When you look at a painting, what do you really see?

When eighteenth-century poet Alison Cockburn accepts a light-hearted challenge from her friend Katherine Hume to live as a man, in order to infiltrate Edinburgh’s all-male skating club, little do they both realise how her new identity will shape their future.

And in the present, art historian Claire Sharp receives a mysterious request: to settle once and for all the true provenance of the iconic painting The Skating Minister.

The Edinburgh Skating Club is the tale of one woman's mission to infiltrate a male-dominated society. Imaginative, romantic and ultimately moving, this time-shift adventure celebrates the women overlooked by history – and, above all, love, in all its unexpected forms.

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'The Edinburgh Skating Club is an engaging read, in which discussions about art, politics, love and gender are woven deftly into the plot'

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'History, humour, and plenty of heart, in a slice of Edinburgh heritage served up with more than one unexpected twist. Perfect for fans of Alexander McCall Smith, art lovers and anyone who loves the capital'

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'A pacy tale traversing both 18th century and modern-day Edinburgh'

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'In this playful and poignant offering of historical fiction, Sloan celebrates love and the unsung contributions of women to Scottish culture... both heart-breaking and enchanting in equal measure'

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'The Edinburgh Skating Club is warm and funny with more than a few surprises. It’s a very entertaining read with an unexpectedly emotional ending'

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'Most impressive and a delight to read' 

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'Sloan incrementally builds up a plot of some complexity and provides an enjoyable symmetry between period and modern scenes'