Southern Hebrides Books

God’s Islanders: The Story of Gigha
The island of Gigha lies just off Tayinloan on the Kintyre peninsula and is the most southerly of the true Hebridean islands. The name Gigha is thought to have come from the Norse, and may mean ‘God’s Island’, ‘The Good Isle’ or, more probably and prosaically, ‘The Place of the Good Harbour’. Gigha has an astonishing twenty-five miles of coastline and a great number of small, sheltered harbours. This is the story of the people of Gigha, based on an examination of changing settlement patterns on the island from prehistoric times to the present day. Analysing the written and recorded history in conjunction with the oral and popular traditions of the island, Catherine Czerkawska provides an in-depth account of clan ownership of the island and changing allegiances up to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her study carries through to the present day, examining the relationship between a contemporary community which is struggling to become viable once again, and its own rich past. “The Story of Gigha” is the story of this part of Scotland, in miniature, and God’s Islanders’ exploration of the history of its people is also an examination of much wider issues, trends and challenges affecting the whole area.

Hamish Haswell Smith – The Scottish Islands

From the abandoned crofts of Mingulay and the standing stones of Orkney to the white beaches of Colonsay and the spectacular Cuillins of Skye, this is a complete gazetteer covering all of Scotland’s many hundreds of islands, including those which are uninhabited and those which are notoriously difficult to reach. Packed with information on access, anchorages, points of historical or natural interest and things to do and see, this compendium provides information for touring, for browsing, for reference, and for all of those travellers who wish to experience some of the most beautiful and remote places in the world. Illustrated with full colour illustrations and relief maps of all the main islands, this is both an impressive work of reference and a fascinating personal view of Scotland’s distant outposts.

Jura Language and Landscape
The book, a joint project between the Feolin Study Centre (Jura) and the House of Lochar Publishing Company, (Colonsay), was written by Gary McKay (Ph.D. Geography) and features photographs from his 2004 landscape photographic exhibition entitled, “Jura 365”. The success of the exhibition resulted in calls for a book featuring the “best of” the photographs and some commentary as well. Gary McKay has researched and compiled, where possible, oral stories about each place featured in the book and carefully translated the stories from their original Gaelic into English, while trying to retain their original flavour. Coupled with short, incisive and personal introductory paragraphs, the book is not an elegy for a Hebridean island that has lost its original culture, but a proud and defiant shout of cultural self-awareness.

The Spirit of Jura
Sixty years ago, the beautiful island of Jura provided George Orwell the solitude and inspiration he needed to write his political masterpiece, “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. In 2006, the Scottish Book Trust established their Jura Malt Whisky Writers’ Retreat Programme to give writers the same peace and space, and it is now recognised as one of the best creative opportunities available. In 2007, authors Will Self, Janice Galloway and Philip Gourevitch took a month out, writing and living in the beautiful Distillery Lodge, to work on specially commissioned stories, published here for the first time. Poems, essays and artworks from other writers and artists, including Liz Lochhead and Kathleen Jamie, who have enjoyed a stay on Jura are also included in tribute to Jura’s awe-inspiring landscape and the creativity it stimulates. Beautifully illustrated throughout.

Island Walks
This guide introduces the islands by way of a series of 26 graded walks (easy to strenuous) of various distances (2-13 miles) which will appeal to walkers of all ages and experience. After short preliminary sections on the islands, Stephen Whitehorne introduces the main points of interest (scenery, wildlife human settlements, etc.) and goes on to provide essential information for the walker – OS references, distances, terrain, convenient stops and various options. As well as sections on natural history and geology and Gaelic language and culture, the book also includes indispensable practical information on weather, local transport, accommodation, access and safety considerations, thus enabling visitors to make the very most of their visit to the islands. This volume covers the following islands: Arran – Islay – Jura – Colonsay and Oronsay – Kerrera – Lismore – Mull – Iona – Tiree – Coll – Bute – Gigha – Staffa

A Year on Easdale
This is a detailed and illustrated account of a newly married couple’s first idyllic year on the tiny Scottish island of Easdale. It all began over 20 years ago with a chance meeting on a train heading for Scotland. Garth Waite, a widower in his late 50s, was on his way to a holiday on South Uist; Vicky, a widow in her mid-fifties, was off to the island of Seil in search of peace and quiet. They talked, exchanged names and addresses, and began a friendship that 18 months later led to marriage. Their honeymoon of course had to be spent in Scotland, and it was while in a cottage on Easdale that Vicky had her great idea: “What about retiring early and coming to live here?”. It was a decision that they were not to regret, and the wish to record the pleasures, sights and sounds of their first year on Easdale suggested a way of pooling their talents. This book is the fruit of Garth’s lifelong love of the natural world – he was already a keen naturalist at the age of five – and of Vicky’s passion for painting.

Ulva – As it Was
Ulva lies almost as if folded inside the great island of Mull. It has great natural beauty and an extraordinary story attached — a story never before told. So dominated is the island by its great neighbor, that its written history is a matter of fragments, oral tradition, folklore, hearsay, and legend. Mackenzie weaves these together with his own reminiscences and recollections.

Ferry Tales of Argyll and the Isles
Ferry Tales of Argyll and the Isles is a fascinating record of the ferries that ply the waters off the west coast of Scotland, and which have been part of the fabric of life in that part of Scotland for generations. For visitors these ferries are the ideal, and, in some cases, the only, way to get about. In this new and expanded edition, Walter Weyndling, who worked with the ferries of western Scotland for many years after the Second World War, recounts with warmth and humour the real story of the ferries, their routes, the people who ran them, the people who used them and the communities they served. He includes a wealth of stories gleaned from archives and personal experience. The result is a marvellous portrayal of a subject of enduring interest for local inhabitants and visitors alike.