Posts Tagged ‘hebrides’
Home is where the heart is – and is full of emotion
John Mackay’s latest novel, Home, is the definition of the phrase ‘home is where the heart is.’ It centres around one family over a century, beginning with a simple man called Faroe who built a house on a Hebridean island for his family. Faroe and his wife had seven children, who grew up and had…
Read MoreA fascinating insight into the history of Lewis
Lewis: The Story of an Island is a delve into the history of a great island in the Hebrides. This book explores the history of Lewis and its people as well as the mythologies, maps, architecture and of course the Gaelic language. Despite personal roots on the island, I have sadly never had the chance…
Read MoreThe essential guide to the Outer Hebrides
We really are paging the oracle on north-west Outer Hebridean life here. Frank Rennie, professor of Sustainable Rural Development who lives in South Galson and has been instrumental in developing the region for four decades, writes of the area’s great personal, natural and cultural significance. From his formative experiences of the region to its resident…
Read MoreA fascinating tale based on true-life events
In a Veil of Mist is based on the true life but little-known event of Operation Cauldron. In 1952, during the Cold War, germ warfare experiments were taking place on a ship off the coast of the Isle of Lewis. The book delves into the lives of two locals who begin to suspect something is…
Read MoreThe Machrie is the perfect place for an escape
Summer is a distant memory. Days are getting chilly, breath visible as you leave the house and cheeks pinched red. Escaping to warmth or hibernating until spring becomes all the more appealing. Thankfully, The Machrie excels when it comes to cosy spots that tick all the right boxes: crackling log fires, piping hot hearty food…
Read MoreOur Isles and Oceans looks for new young sailors
A new campaign, Our Isles and Oceans, has launched in Scotland which will create funded programmes for young people affected by the pandemic and lockdown. The Our Isles and Oceans mission statement is ‘Youth Opportunity and Professional Development for Sustainable Livelihoods’ and intends on, through the vehicle of sport and business, highlighting the importance of…
Read MoreThe martyrs who brought Christianity to the Scots
The latest offering from national treasure Alistair Moffat is a deeply lovely account of the ‘white martyrs’, the Irish priests who, at huge risk to themselves, brought Christianity to the pagan Scots. A beautifully written comfort blanket of a book, it is part travelogue, part rumination on life, part history lesson. Moffat spent a summer…
Read MoreSwapping London life for the Hebrides
When Tamsin and her husband Rab leave London and their busy careers behind, they hope a remote island on the Scottish Hebrides will provide exactly the kind of lifestyle change they’ve been looking for. Once the romantic shine of their new adventure wears off, it becomes clear that rescuing, maintaining and building a croft as…
Read MoreMakar’s Malt marks International Women’s Day
A collaboration between two of Scotland’s oldest arts – poetry and whisky making – has resulted in the launch of a commemorative charity bottling of Scotch whisky, complete with a specially-written poem, for International Women’s Day. The Makar’s Malt is a limited edition single cask single malt Scotch Whisky marking the end of celebrated Scottish…
Read MorePoetry and photos from the Hebrides
The Spirit of the Hebrides combines poetry and photography to explore the land and seascapes of the islands in all seasons and weathers. It does this whilst paying homage to the Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean. This is a lovely book that will bring an instant sense of tranquility every time you decide to delve into…
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