Our company logo is the Tower folly on top of Balcarres Crag on Balcarres Estate, outside Colinsburgh.Leven, Fife, which overlooks the countryside of the East Neuk of Fife, and providing a terrific view across the Firth of Forth towards Lothians.
We chose this emblem as a tribute to the important historical book and manuscript collection - Bibliotheca Lindesiana: named after collections of Alexander William Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford and 8th Earl of Balcarres and James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford and 9th Earl of Balcarres. The Crawford title is the Premier Earldom of Scotland with the current Earl head of the Lindsay clan.
These book collections were kept in the the family libraries at Balcarres House and Haigh Hall, near Wigan and began in the sixteenth century and became world-famous among scholars for its scope and the many bibliographies of its stock which exceeded 100,000 volumes.
The Lindsay family still reside at Balcarres House which is a private home, although the impressive formal gardens are occasionally open to the public.
Therefore, we are pleased to remember two off the world’s greatest bibliophiles as well as one of Scotland’s great noble families.
The proprietor of Kingdom Books and Director of East Neuk Books Ltd grew up in the village of Colinsburgh and enjoyed many happy days walking around Balcarres Estate.
We also sell these books about members of the Lindsay family.
