A north-east academic has won the History Book of the Year award in the Saltire Society Literary Awards.
Aberdeen University’s Chair of Sociology, Professor Steve Bruce, fought off competition from several other authors for the prestigious prize, including journalist Michael Fry.
Prof Bruce said: “I am terribly pleased as this prize has been awarded to me by people who I have admired for many years, which makes it all the more special. I would like to thank the Saltire Society who are excellent in all their works.”
His book Scottish Gods: Religion in Modern Scotland, 1900-2012 was described by the judging panel as “an exceptionally readable and timely account of the changing nature and place of religion in Scotland in an increasingly irreligious society”.
The Saltire Society Literary Awards are the country’s most prestigious accolade for authors, with the first award winners announced in 1937.
Executive director of the society Jim Tough said: “The judging panel has asked me to convey how impressed they were by the quality and range of books that made it onto the 2014 shortlist.
“From poetry and plays to novels and non-fiction, extending the length and breadth of the country and far beyond, this year’s shortlist is a testament to the outstanding calibre of modern Scottish literature in all its varied forms.”
The Saltire Society was founded in 1936 as a non-political independent charity, with the aim of encouraging everything that might improve the quality of life in Scotland.
As well as the literature awards, the charity recognises a range of achievements in areas including civil engineering, arts, architecture, and history and heritage.