author
Thomas Allan Croal
1832–1907
A Scottish writer and historian with a gift for vivid place-writing, remembered for books that blend travel, history, and a strong sense of landscape. His work often invites readers into the scenery and stories of Scotland, from its lochs to its royal past.
1 Audiobook
Scottish Loch Scenery
by Thomas Allan Croal
About the author
Thomas Allan Croal was born in Edinburgh on 9 December 1832 and died in Portobello, Edinburgh, on 4 April 1907. He is described as a British historian and author, and his career also included journalism and work connected with the General Post Office.
He wrote or contributed to several books in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the best-known are A Book About Travelling, Past and Present (1877), Scottish Loch Scenery (1882), and Palaces and Prisons of Mary, Queen of Scots (1903, with Michael Myers Shoemaker). He also contributed material on Scotland's transport system to Francis Hindes Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland.
What makes Croal appealing today is the range of his interests: travel, local history, transport, and the character of Scottish places. His writing belongs to a tradition of informative, accessible nonfiction that aimed to entertain readers while also helping them see the world more clearly.