People are drawn to the harbours and boats of Scotland whether they have a seafaring background or not. Why do boats take on different shapes as you follow the complex shorelines of islands and mainland? And why do the sails they carry appear to be so many shapes and sizes? Then there are rowing craft or power-driven vessels which can also be considered 'classics', whether they were built for work or leisure.

As he traces the iconic forms of a selection of the boats of Scotland, Ian Stephen outlines the purposes of craft, past and present, to help gain a true understanding of this vital part of our culture. Sea conditions likely to be met and coastal geography are other factors behind the designs of a wide variety of craft.

Stories go with boats. The vessels are not seen as bare artefacts without their own soul but more like living things.

'A writer uniquely attuned to the water, and to the relationships each boat shares with the places it shaped, his stories restore past sea roads and river routes to life' - David Gange, author of The Frayed Atlantic Edge

About the Author

Ian Stephen is a writer, artist and storyteller from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. After graduating from Aberdeen University he worked for 15 years in the coastguard service, based in Stornoway, where he still lives. Since 1995 he has worked full-time in the arts after winning the inaugural Robert Louis Stevenson award. His poetry and fiction have been published throughout Europe and North America, and his first non-fiction book, Waypoints, was published to critical acclaim by Bloomsbury in 2017.

Reviews

'Wonderful... a rich compendium of the Scottish engagement with the sea'

-- Adam Nicolson, author of Life Between the Tides

'The small boats that made Scottish history have never seemed so charismatic and characterful as in Ian Stephen's gorgeous, vivid prose. A writer uniquely attuned to the water, and to the relationships each boat shares with the places it shaped, his stories restore past sea roads and river routes to life'

-- David Gange, author of The Frayed Atlantic Edge

'[Boatlines] tells of the compelling bonds between humans and nature, along with copious anecdotes about the vessels, who built them, sailed in them, and the communities they served... an evocative love letter to the sea'

-- Neil Drysdale * Press and Journal *

'A magisterial flight across 30 or 40 different vernacular vessels... it is fascinating'

* West Highland Free Press *

'Ian Stephen's fascinating new book explores Scotland's deep relationship with boats, the talented people who built them and the many communities that still depend on them'

* The Herald *

'A wonderful book about...the small boats that do so much to give individual stretches of the coastline of Scotland such distinctive characters'

-- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland *

'Although there's an incredible density of nautical information, Stephen also packs in anecdotes and has a light writing style'

* Scottish Field *

'A sensitively written account of sailors' lore to vicariously share the pleasures of life afloat... absorbing and leaves you wanting more'

-- Frank Rennie * Stornoway Gazette *

'carefully researched and there are a selection of nice pencil drawings which make for a pleasing read'

* Sailing Today *

'Stephen, through his wonderful use of prose, allows us to experience the culture of these coastal and canal communities which followed a natural rhythm governed by the seasons, the weather, and the tides'

-- Marc Chivers * Mariner's Mirror *



Book Information
ISBN 9781780277905
Author Ian Stephen
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Birlinn Ltd
Publisher Birlinn General
Weight(grams) 483g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 138mm * 28mm