Thistledown: A Book of Scotch Humour, Character, Folk-lore, Story & Anecdote

A miscellany of Scottish humour and character studies, arranged in eighteen themed chapters that collect anecdotes, folk tales, and reflective essays on language, ecclesiastical wit, rural and Highland life, legal and city characters, superstition, and drinking culture. Each section begins with commentary that situates the stories and distills recurring traits of speech, temperament, and social occasion, while biographical sketches of well-known local figures and vivid dialect examples illustrate how vernacular, custom, and irony produce distinctive comic effects. The work balances light anecdote with analytic observation to map the varieties and social functions of Scottish humour.