Martin Coventry

Martin was born in 1963 in Edinburgh, and from an early age had a passion for castles, battles and dragons, not least being greatly influenced by The Lord of the Rings and then by Robert E Howard’s stories about Conan. 

Sadly growing up in the grey streets of the capital offered few opportunities for an aspiring adventurer, except Dungeons and Dragons. Martin should be renowned as being dungeon master to a party of six players, five of whom were attractive young women, perhaps his most astounding achievement.

Martin went to George Watson’s College, which he hated with a passion (the feelings were reciprocated), but where he managed to excel as a straight B student. He was diverted through an alcohol-dazed degree in Energy Engineering from Napier College of Commerce and Technology (as was), and then later a miserable year working at the library of the University of Edinburgh.

Martin then fell into a job at the medical publishers Churchill Livingstone, despite shaving his head before the interview. He spent the next seven years producing databases, catalogues and leaflets. Martin was proudly promoted four times before then being made redundant in 1994 at the tender age of 31.

At Slains Castle, one cold but beautiful day, was conceived a work on all the many castles, towers and fortified houses of Scotland in one handy volume, and so came along The Castles of Scotland and the publishing powerhouse that is Goblinshead (also see The Publisher).

Martin is married to Dr Joyce, having met in 1993 when she was just Ms. They have wandered a long and sometimes hard road together, through driving rain, deep snow, dark storms, and flurries of champagne bubbles.

Martin has many interests, as he gets easily bored. Among these are visiting castles and stately homes, collecting ghost stories, Scotland, holidaying in Argyll, table tennis, writing fantasy novels, pool, World of Warcraft, photography, painting, collecting art, walking, eating crisps and jelly babies, gardening, science fiction, model trains, playing the guitar, Agatha Christie, being even more grumpy as he's now over 50 – and Dr Joyce.

Contact Martin at martin@thecastlesofscotland.co.uk