Essential books for the Western Isles?

Another Neil - Neil Gunn

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Off-Boat-Neil-Gunn/dp/0941533980

Off in a Boat

In 1937, the Scottish writer, Neil Gunn, gave up his job in the civil service, sold his house in Inverness, and bought a boat. With his wife and his brother John, he set off on a three-month voyage around Inner Hebrides. The boat had outlived its first youth, and its engine was somewhat cranky; she went tolerably under sail. These are not high recommendations, but for Gunn, and at times his fellow voyagers, the vessel was an argosy of freedom, of adventure and misadventure? for they were fairly inexperienced sailors, and the waters of the region are by no means placid. Gunn was a Scots nationalist in a sense that goes far beyond the political, even though he thought that an independent Scotland was the only proper basis for a reasonable civilization.

http://www.clyde.org/publications/ and as mentioned These books have recently been merged with Martin Lawrence's Yachtsman's Pilot series
 
There is a new edition of Haswell Smith coming out in May, so wait until then, either to pick up the new edition or get the earlier one at a discount.
 
macd said:
...for that English perspective (he was born in Hartlepool) :ambivalence:
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And a clearly English name of course. Besides, he lived much of his life on Barra (and, incidentally, was the co-founder of the SNP).
 
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jdc said:
... he lived much of his life on Barra ...
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... after living on Eilean na Tighe in the Shiants, Herm in the Channel Isles, and other places surrounded by water....

But why stop at 'Whisky Galore'? He has six or seven other humorous books set in the Hebrides which are all worth reading (and which, perhaps apart from his mammoth series 'The Four Winds of Love', are his best works in my view. Ask me for a list of titles.)

Mike
 
Nostalgic stuff, nicely written:

"Island Going" Robert Atkinson : still in print.
"The West" Ronald Faux: sadly out of print, but I note 13 copies available on Amazon, if you can scrape 0.01p together.
 
lol I lived up there for a while on the outer hebs and go now every 3 months. Your not far wrong I thought that was a good account:encouragement:.

pagoda said:
Haswell-Smith's book is pleasant background reading -giving a fair outline of quite a lot of the West coast. Some things are done in detail, others almost ignored. The point of that comment is that not everybody is looking for the same things in life. Buy a few pilot books, charts, even "Welcome Anchorages" which though not exactly Almanac is reasonably useful. Then come and do some sailing. Be prepared for iffy weather, occasional midge attacks, walking miles to find diesel on occasion, foraging for fresh water or even 3 day old loaves (almost kidding here, but the excuse"we're waiting for the ferry to deliver the new bread" is not unknown) It can be glorious or hideous, with little logic to distinguish the two. If you get the wind, weather and tide are in your chosen direction, fine. Otherwise have some books and a dram or two on board. Don't try to do it on a strict timetable. It rarely works!


Spotted your location!
If you speak Welsh, all to the good, you might be OK North and West of Barra...
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jdc said:
And a clearly English name of course. Besides, he lived much of his life on Barra (and, incidentally, was the co-founder of the SNP).
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Ive been to Comptons old house, did u spot him in WG? He was a self confessed invented Scotsman who never thought of himself as other than Scottish, despite his birthplace. Hell of a guy buried on Barra.
 
agurney said:
in addition to the above suggestions:

"Puffer cookbook" if you like food http://www.amazon.co.uk/Puffer-Cook...id=1423440084&sr=1-1&keywords=puffer+cookbook

Lewis trilogy by Peter May if you like a good novel or three http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_566e3ledul_b

"In the Footsteps of Kings" if you are interested in history and like to explore http://www.amazon.co.uk/Footsteps-K...1423440480&sr=8-2&keywords=footsteps+of+kings
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I got a "Puffer Cookbook" for Christmas. Ace. It's been in use extensively since then. Not tried anything on the usual 2 gas rings on their own yet, but the recipes are not difficult and the results are thoroughly edible:D

On the "new edition" of Haswell Smith...I couldn't begin to imagine what new has been added, so I wouldn't worry too much about the date of publication. You can still discern quite a bit of the West Highland's flavour from Martin Martin's account, albeit very out of print!!
 
Having lived on the outer Hebs I thought that was a superb thing to say. Its a special place:encouragement:

Fascadale said:
"Isles of the West" by Ian Mitchell

"Island Years, Island Farm" by Frank Fraser Darling

"Sea Room' by Adam Nicholson

"Night Falls on Ardnamurchan" by Alistain Maclean (not the thriller writer)

"Calum's Road" by Roger Hutchinson

Read these and a few more and you will begin to get a flavour of what you are sailing into. The West Coast is considerably more than a collection of beautiful views, good pubs, isolated anchorages and quirky natives
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JumbleDuck said:
Trivia quiz: What role did Compton Mackenzie play in the film version of "Whisky Galore"? No peeking.
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Aha! Good question. He played the bearded master of the Cabinet Minister. You only get a brief view of him as she rams the Gobha, or whatever rock it was -- quite recognisable though, with his goatee beard a little longer than usual.

There were quite a few actors in that film who were to become well-known in later years -- I can recall John Gregson, James Robertson Justice, and Gordon Jackson off the top of my head.

Mackenzie was a very great writer and, I think, a great man.

Mike
 
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