7 Thrilling detective novels set in Scotland

Oh Stirling - a city close to my heart. The first time I visited was thanks to a book festival - Bloody Scotland, which takes place every September and which I totally recommend. However, the books by author Neil Broadfoot have allowed me to discover the city in ways that I might never have done had I not read them. The mix of historical detail and a thrilling plot is an exciting combination. With the main location of Stirling, and visits to Edinburgh and Belfast, there is a real sense of travel, history and intrigue with this series. 

Interestingly, the idea for the series itself was born in Stirling - out of a Bloody Scotland festival football match where Broadfoot got the idea for the first book whilst running around a field with lots of other authors. 

So, come with me on a mini Broadfoot BookTrail tour of the city via the novels. 

Book one sets the scene for the whole series. It’s where we first meet the main character, Connor Fraser, who is a Close Protection Expert and ex-Police Service of Northern Ireland Officer. 

Where did this book take me? Well, it’s the one that really captured my imagination - as it got me heading straight to the iconic Cowane’s Hospital. 

I might never have discovered this place or learned of its history without No Man’s Land. As well as being a key location in the book, the hospital also has an interesting story of its own. It is named after a wealthy merchant, John Cowane, who after his death, left much of his fortune to build “ane hospital or almshous” which supported up to 12 elderly members of Stirling’s merchants’ guild. 

Right at the top of the city, near the castle, gives stunning views. I’d recommend wearing sensible shoes as you’ll need them - Stirling is hilly and awash with cobbled streets, but at the top sits the iconic Stirling Castle which overlooks the city. This is also where there is often a torchlit procession during Bloody Scotland! 

“DCI Malcolm Ford heard the soft purr of tyres on the cobbles as a car made its way up St John Street towards Stirling Castle.” 

Read No Man’s Land 

Before you head down to the lower end of the city, take a moment to wander to the nearby Church of the Holy Rude - this appears in book two and it showed me a very interesting piece of history. There is a pivotal scene near the church in the second book, but that’s what fascinates me about walking in the characters’ footsteps - there’s this parallel world that only readers can truly access and appreciate, and it feels magical every time. Like walking in literary footsteps. 

The church is the second oldest building in the city, after Stirling Castle. It is thought to be the only surviving church in the United Kingdom, apart from Westminster Abbey, to have held a coronation.  

Read No Place to Die 

The third book takes readers to a little village just outside of Stirling called Cambusbarron. 

In the third book of the Connor Fraser series, a character’s parents live here. Personally, I think they’ve picked a fine spot as it's known for its historical hillforts and shares a history stretching back to the Bronze Age. Gillies Hill is one of the best-preserved hillforts in Scotland and is the site where Robert the Bruce camped before the famous Battle of Bannockburn. Now, I probably wouldn't have discovered any of this without this book, so who knew that crime fiction would take me down a rabbit hole of proportions I have not experienced since Alice in Wonderland! 

Read The Point of No Return 
 

The fourth novel in the series, as well as its Stirling setting, largely plays out in Edinburgh and showcases the buildings of the Scottish Government in Victoria Quay, Leith, and the Scottish Parliament building itself. Given that the author used to work in journalism and government communications, there’s an added layer of authenticity to the scenes. 

This book takes you all over the city as you can jump on a tram to visit Leith Walk and Leith Docks, which feature prominently. The Royal Yacht Britannia is a major tourist attraction, but I’d never even thought to visit it until reading this novel. It was once Queen Elizabeth II's former floating palace.

Down at Leith, you will also find Argonaut Books which is a great indie bookstore, but if you decide to walk back into town instead of getting the tram, just remember it’s uphill! If you do walk, be sure to visit Toppings Edinburgh and Typewronger Books before you reach Princes Street. 

Back across to Stirling now… 

Read No Quarter Given 

Everybody’s heard of Bannockburn, right?  It’s perhaps one of the most iconic and recognisable places to visit in the whole of Scotland. I knew the basics of the history surrounding it - The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was one of the major battles in the Wars of Independence between the kingdoms of Scotland and England. However, once again, Violent Ends inspired me to read up about it and makes me want to travel there. 

When I do, I might well bump into one of the character’s relatives who lives out here - imagine they see tourists flock to the nearby Bannockburn Visitor Centre - I'll soon be one of them! 

Read Violent Ends 

I love it when a book mixes fact and fiction. In real life, the University of Stirling is a lovely place with a stunning loch at its centre. I have visited here but, having read the novel, I see it in a whole new light. Again, I could appreciate the veil of fiction over the view in front of me. Such an esteemed institute of higher education which plays an iconic yet infamous role in a crime novel. Exciting to have one foot in clean reality and one foot in fictional mud! 

“When planning this event, Amanda had suggested they hold it at the university, using Airthrey Loch at the heart of the campus as the backdrop.” 

I have since discovered that Airthrey Loch at the heart of the university was originally created in the late 18th century as part of the landscape designed around the Airthrey Castle estate but was kept as part of the university. That’s what I love about BookTrail travel - researching the location maps for the novels takes me in all sorts of directions! 

Read Unmarked Graves 

The latest addition to the series is largely set in Belfast, but there’s a key storyline in Stirling. It is in this novel where I discovered the history and the many, many stories contained in the Old Town Cemetery. This place has historical significance as it’s where Bonnie Prince Charlie stood and directed the last siege of Stirling Castle in 1746. 

I don’t tend to wander in graveyards but when an author has taken such pains to incorporate the history and heritage of a place in this way, I want to soak it all up. Whether on the page, or in real life, this was perhaps my favourite spot on the Broadfoot BookTrails - for it felt as if I could just hear the whispers of the past and present coming together. 

All of this brings us back to where the series first began, in the makeshift football pitch of the Bloody Scotland crime fiction festival near Cowane’s Hospital and Church of the Holy Rude.  

This is the spot where Broadfoot played that game of football that would lead to a series of novels starring Connor Fraser. To visit a city where all these literary and historical threads intertwine is something very special indeed. There’s an interesting view of Stirling through these books and they’re a great way to start off an interest in exploring it further. 

Read Exit Wounds