The Great North Road, the Old Mail Road to Scotland: York to Edinburgh

A vivid portrait of the old mail route that once linked York and Edinburgh unfolds page by page, inviting listeners to travel north through the countryside’s changing faces. The author blends practical details about distances, inns and bridges with rich anecdotes about market towns, river crossings and ancient battlefields, painting a sense of the road’s rhythm in the days before automobiles. Interspersed with more than seventy original sketches, the narration brings forgotten landmarks—such as the stone “Highflyer” of 1812, the ruined mills of Aberford and the bustling Newcastle bridges—to life.

Listeners will hear the journey’s milestones in an engaging, almost conversational tone, from the medieval walls of York to the sleek outlines of Edinburgh’s Calton Hill. The illustrations, described in vivid detail, serve as audible “pictures,” helping the audience envision each stop along the way. By the end of the first act, the road’s blend of history, industry and natural beauty offers a compelling invitation to explore the north on foot, by carriage or in imagination.