Visiting the green, rolling hills and towering medieval castles of Scotland has long been on my bucket list. Plans are in the works for that to happen next year (yay!), and there’s nothing I think of that I’d rather do to prepare and make the most of the trip than to read good books set there—especially if they incldue romance. I mean, there’s just something about a man in a kilt, am I right?
While I love a good romance with my whole heart, my personal tastes run towards low/no spice, which is surprisingly hard to find in the Scottish romance subgenre. But I’ve managed to ferret a few good ones out, and I thought I’d share that list with you so you can enjoy the same accented, kilted, clannish goodness that I have with no fear of unexpected open doors. All the books on this list would be categorized as a 1 or 2 on the romance.io steam rating guide.
Note: the reason the title of this list include a + is because many of the books listed are first in a series, so there is potential for a lot of reading here if one of them hits the spot. If you read all the books listed here along with the other titles in their respective series, that’s 26 books! I’ve noted the series or standalone status of each book below the title.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I might make some extra coffee money at no extra expense to you if you buy something through one of my links. Read more about that here.
No-Spice Scottish Romance Books
Suffering the Scot
(Brotherhood of the Black Tartan #1)
English lady Jane is aghast at the thought of an uncultured Scotsman becoming the new Earl of Hadley, but it’s not like she has much choice in the matter. Andrew Langston does his best not to let her blantant contempt bother him as he goes about learning the ends and outs of the struggling estate he’s inherited. But the more time they spend in each other’s company, the more they start to wonder if the old adage about opposites attracting might hold a grain of truth. I’m halfway through this series filled with strong, gallant Scottish men wooing lovely ladies and going on adventures. It’s important to note that there is a mystery that threads throughout the series hearkening back to an ill-fated journey the men of the Brotherhood of the Black Tartan took together, and the trauma that resulted from it. All-in-all, such a good series!
Love Practically
(The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #1)
Also by Nichole Van, I could not read this entire series fast enough. It follows a first the three Penn-Leith siblings as they find love, then fans out to include other characters in their social sphere. All these romances are swoonworthy in their own way with beautiful descriptions, witty banter, and excellently crafted characters that are both flawed and endearing. The series begins with a marriage of convenience between Leah Penn-Leith and Captain Fox Carnegie, who needs a mother for the young child in his care. What begins as a practical arrangement begins to look more and more like love. This series shares some characters that are introduced in the Brotherhood of the Black Tartan, but I actually read the two series out of order and it did not diminish my enjoyment at all.
Some Like It Scot
(Standalone)
This contemporary romantic comedy is full of laughs and heart. Katie is a travel writer on assignment in Scotland with no desire to put down roots, which becomes a problem when she starts to see past the gruff exterior of Graeme who has no intentions of leaving his home. This a fun story with lots of charming side characters, and I love the emotional depth as Katie and Graeme work through the hard things in their pasts that might keep them apart.
A River Enchanted
(Elements of Cadence Duology #1)
This stunning romantasy book builds a story of love, family, and healing around magical Scottish folklore. Jack Tamerlane doesn’t know why he’s been summoned home to Cadence from the mainland after all these years, but he understands quickly that something is amiss. Girls are going missing, and Jack’s old friend Adaira is determined to figure out how and why with Jack’s help. As a bard, Jack’s music possesses the magic required to speak to the elemental spirits of the land—and what they choose to reveal surprises everyone even as it seems to bring more questions than answers. This book, y’all…I know everyone went crazy for Divine Rivals, but I’m just telling you I think this one is better. It’s gorgeously written with characters who love and strive and sacrifice in a way that makes you feel all the things. I listened to it on audio and highly recommend that format for the excellent narration done in a lovely Scottish accent. The core story mostly wraps up at the end of the book, but there is a new thread that gets pulled that will make you want to pick up the second book, A Fire Endless, to find out the rest.
The Rose and the Thistle
(Standalone)
This sweeping tale follows Lady Blythe Hedley as she flees to Scotland and seeks asylum with a family friend after her father’s political leanings put her in danger when he’s declared an enemy of the British crown. The castle is occupied by Everard Hume and his six brothers, who have recently lost their father. Everard is doing his best to transition into the position of laird of his clan and care for his family while grieving—the last thing he needs is an heiress wandering around. But of course, they find themselves attracted to one another as they spend more time together, despite all the political and religious reasons that they shouldn’t be a good match. This book is full of political intrigue, raw human relationships, and hard questions about faith and integrity. Laura Frantz does such a beautiful job with the descriptions and historical details that you’ll feel like you’ve been dropped into 1700s Britain/Scotland.
I’ll also give two honorable mentions here to A Bound Heart (standalone) and Love’s Reckoning (first in a series). These historical romances are also by Laura Frantz and also feature Scottish protagonists, but largely or entirely take place in America. In A Bound Heart, a tragedy results in a laird and young woman from his clan being shipped away to the colonies as indentured servants. Love’s Reckoning and the following books in the series begin with a heart jerking story of love and loss as Silas Ballantyne, a talented blacksmith of Scottish heritage, faces a series of impossible choices. I read this book a long time ago and mostly just remember thinking that Silas is the stuff real men are made of. Loved it and loved the whole series on audio!
Beauty Among Ruins
(Standalone)
When Alec opens the doors of his crumbling castle to wounded soldiers during the Great War (WWI), he’s not expecting American socialite Lily Durham, who is volunteering as a nurse. This story has beauty and the beast vibes, a little bit of mystery and action, and a lovely sweet romance. I also like that it’s set during the first world war, since we most often get books set during the second one. That alone makes it unique to me! It’s kind of an opposites attract romance, and Lily and Alec’s differences challenge each other and lead to some good character growth that really makes you root for them.
Journey to Bongary Spring
(Myths of Moraigh #1)
Isobel McEwan is willing to do her duty and marry a man she’s never met from a rival clan in order to promote peace—but first she needs to travel to Bongary Spring, a healing well that she hopes will cleanse her heart of her love for Kieran Buchanan. Kieran has no idea why Isobel fled in the dead of night, only that he’s tasked with pursuing her and bringing her back safely. As they’re forced to be in each other’s presence on the road, Kieran starts to notice Isobel in a way he hadn’t before because of his fixation on training for revenge on the man who killed his father. Is it too late for them to let go of past hurts and move forward together? This is a quick read, and Kasey Stockton is good at writing what I call ‘clean chemistry,’ meaning that the attraction is clear but doesn’t cross a line that makes me uncomfortable, if that makes sense. This is the first in a series, as noted above, and while I haven’t finished the series yet, I have no reason to think the rest of the books won’t be as good as this one.
Highland Holiday
(Standalone)
I featured this book in my 2025 Christmas Book Guide because it was so fun! Callie and Gavin have “meet-ugly” (the opposite of a meet-cute) where he rejects her impetuous attempt to kiss him in a pub when she’s just arrived Scotland. It’s super embarrassing but Callie thinks she’ll get over quickly—until she realizes the very next day that he’s the guy whose house she and her sister’s family will be staying in for the holidays. He drives her to his spacious cottage to await the arrival of Callie’s family, but the weather has other plans. This is a grumpy/sunshine, snowed-in together Christmas romance with a full cast of quirky side characters and all the good but messy feelings.
Child of the Mist
(These Highland Hills #1)
A backlist gem, I read this series (and especially the first book) multiple times back in college. In this historical highland romance, Anne and Niall agree to an arranged marriage in an attempt to broker peace between their two rival clans, but treachery is afoot from the very beginning. Add to that the fact that many are suspicious of Anne’s competence as a healer, mistaking her skill and knowledge of herbs as witchcraft. I loved the intrigue and romance in this series, though I suspect that some might find the writing style to be a bit dated compared to what’s currently popular. I still like it and think it’s worth a read if you like clean Scottish romance!
Leave a Reply