…Within half an hour, the place was buzzing. 'The airport's been shut down.' 'Bank robbers have dumped a car.' 'They've taken hostages.' 'They're tying to get out of the country.' The gossip ranged wide and wild as rumours spread. I got a lift back to the main terminal buildings and spotted our getaway car, highlighted by a ring of police and their colourful vehicles… Born into poverty in a Glasgow tenement, James Crosbie went on to become Scotland's most notorious bank robber, the man behind the biggest heist in the country's history. Fearless, adventurous and mischievous, he saw success as a businessman and a traveller. But the lure of the next great job always proved too much, particularly when on one occasion he was mistakenly given bail following a serious robbery. Eccentric and high-spirited, Crosbie became famed for escaping the scene of his crimes on a bicycle. But he didn't always get away free and has spent much of his life behind various grim sets of bars from the notorious Barlinnie to the forbidding walls of Peterhead. Determined, persistent, witty and charismatic, James Crosbie is one of Scotland's most charming robbers. His story is enthralling and his escapades are gripping.
