of salt around the country," he said.

The wintry weather has disrupted road, rail and air travel in Britain over the past few days. In many parts of England and Wales however, the snows were melting away.

Ski resorts in Scotland warned of the risk of avalanches, but the thaw there was also helping rail traffic, badly disrupted by the recent snow, to slowly get back on track.

In Switzerland, Geneva's University Hospital cancelled non-urgent operations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday to cope with a massive flow of broken bones caused by people slipping and falling in icy conditions. Operating theatres were working overtime through the weekend.

Stay tuned, a lot going on across Europe right now.

Early Snowstorm Cripples Great Britain

Britain's worst November snowfall for decades shut schools and roads from Cornwall to Scotland as forecasters warned that Siberian winds could bring temperatures go below zero F in the coming days.

Snow and freezing conditions in the North East and Scotland were causing widespread travel disruption today, with icy temperatures everywhere else creating similar problems for commuters.

There is no sign of a let-up in the wintry weather, with bitter winds increasing and more parts of the UK including London facing snow in the coming days.

So far Scotland and the North East have been worst hit by snow, with more than a foot or more in parts, and police have advised people to stay indoors for all but essential travel.

Forecasters warned the rest of the country is likely to be blanketed this week as the weather front moves west.

The severe conditions could also last well into next week, with rain, sleet and snow.

A spokesman said: "Conditions are horrendous and we would urge caution."

All schools in Dundee, West Lothian and Shetland were closed this morning.

Across York and North Yorkshire, around 50 schools were forced to close this morning.

Several schools in East Yorkshire also closed for the day.

Driving was described as hazardous across many parts of Yorkshire as more snow began to fall.