Scotland has one of the most recognisable identities of any nation in the world. Yet many impressions that people have about Scotland's story are gross oversimplifications or plain wrong. Even many Scots misunderstand their past.

Realm puts the people of Scotland at the heart of their own history, taking the reader on an intriguing journey through the past. The book explores the evolution of the culture and institutions that have shaped Scotland, revealing the author's perspective on the historical truth of the key features of Scottish national identity. This entertaining and readable account argues that to confuse love of nationhood, or national identity, with love of this or that form of statehood is to misunderstand and underestimate hundreds of years of Scottish history.

Bringing together a wealth of evidence in a clear and accessible way, the book argues that Scotland's ancient identity was cast and moulded in the key period from the Union of the Crowns in 1603 to 1837 and shows how this identity has developed into the present day. It challenges the notion of an 'invented' nation, and the place of Walter Scott in this process, suggesting instead that long-term historical factors have 'made' Scotland.