Ken Scotland: The Autobiography

BY KEN SCOTLAND

POLARIS

£17.99

★★★☆☆

Ken Scotland, a fullback for Heriot’s, Cambridge University, Scotland and the British & Irish Lions in the fifties and sixties, was one of the finest players this country has ever produced. An exponent of running rugby and an outstanding sportsman (he also played cricket for Scotland), celebrated Lions skipper Tom Kiernan reckoned he was the best player he ever played with or against.

Yet the remarkably self-effacing Scotland’s autobiography is far more than simply a rugby memoir. This is an account of an Edinburgh that has gone forever, a world that was very different from the city and country we know today. While rugby fans, particularly those of a certain age, will devour this book, it is also surprisingly informative for readers with an interest in social history, whether it is his description of his school days, National Service or beyond.