Polly Pullar tells the fascinating tale of one of the Hebrides unique thriving small communities through the colourful anecdotes of Lawrence MacEwen, whose family have owned the island since 1896. A wonderfully benevolent, and eccentric character, his passion and love for the island and its continuing success, has always been of the utmost importance. He has kept diaries all his life and delves deep into them, unveiling a uniquely human story, punctuated with liberal amounts of humour, as well as heart-rending tragedy, always dominated by the vagaries of the sea.

Here are tales of coal puffers and livestock transportation on steamers and small boats, extraordinary chance meetings and adventures that eventually led him to finding his wife Jenny, on the island of Soay. It's a book about the small hard-grafting community of 30 souls on this fertile island of just 1500 acres.

About the Author

Polly Pullar grew up in Ardnamurchan, surrounded by wildlife. In addition to being a field naturalist, wildlife guide and wildlife rehabilitator she is also photographer and journalist, and contributes to a wide selection of magazines. She is currently wildlife writer for Scottish Field and is the author of a number of books. She is the author of A Richness of Martens: Wildlife Tales From Ardnamurchan (Birlinn, 2018).

Reviews

'This book is a happy marriage of subject and writer - and a rare event in the life and times of the Hebrides'

* Scots Magazine *

'Unique and often amusing ... one of the greatest things about this book is that Pullar lets MacEwan talk openly and freely about the island and what he does, giving the book an informal and friendly tone ... a lively and entertaining account of the highs and lows of life on this small windswept island ... A must read for people interested in Scottish history'

* Scottish Field *



Book Information
ISBN 9781912476527
Author Polly Pullar
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Origin
Publisher Birlinn General
Weight(grams) 287g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 130mm * 20mm