Top Banner
Latest Publications from The Islands Book Trust Spring 2013
20

IBT Catalogue April 2013

Nov 08, 2014

Download

Documents

jahumphries

List of publications by the Islands Book Trust
Focus is on the Scottish islands, particularly their landscape, history, people, movements, culture, religion and current affairs.
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: IBT Catalogue April 2013

Latest Publications from

The Islands Book Trust Spring 2013

Page 2: IBT Catalogue April 2013

2

2

Defending St Kilda ~ Ron Morris E 3

Steamers to Stornoway ~ Ron Morris E 3

Atlantic Gaels ~ Aidan O’Hara E 3

The Carrying Stream Flows On ~ Bob Chambers (Ed) E 3

Alexander Macdonald– Bard of the Gaelic Enlightenment E 4

An t-Eilean—Taking a Line for a Walk through Skye G/E 4

Tiree—War among the Barley and Brine E 4

From the Low Tide of the Sea to the Highest Mountain Top ~

James Hunter E 5

History of Skye~ New edition ~ Alexander Nicolson E 5

Exploring the Isles of the West— Firth of Clyde ~ Marc Calhoun E 5

Exploring the Isles of the West— Skye and Tiree ~ Marc Calhoun E 5

Suas gu Deas~ Angus Peter Campbell & Cailean Maclean G/E 6

Oighreachd ar Sinnsearan ~ Dr Kenneth Robertson G/E 6

Dualchas Àraid agus Prìseil ~ Dr Kenneth Robertson G/E 6

Dolly Doctor ~ Dr Macdonald ~ intro Peter Cunningham E 6

Stroma ~ R Ritchie, A Murray and G Gunn E 7

Foula ~ Chris Mylne E 7

Mhòr and More - Hill Walks in Uist ~ M Margulies E 7

Return to Patagonia ~ Greta Mackenzie E 7

St Kilda Diary ~ Dr David Boddington E 8

From Cleits to Castles ~ Calum MacDonald E 8

Rewriting St Kilda ~ Various ~ Bob Chambers (Ed) E 8

Destination St. Kilda ~ Mark Butterworth E 8

An Isle called Hirte ~ Mary Harman E 9

St Kilda; Church, Visitors and ‘Natives’ ~ Michael Robson E 9

St Kilda-Myth & Reality ~J Randall, J Love, B Lawson E 9

St Kilda Snapshots ~ David Quine E 9

A Life of Song ~ Marjory Kennedy Fraser E 10

Còco is Crùbagan ~ Flora Macdonald G/E 10

Faith in a Crisis ~ Flora Johnston E 10

Island Conversion ~ Myles and Margaret Campbell E 10

Whaling and the Hebrides ~ Various E 11

The Life and Legacy of Alexander Carmichael ~ Various E 11

Island Emigrants Various E 11

Island Heroes ~ Various E 11

Memories of the Island of Scarp ~ Donald Macleod E 12

Greenland - the Rediscovered Island ~ Iain Brownlie Roy E 12

From Hirta to Port Phillip ~ Prof Eric Richards E 12

Steamships to St Kilda ~ Donald Meek E 12

A Window into Life on Mingulay ~ Ben Buxton and David Powell E 13

The Island Lighthouses of Scotland ~ John Love E 13

The French MacDonald ~ Jean Didier Hache E 13

Stornoway in World War 2 ~ Mike Hughes E 13

Decline and Fall of St Kilda ~ Various E 14

Early Christianity in Lewis - the Ness Connection ~ Various E 14

Calvinism, Literature and the Imagination ~ Prof Donald Macleod E 14

Iceland and the Hebrides - My Roots ~ Sally Magnusson E 14

Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles ~ Colin Scott Mackenzie E 15

Callanish—Monument, Moon and Mountain ~ Ian McHardy E 15

Game on Lewis and Harris ~ David S D Jones E 15

Speak to Us Catriona ~ Donald S Murray E 15

The Summer of '89 ~ Bob Charnley E 16

The Highland Clan MacNeacail ~ D Sellar & A Maclean E 16

Expeditions to the Hebrides ~ George Clayton Atkinson E 16

Travels in the Western Hebrides ~ Rev John L Buchanan E 16

Murdo Crola ~ Iain Smith and Murdo Maclennan E 17

Life on the Edge ~ Bob Chambers E 17

Aimhreit an Fhearainn ~ Various G/E 17

Obair Gun Duais ~ Tristan ap Rheinallt G/E 17

Paper Cairns ~ Laura Helyer E 18

South Lochs in the Leverhulme Era ~ Monique Watt E 18

Island Dwellings of North Uist ~ Robert Lenfert E 18

Gaelic on Signs and Maps in Scotland ~ Ruraidh MacIlleathan G/E 18

BOOK TITLES KEY BOOK TITLES KEY PAGE PAGE

Key = E - English, G - Gaelic, G/E - Gaelic and English, W— see website for details

Page 3: IBT Catalogue April 2013

3

3

LATEST PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE THIS SPRING

THE CARRYING STREAM FLOWS ON

Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of the

School of Scottish Studies

Bob Chambers (Ed.)

This volume contains contributions by outstand-

ing scholars from Scotland, Iceland, the USA,

and Ireland to an International conference held in

Shetland in 2011 to mark the 60th anniversary of

the School of Scottish Studies at the University

of Edinburgh. It includes assessments of the

roles played by great figures in the history of

Scotland’s 20th century cultural development

such as Hamish Henderson and Calum Iain

Maclean, who made pioneering contributions to

the School’s unique collections of song and folk-

lore – a treasure-house of sound recordings and

photographs from Shetland to the Borders, from

the Western Isles to Buchan.

ISBN 978-1-907443-40-4

Retail £12.00

ATLANTIC GAELS

Aidan O’Hara

Links between Donegal and the Hebrides

Aidan O’Hara is an award-winning writer

and broadcaster in both English and Gaelic.

He is a native of the Inishowen peninsula

in Co. Donegal from where Islay and the

Paps of Jura can be easily seen on a clear

day. As a small boy looking out to sea, he

was intrigued by the prospect of what

might lie in store in the land across the

waves. In this exciting and informative

booklet he explores the historic and

cultural links between Donegal and the

Hebrides, and while dealing briefly with

the obvious ties of language and music,

faith and folklore, he also uncovers little-

known facts that will surprise and amaze. It

is all part of this account of the common

heritage of our people whom Aidan calls

Atlantic Gaels.

ISBN 978-1-907443-49-7

Retail £6.00

STEAMERS TO STORNOWAY

Colin Tucker

Ships and Shipping Services to Lewis since

1750

Shipping services are an essential part of the

life of all islands and Lewis is no exception.

This history makes a valuable contribution to

the record of the life of Stornoway and Lewis,

as well as chronicling an important element of

maritime history. In the 17th century crossing

the Minch could be a difficult and hazardous

journey, when sailing ships might take several

days to complete the journey, in stark contrast

with the modern car-ferry which takes less

than three hours. In the 19th century the

introduction of steamships made journeys both

quicker and more reliable.

This lavishly illustrated book is a fascinating

record of the shipping services linking the

island of Lewis with the mainland of Scotland.

ISBN 978-1-907443-35-5

Retail £20.00

DEFENDING ST KILDA

Ron Morris

In this book, based on new research and with archive

photographs, Ron Morris tells the intriguing and little

known story of the role which St Kilda played in World

War 1, including the establishment of a wireless station

and Royal Navy base to monitor enemy movements in

the North Atlantic. In May 1918, a German U-boat

entered Village Bay and opened fire, following which a

gun was erected on St Kilda next to the Manse to

respond to future attacks – although this was never

used in anger.

A flavour of how the islanders responded to this

unexpected threat can be gained from the following

extract:

”Finlay MacQueen like some of the other islanders was

still under the impression the submarine was a friendly

craft and intended to row his little boat out to it for a

chat with the sailors and hoping to replenish his

dwindling stock of tobacco in the process. He grew

annoyed when the submarine failed to stop, but contin-

ued in its circle putting his intended visit out of reach”

ISBN 978-1-907443-41-1

Retail £15.00

Page 4: IBT Catalogue April 2013

4

4

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Alexander MacDonald,

Bard of the Gaelic Enlightenment

Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, Bàrd an t-Soillearachaidh

Ghàidhealaich

Camille Dressler and Dòmhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart (editors)

Modern poetry in Scottish Gaelic begins with the brilliant, contro-versial figure of Alexander MacDonald, better known as Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair. Alasdair belonged to the Clanranald heartland of Moidart in West Lochaber and his life followed the fortune of his clan at the time of the ‘45. A larger than life charac-ter, he was a heroic figure, inspirational and visionary in turn, his heartbeat in tune with the events of his time. Hailed as the most original and innovative poet of the 18th century, he brought new life and vitality to Gaelic poetry. Alasdair was at once an antiquari-an revivalist and formal innovator, a committed writer about the politics of his time and a literary craftsman, interested in the devel-opment of poetic form.

This book brings together papers from a series of conferences which took place at Glenfinnan, Strontian and Canna. Shedding light on various aspects of Alasdair’s rich life and work, the book will also enable the reader to explore the locations associated with him in West Lochaber through the eyes of one of the most fascinat-ing and complex characters in Scottish literature.

ISBN 978-1-907443-04-6

Retail £15.00

An t-Eilean - Taking a Line for a Walk through the Island of Skye

by Angus Peter Campbell with Photographs by Cailean Maclean

This is an account in words and pictures of a walk taken through Skye by the award-winning writer Angus Peter Campbell and his friend the photogra-pher Cailean Maclean. Both were brought up in South Uist, so the journey here extends well beyond Skye to their pre-electric upbringing in the Outer Hebrides: a beautifully written and photographed memoir of people, places and times.

Tha iomadach seud taisgte anns an leabhar bhri-athran is dhealbhan seo. Chan e a-mhàin cunntas air cuairt tron Eilean Sgitheanach, ach cuim-hneachain air daoine, àiteachan agus amannan. Am measg nan ulaidhean a gheibh sibh an seo tha briathrachas mu àiteachan a dh’fhàg Dòmhnall Angaidh MacIlleathain nach maireann aig Aonghas Phàdraig, a-bharrachd air deagh iomradh air faclan a thog KC Craig ann an Uibhist-a-Deas

ISBN 978-1-907443-39-8

Retail £20.00

Tiree - War among the Barley and Brine*

Mike Hughes and John Holliday

Tiree’s inhabitants had fought to master the seas for centuries. Tiree’s soil had nourished a large population, along with other islands. In World War Two Tiree was required to offer sustenance and shelter to arrivals from a multitude of cities and states.

In the early 1940s, as country after country fell to Hitlerism, Tiree became a sentinel for the Clyde and other vital, west coast sea ports. Convoys crammed with servicemen and women and crucial supplies skirted close by, while U boats lurked just out of view. The military commandeered chunks of almost every Hebridean island – if invasion came, would there be fighting on the machair?

Was there more than stubborn, enduring or endearing stoicism linking Tiree and Winston Churchill in wartime? Was there something more than loyalty connecting the island with the Royal family at this time? How might Tiree offer rescue to those in peril on the seas, in time of war? What was it about the weather; the turbulent, sometimes chaotic weather patterns of Tiree’s Atlantic shroud, which educated and informed the planners of Allied victory? The authors have sought to capture here some memories of this momentous time, while memories still prevail, just; recollections of youth; RAF, Royal Navy and islander alike

ISBN 978-1-907443-38-1

Retail £15.00

Page 5: IBT Catalogue April 2013

5

5

HISTORY OF SKYE

A New Edition of the Classic Book

by Alexander Nicolson edited by Cailean Maclean

Following the appearance of the first edition in 1930, the small print run sold out immedi-ately, leaving those lucky enough to possess a copy, with and eagerly sought after an invaluable source of knowledge on the Isle of Skye. A second, equally popular, edition was published in 1994 and now a third edition of this enduring work has been prepared, edited by Cailean Maclean, to include references, bibliographical sources and appendices, full translation of Gaelic texts and numerous illustration.

ISBN 978-1-907443-14-5

Retail £25.00

EXPLORING THE ISLES OF THE WEST

Skye and Tiree to the Outer Isles

Firth of Clyde to the Small Isles

Marc Calhoun

Marc Calhoun lives in Seattle in the Western United States, fully 5000 miles away from the Hebrides and Exploring the Isles of the West is a compilation of years of exploring the islands, recounting not only the physical journeys but his own journey from tourist to serious explorer dedicated to seeing and learning as much as possible about the islands. Marc shares with the reader how to experience the islands—by learning the landscape, by learning the history, and ultimately by learning to love a group of islands that are truly unique.

Skye and Tiree to the Outer Isles

This book describes visits to islands from Skye to St Kilda, the Flannans, and North Rona.

ISBN: 978-1-907443-31-2

Retail £9.99

Firth of Clyde to the Small Isles

This book describes visits to islands from Ailsa Craig to Jura, Mull, and the Small Isles.

ISBN: 978-1-907443-30-5

Retail £9.99

FROM THE LOW TIDE OF THE SEA TO THE HIGHEST

MOUNTAIN TOP Community Ownership of Land

in the Highlands and Islands

James Hunter

with photographs by Cailean Maclean

In recent years, communities in the Scottish Highlands and Islands have taken ownership of more than half a million acres. In places long characterised by contracting economies and shrinking populations, this remarkable devel-opment has resulted in new homes, new busi-nesses, greatly enhanced self confidence

and the attraction of lots of new residents.

ISBN 978-1-907443-28-2

Retail £15.00

Page 6: IBT Catalogue April 2013

6

6

Dualchas àraid agus prìseil

A UNIQUE AND PRECIOUS CULTURE

The Changing Face of South Uist

and Eriskay

Photographs by Dr Kenneth Robertson

This unique book features a selection of the

best photographs of the late Dr Kenneth

Robertson, mostly previously unpublished

and taken over a period from 1956 to 1981.

A first class photographer, Dr Robertson was

very aware of his good fortune to be in a

position to record the life of the islands at a

time when they were on the cusp of great

and irrevocable change. His studies of the

everyday world of crofting, fishing and

home life tell a much deeper story of hard-

ship and joy, most of which is now but a

memory.

215 x 250 mm | 120pp | 100 b & w pictures |

hardback

ISBN 978-0-9560764-4-1

Retail price £20.00

SUAS GU DEAS

Two Hebrideans walking from the Butt to

Barra Head

Angus Peter Campbell

and Cailean Maclean An entertaining and incisive account in Gaelic

and English by prize-winning author Angus

Peter Campbell of a walk with a difference –

from the Butt of Lewis to Mingulay with friend

and leading photographer Cailean Maclean.

Along the way, Angus Peter and Cailean meet

Hebridean characters and visit old haunts in a

unique and unforgettable landscape. Already

televised, this is the book of the walk, a

celebration of contemporary Hebridean life in

all its variety and paradoxes, lit up by

Cailean’s superb photographs with literary

captions, and Angus Peter’s wit and insights.

This beautiful book is a tribute to the

remarkable and distinctive nature of island life,

its history, literature, landscape, and many

outstanding characters.

215 x 250 mm | 94pp | 66 colour pictures |

hardback

ISBN 978-0-9560764-3-4

Retail price £20.00

OIGHREACHD AR SINNSEARAN

Catching the Spirit of South Uist

and Eriskay

Dr Kenneth Robertson

Aware that he was living in the islands at a time of transition between the old tradition-al ways and the modern lifestyle, the late Dr Kenneth Robertson, a medical practi-tioner in South Uist and Eriskay and a skilled amateur photographer, sought to record those years from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. Contained in this beautiful book, is a selection of his black and white photographs, all carefully re-searched to identify those who appear in the images, giving both their Gaelic patronyms and English names where possi-ble.

ISBN: 978-1-907443-17-6

Retail £20.00

DOLLY DOCTOR

Pictures of Bygone Island

Dr MacDonald of Gisla (Dolly Doctor)

Introduced by Peter Cunningham

A beautifully produced selection from ‘Dolly Doctor’s unique collection of early plate-glass black and white slides, mainly taken in the 1930s, of life in Lewis and other islands in the Outer Hebrides, published here for the first time. The slides are particularly strong in their coverage of rural life such as fishing, the shielings, spinning, dying and weaving, going to the peats, crofting families and black-houses. Each picture has a full caption, and there is also an introduction about Dr Macdonald by well-known author Peter Cunningham, who knew ‘Dolly Doctor’ well, and has given many extremely popular slide-shows of ‘Dolly Doctor’s pictures over the years.

215x140mm 120pp, including 100 illustra-tions.

ISBN : 978-0-9560764-1-0

Retail price £12.00

Page 7: IBT Catalogue April 2013

7

7

STROMA

The Island in the Stream

Roddy Ritchie, Alistair Murray and George Gunn

It was as if we were the last men on earth, desolate, aware now of our own future. Will this be what it’s like if we continue to ravish our planet? The consideration made personal as we drove past neat gardens all abandoned with their delicate slate slabs still edging the paths. We halted in a gap between these old homes. A community had lived here buffeted by storms. Why had they left? Where had they gone? Their empty houses stand in silent witness to the busy traffic of a major shipping lane while Stroma, deserted, sits astride a tidal energy source second to none.

At the end of our first visit we knew there was a hidden and fascinating story to tell. Stroma is a microcosm of humanity’s fleeting struggle with the planet and still has huge relevance for how we forge our energy future and our relationship with the environment; a small island, a big story.

215 x 250 | 72 pp | 71 images — Hardback

ISBN 978-1-907443-13-8

Retail price £20.00

FOULA

THE TIME OF MY LIFE

By Chris Mylne

Young and inexperienced, Chris Mylne arrived on the Shetland island of Foula in April 1954 to take up the posts of Schoolmaster and Lay Missionary. This remarkable book tells in his own words the dramatic story of Chris’s formative time as part of this remote and unique island community which took him to their heart. It is a valuable record of island social and economic life during an era which has now passed into history, the challenges posed by extreme weather and unreliable transport links, and the colour and vibrancy of a beautiful natural environment, full of birds, flowers and wildlife. It was indeed ‘the time of his life’. In later years, Chris became well-known as an outstanding wildlife photographer and film-maker. The book is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of a large number of Chris’s own contemporary photographs of Foula’s human and natural history.

230 x 290 | 218 pp | 61 colour, 29 b&w photos, 5 illustrations — Hardback

ISBN 978-1-907443-15-2

Retail price £20.00

RETURN TO PATAGONIA

Greta Mackenzie

For all those who bought Greta Mackenzie’s previous best-seller ‘Why Patagonia?’, origi-nally published in 1995, and long out of print, there is a treat in store for Greta has written an updated and much expanded version of her famous book, with lots more photo-graphs, many in colour, and accounts of her further visits to Argentina and Chile in 1996 and 2002, to trace the many family links between Lewis and Patagonia first estab-lished a century ago.

It is the human side of the story, as Greta discovers long-lost relatives, and the descend-ants of emigrants from Lewis villages, as well as her own Achmore, which will most appeal to islanders today. This is truly living history, and a story which will have a per-sonal resonance with many people.

210x 150mm | 250pp including 130 colour and b & w photos

ISBN : 978-1-907443-11-4

Retail price £14.99

MHÒR AND MORE

Hill Walks in Uist

Martin Margulies

American Martin Margulies first visited South Uist in October 1987, drawn there by its remoteness and its Gaelic culture. On the final afternoon of the visit, he climbed halfway up its largest hill (Beinn Mhor, which lends its name to the title), and was "hooked." Now, a quarter century later, he has climbed not only that hill - multiple times but just about every other hill on the archipelago, and explored footpaths and distant glens as well.

This book, a collection of the articles, aims at introducing visitors to the hidden beauties of those hills, footpaths and glens. It also contains tips on how to get to them and - just as importantly - how to get safely back.

196 x 129 | 160 pp | 39 colour images 1 map

ISBN 978-1-907443-12-1

Retail Price £11.99

Page 8: IBT Catalogue April 2013

8

8

DESTINATION ST KILDA

From Oban to Skye and the Outer

Hebrides.

Includes 67 rarely seen original Magic Lan-

tern hand coloured glass slides from the

1880s depicting scenes from Oban to St

Kilda

In 1885 Aberdeen photographers George

Washington Wilson and Norman Macleod

set out to travel through the Western Isles to

St Kilda. They took many photographs along

the way and their collection of pictures,

‘From Oban to Skye and the Outer Hebrides’

was shown in magic lantern lectures through-

out Scotland.

The images and text in this book come from

this double set of lantern slides which was

produced in the late 1880s. These contempo-

rary hand coloured slides are rarely seen and

present a new light on life in the Western Isles,

produced fifty years before colour photography

came to Scotland.

295 x 210mm | 80pp including 67 colour and

b & w illustrations

ISBN : 978-1-907443-03-9

Retail price £19.99

ST KILDA DIARY

A Record of the Early Re-occupation of

St Kilda

Dr David Boddington

Captain David Boddington, RAMC, was Medi-

cal Officer on St Kilda from 1958, when the

Army first took over the base as a function-

ing unit of the Royal Artillery Guided Weapons

Range on the remote island group. He was

simultaneously Rations Officer, Meteorological

Officer, Postmaster and Barber! And he had a

passion for ornithology and natural history,

doubling up as warden for the Nature Conservancy

and representative of the National Trust for

Scotland. During his first year on St Kilda,

David kept a diary of his multi-dimensional

day to day activities as the base became

established. This book publishes extracts

from his diary for the first time – a compelling first-

hand account of life lived to the full at a

momentous time in the post-evacuation

history of St Kilda.

198x 129mm | 212pp including 14 b & w

photos

ISBN : 978-0-9560764-5-8

Retail price £9.99

FROM CLEITS TO CASTLES

A St Kildan Looks Back:

The Autobiography of Calum MacDon-

ald

There is a vast canon on the subject of St.

Kilda, however the authentic voices of those

who were native to the archipelago remain silent.

This book, however, promises to redress the

balance. This is the story of Calum MacDonald,

who was born on St. Kilda, and lived there

until he was sixteen, when he left for the

bright lights of Harris. He tells the story of a

hard life scratching a living from the inhospitable

land, but there is another story too; one of

closeness, kindness, spirituality and humour,

‘All my life I have been very fortunate be-

cause I was born among a small community

of Christian belief, who lived and shared

their lives as a whole, not as a unit. Our

closeness was partly due to kinship and

isolation from the outside world.’

198x 129mm | 136pp including 35 b & w

photos and illustrations

ISBN : 978-0-9560764-6-5

Retail price £9.99

REWRITING ST KILDA

New Views on Old Ideas

Edited by Bob Chambers

The world-wide fascination with the deserted

islands of St Kilda shows no sign of waning, and

we all share certain conventional assumptions

about and stereotypical images of the islands.

It is a remarkable fact that of the over 700 books

and articles written about St Kilda – on which our

images overwhelmingly are based – almost all

were written by visitors to the islands, often on

the basis of pre-conceptions and very little first

hand knowledge. It is not surprising therefore that

many myths have developed, and been repeated.

The voice of the Gaelic speaking native people

has been largely lost or overlooked.

In August 2010 the Islands Book Trust held a

major conference in Benbecula to look behind the

myths and re-examine some of the conventional

wisdom; the fascinating results are published here

in this book.

ISBN: 978-1-907443-23-7

Retail price £9.99

Page 9: IBT Catalogue April 2013

9

9

ST KILDA

Church, Visitors and ‘Natives’

by Michael Robson

A remarkable and dispassionate new study,

based on hitherto unused records this new

book is essential reading for all those who,

like so many in the past, have fallen under

the spell of St Kilda and its now lost

community. Michael Robson examines the

role of the church over the centuries, and the

impact of other outside influences such as

tourists and journalists.

240x160 mm 756 pp b/w photos

Original retail price £35.00

ISBN 97809546238-4-5

Reduced retail price £20.00

AN ISLE CALLED HIRTE

A History and Culture of St Kilda to

1930

by Mary Harman

A classic and vivid overview of the history

and culture of St Kilda up to the time of the

evacuation in 1930. Includes detailed treat-

ment of the population and families, their

homes, shielings, bothies and storehouses,

domestic life, pastoral and arable farming,

fowling and fishing, customs and beliefs,

stories and songs, religion, education and

health, and communications. Hardback, in-

cluding many diagrams and illustrations.

240x162mm |352pp | 32pp b/w plates

Original retail price £35.00

ISBN 978 1 899272 03 7

Reduced retail price £20.00

ST KILDA

Myth and Reality

This publication is based on the contribu-

tions made under this heading at one of the

sessions at ‘Faclan’, the first Hebridean

Book Festival, held in Stornoway in August

2006.

It brings together the three main talks by:

John Randall, Bill Lawson, and John

Love—together with some notes written for

the occasion by Michael Robson, based on

his book ‘St Kilda -Church, Visitors, and

‘Natives’’. It explores the concept of myth,

and shows that our image of St Kilda today

inevitably reflects previous writings, most of

which was by outsiders who in many cases

spent very little time on the island, but merely

repeated what previous writers had said.

The book contains a number of new pictures

of St Kilda not previously published.

210x145mm | 31pp| colour plates

ISBN 978-0-9546238-9-0

Retail price £5.00

ST KILDA SNAPSHOTS

Based on Lachlan Macdonald's Collection

David Quine

This lavishly illustrated book by David Quine,

who has written several acclaimed accounts of

St Kilda, contains many rare photos taken by

the late Lachlan MacDonald of life on St

Kilda, the last inhabitants of that remote

archipelago, and the St Kildans after the

evacuation.

Lachlan was born on St Kilda in 1906, left at

the time of the evacuation in 1930, and died

in 1991. David met him for the first time in

1977 when a valued friendship immediately

developed with Lachlan and his wife Nancy.

That relationship led to this beautiful book, an

evocative and very personal tribute to an

island community and a way of life which is

now over.

215 x 250 | 80 pp | 75 images—Hardback

ISBN 978-1-907443-21-3

Retail £9.99

Page 10: IBT Catalogue April 2013

10

10

ISLAND CONVERSION

The Transition of a Gaelic Poet

from Sceptic to Believer

By Myles and Margaret Campbell

Religion, and a belief in supernatural forces more generally, have played and still play a fundamentally important part in the culture of the Hebrides. Indeed, many would say that this is one of the dimensions which make island life and history distinctive.

The story told by Myles and Margaret Campbell in this book is inextricably linked to their island upbringing and cultural background. It is a very personal story, and one which honestly seeks to understand and interpret the events they have experienced. Myles Campbell is one of Scotland's leading Gaelic poets, and the text is supplemented by many of his beautiful poems, in Gaelic and English.

ISBN 978-1-907443-25-1

Retail £12.00

A LIFE OF SONG

The Autobiography of

Marjory Kennedy-Fraser

Marjory Kennedy-Fraser travelled the world in the second half of the 19th century with her father, the famous Scots singer David Kennedy, and then as an outstanding musician in her own right. She was also one of the most important collectors and popularisers of Gaelic song at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from islands such as Barra and Eriskay. Her arrangements of these traditional songs, undertaken with the Rev. Kenneth MacLeod, were however criti-cised for departing from the authentic settings of the songs. A re-assessment is long overdue, and this new edition of her remarkable autobiography, first published in 1929, includes additional illustrations and a substantial re-evaluation of her contribution to the recording and preservation of Gaelic song by Dr Per Ahlander, Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

ISBN 978-1-907443-19-0

Retail £14.99

FAITH IN A CRISIS

Famine, Eviction and the Church in North and South Uist

Flora Johnston

This intriguing book examines the role of the Church in dealing with and responding to the challenges of the mid-19th century in the islands of North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist. It covers the famine, ongoing emigration, the Disruption, and the high profile evictions from Lochboisdale and Sollas. The religious dimension is particularly interesting in these interlinked islands, where the Church of Scotland, the Free Church and the Roman Catholic Church existed side by side.

ISBN: 978-1-907443-32-9

Retail £9.99

Còco is Crùbagan

COCOA AND CRABS

A Hebridean Childhood

Flora MacDonald grew up in the 1940s and

50s at Meanish, one of a number of crofts

established in the 1920s at a time of acute land

shortage in the Western Isles. The house she

lived in, was built by her grandfather, all the

materials being brought in by boat. The school

she attended was also established after a long

campaign by her father. But Flora at the time

was blissfully unaware of the extraordinary

circumstances and hardships which her family

shared.

As Flora writes, ‘the date 1928 is carved by hand

above the door of the ruin in which I was born and brought up. This is the only reminder that my

pioneering family existed. My book is a modest and

humble tribute to my parents who provided me with

an idyllic and unique childhood.’

Please note that the text is bi-lingual and the

audio CD’s in Gaelic

215 x 140mm |112pp, including 13 colour

and b & w photos and maps

ISBN : 978-0-9560764-0-3

Retail price £15.00

Page 11: IBT Catalogue April 2013

11

11

ISLAND HEROES

The Military History of the Western Isles

Almost every township throughout the Islands

has its war memorial inscribed with scores of

names, but how much do we really know about

the role of the Hebrides and her people in war-

time?

In August 2008, The Islands Book Trust held a

three-day conference to address exactly this

question. ‘Island Heroes – The Hebrides and UK

Military History’ took place on the Isle of Lewis,

where a range of excellent speakers discussed the

disproportionate contribution and sacrifice made

by islanders to UK military campaigns over at

least the last 250 years and the role of the

Hebrides during World War Two.

This book brings together the various

contributions - looking at warfare from a uniquely

island perspective

215 x 140mm|205pp| including 24 colour and

b & w illustrations

ISBN: 978-0-9560764-2-7

Retail price £15.00

THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ALEXAN-

DER CARMICHAEL

A ground-breaking collection of essays celebrating

the life and legacy of one of the most fascinating

and controversial Scots of his time, the folklorist

Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912). Carmichael

devoted his adult life to collecting the extraordinarily

rich oral tradition of the people of his native

Highlands, above all in the Outer Hebrides where

he spent nearly twenty years. Much of this material

was edited and published in the six volumes of

Carmina Gadelica (1900-71), a magnificent treasure

trove of Gaelic charms, hymns, poems, songs, and

stories which has captivated and intrigued readers

world-wide ever since.

The Life and Legacy of Alexander Carmichael

presents the fruits of a four-day conference held in

the island of Benbecula in July 2006 under the

auspices of The Islands Book Trust. Bringing

together contributions from academic and local

Hebridean scholars alike.

240 x 170mm with 193 pp b & w photos and

illustrations

ISBN 978-0-9555420-0-8

Retail price £15.00

ISLAND EMIGRANTS

The History of Emigration from the Hebri-des over the centuries

In the summer of 2009, to mark Scotland’s Year of Homecoming, The Islands Book Trust held a conference entitled ‘Island Emigrants’ to explore the remarkable story of emigration from the islands to places such as Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Patagonia. The aim was to bring together outstanding speakers, local people, visitors to the islands, and descendants of families who left the Outer Hebrides over the last 250 years.

The conference also looked forward, inspiring a passionate debate on the image of Gaeldom itself and how young people see themselves in the modern world. The various contributions to the conference are collected here in this fascinating volume, which will appeal to anyone with an interest in the story of emigration.

198x 129mm | 187pp including maps and 8 b & w and 14 colour photos and illustrations

ISBN : 978-1-907443-02-2

Retail price £9.99

WHALING AND THE HEBRIDES

Whaling played a part in the subsistence economy

of the Outer Hebrides for many centuries and

has left a strong cultural legacy. In Aug 2007,

The Islands Book Trust held a three day conference

in Tarbert, Harris, entitled ‘Whaling and the

Hebrides’, with the aim of exploring both

whaling in and around the Hebrides and the

experiences of Hebrideans who worked in the

whaling industry in the South Atlantic in the 20th

century. This event brought together people from

different backgrounds – geographically (from

Norway and the Faroes as well as various parts

of the Hebrides and Scottish mainland), and

occupationally (from academic and scientific

experts to those with practical experience of whaling

in the South Atlantic).

This volume brings together the various

contributions, providing stimulating reading for

anyone with an interest in the history of this

forgotten industry.

215 x 140mm | 170 pp | 32 pictures, colour and

b & w

ISBN 978-0-9555420-4-6

Retail price £12.00

Page 12: IBT Catalogue April 2013

12

12

GREENLAND

The Rediscovered Island

Iain Brownlie Roy

In this magnificently illustrated booklet, Iain

Roy, an outstanding photographer and

frequent visitor to Greenland, outlines the

dramatic human and natural history of the

world’s largest island, a place of beauty and

challenge under the growing pressures of the

modern world.

210 x 140mm |39pp | 22 Colour photos

ISBN 978-1-907443-07-7 Booklet

Retail price £7.50

MEMORIES OF THE ISLAND OF

SCARP

Donald John Macleod

In this well-illustrated booklet, Donald John

Macleod brings together his own personal

memories of life on the island, together with

a series of anecdotes and contributions

which vividly illustrate what it was like to

be a resident of Scarp during the last century.

It will be of absorbing interest to all who

have visited this now depopulated island, or

have gazed wistfully across the narrow

sound of water near Husinish, Harris, to the

clearly visible buildings on a green strip of

land which once formed a living community.

219 x 140mm | 32pp | 9 colour & 9 b & w

images plus colour map

ISBN : 978-0-9560764-8-9 Booklet

Retail Price £6.00

STEAMSHIPS TO ST KILDA

John McCallum, Martin Orme, and the

Life and Death of an Island Community

Donald Meek

Donald Meek, who has recently retired from

his Professorship at Edinburgh University,

is best known for his Gaelic scholarship. But

another passionate interest, nurtured from his

boyhood days in Tiree, is Hebridean sea

transport and particularly the steamships

which have played such an important part in

shaping island life. In this booklet, published

to mark the 80th anniversary of the evacua-

tion, Donald looks at the wonderful steam-

ships which served St Kilda for over a centu-

ry, particularly the well-loved SS Dunara

Castle and SS Hebrides. His research has

uncovered important new material relating to

the seminal role played by McCallum, Orme

and Company Ltd, including the first ever

published photographs of Captain John

McCallum.

210 x 140mm | 40pp | 20 colour and b & w

photos

ISBN 978-1-907443-09-1 Booklet

Retail Price £7.50

FROM HIRTA TO PORT PHILLIP

Eric Richards

The story of the ill-fated emigration from St

Kilda to Australia in 1852

While the emotions and economic realities

surrounding the evacuation of St Kilda in

1930 are well-known and still hotly debated,

less is known of an equally traumatic earlier

event in the history of the islands – the

emigration of 36 islanders to Australia in

1852. Fewer than half of the St Kildans who

set sail from Birkenhead in the ‘Priscilla’

survived the journey and its immediate after-

math. In this well-researched and beautifully

illustrated booklet, Eric Richards, Professor

of History at Flinders University, Adelaide,

Australia, and an expert on the Highland

Clearances and emigration, looks at the

intriguing background, story, and conse-

quences of this ill-fated venture.

210 x 140mm | 35pp | 2 colour & 8 b & w

images plus 2 maps

ISBN 978-1-907443-05-3 Booklet

Retail price £7.50

Page 13: IBT Catalogue April 2013

13

13

THE FRENCH MACDONALD

Journey of a Marshal of Napoleon in

the Highlands and Islands of Scotland

This extraordinary book provides a unique

footnote to the momentous events of Jacobite

and Napoleonic history. In 1746 Neil

MacEachen left his native South Uist for the

last time - in the company of Prince Charles

Edward Stuart and hunted by Hanoverian

forces on land and sea. Three-quarters of a

century later Neil's son, Marshal Alexandre

MacDonald, Marshal of France, created

Duke of Tarentum by Napoleon, and High

Chancellor of the Order of the Legion d'Honneur,

returns to Scotland and the islands of his

ancestors and is feted as a hero by the British

establishment. Throughout his trip in 1825,

Marshal Alexandre MacDonald kept a diary.

This fascinating document was found recently

in the French National Archives and translated

from the original French.

215x140mm | 209pp | 19 illustrations

ISBN 978-1-907443-01-5

Retail price £12.00

STORNOWAY IN WORLD WAR 2

Mike Hughes and John Davenport

Published in early August to coincide with

our Island Heroes conference. Stornoway

played an important and under-rated role

both at sea and in the air in the winning of

the Battle of the Atlantic and the Second

World War. In this lavishly illustrated book-

let, containing many pictures not previously

published, Mike Hughes describes the

achievements and tragedies of those

dramatic years, drawing on the personal

memories of heroes like John Davenport

DFC, who like hundreds of others found

himself stationed in Lewis, at the most north

-westerly edge of Europe. A testament to the

bravery of those involved, this is not to be

missed.

115x210mm | 66 pp.| 29 black and white

photos and images.

ISBN 978-0-9555420-6-0

Retail price £6.00

THE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSES OF SCOTLAND

John A Love

John Love is a biologist, author and illustrator from

Inverness who has now been living in South Uist

for twenty years. He has been fascinated by islands

and their lighthouses ever since first visiting the

Bass Rock some fifty years ago. Cruising round

Britain as a lecturer since his retirement four years

ago he has been able to add to his already extensive

list of island lighthouses visited and photographed.

This book is based on a lecture John gave to the

Islands Book Trust in February 2011 on the 200th

anniversary of the first lighting of the Bell Rock

lighthouse.

ISBN 978-1-907443-26-8 Retail £10.00

A WINDOW INTO LIFE

ON MINGULAY

Extracts from the School Log Book 1875-1910

Contributions by Ben Buxton and David Powell

Edited by Bob and Shirley Chambers

Published to mark the centenary of the abandonment of

Mingulay as a place of permanent human settlement, this

illustrated booklet contains excerpts from the Mingulay

school log book 1875-1910, and contributions about the

history of the island and its schools by Ben Buxton and

David Powell. Never published before, the log book offers a

window into the daily life on Mingulay and its small

community during its final years.

ISBN 978-1-907443-37-4 Booklet

Retail £6.00

Page 14: IBT Catalogue April 2013

14

14

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF ST

KILDA

This thought provoking volume is based on

the very successful conference held in Great

Bernera, Lewis in August 2005 to mark the

75th anniversary of the evacuation of St

Kilda. It examines the background to the

island’s dramatic history in the context of the

struggles for survival of other remote islands

in the Western Isles, Shetland, Ireland, and

the Faroes. The authors shed new light on

the oft-told story of St Kilda’s decline and

fall, and challenge the many myths which

have grown up over the centuries.

210x150mm | 215pp | b/w & colour

Original retail price £12.00

ISBN 97809546238-7-6

Reduced retail price £10.00

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN LEWIS

The Ness Connection

Ian Stewart-Hargreaves and Rachel

Barrowman

In this new illustrated booklet, Ian Stewart-

Hargreaves claims that the island of Lewis

has some of the earliest Christian sites in

Scotland, established several centuries

before the Columban church reached Iona in

the sixth century. He believes the north of

Lewis had pre-Christian ritual significance,

that the Pictish Christian church became

established there as early as the third century

AD, and that Ness was the destination of a

medieval pilgrimage route. The booklet also

contains a paper by professional archaeologist

Rachel Barrowman which looks

dispassionately at the archaeological

evidence for early Christianity in Ness.

Altogether, a most thought-provoking

publication, based on the successful Book

Trust symposium held in September 2008

210 x 150 mm | 44 pp | 9 b/w | booklet

ISBN 978-0-9555420-8-4

Retail price £ 6.00

CALVANISM, LITERATURE AND

THE IMAGINATION

Prof Donald Macleod

This thought-provoking booklet, based on a

memorable lecture by one of Scotland’s

leading thinkers about religion at an Islands

Book Trust event in Summer 2009, sets out

Professor Donald Macleod’s views on an

important and controversial subject – the

relationship between Calvinism, literature

and creative writing. The caricature of rigid

Presbyterianism suppressing artistic expres-

sion is well-known, but is it true and is it

consistent with the teachings of Calvin?

Professor Macleod was born in Lewis and is

Principal of the Free Church College in

Edinburgh

210 x 140mm | 23pp booklet

ISBN 978-0-9560764-9-6

Retail Price £5.00

ICELAND AND THE HEBRIDES

My Roots

Sally Magnusson

In this illustrated booklet based on a talk

given to the Book Trust, Sally Magnusson

the well-known journalist and broadcaster

reflects on her own Icelandic and Hebridean

heritage and the strong if neglected historic

links – in both directions between Iceland

and the Hebrides. While it is well known that

Lewis and other parts of the Hebrides have

many place-names which owe their origin to

Norse settlers, the possible influence of

Celtic story-telling on the Icelandic sagas

and new evidence from DNA analysis

suggest that the Hebrides may also have had

a profound impact on Icelandic culture.

210x145 mm | 28pp | 10 colour pictures and

map — booklet

ISBN 978-0-9555420-9-1

Retail price £5.00

Page 15: IBT Catalogue April 2013

15

15

SHETLAND, ORKNEY AND THE

WESTERN ISLES

Some Personal Reflections on Compara-

tive Island Life

Colin Scott Mackenzie

This booklet offers a fascinating insight into

the similarities and differences between the

Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland.

The author, Colin Scott Mackenzie, is

uniquely qualified to do so, because he has

served for many years as Sheriff in all three

island groups. The aim is to provoke discussion

and debate among islanders who have much

to learn from each other.

Sheriff Mackenzie comes from a distinguished

Stornoway family. As well as his legal

pedigree, he is related to such well-known

historical writers as William Cook

Mackenzie and Agnes Mure Mackenzie.

210 x 140mm | 35pp | 31 colour photos and

images

ISBN 978-1-907443-06-0 Booklet

Retail price £7.50

GAME ON LEWIS AND HARRIS

Past and Present

David S D Jones

In this attractively illustrated booklet, David

Jones looks at the changing wildlife of Lewis

and Harris over the centuries as seen through

estate and game records. He charts the rise

and fall of particular species, often heavily

influenced by the management policies of

the estates, and gives a tantalising insight

into changing attitudes and the world of

sporting estates.

By drawing on sources not hitherto widely

used, David Jones’ research, based on his

impressive Western Isles Country Sports

Archive, allows a glimpse of a different

world, which will be of absorbing interest to

those fascinated by both the natural and

social history of the islands.

210x150mm | 64pp with 40 illustrations in

colour and b & w,

ISBN 978-0-9555420-2-2.

Retail price £6.00

CALLANISH

Monument, Moon and Mountain

Ian McHardy

The magnificent Callanish stones have captured

the imagination for centuries. From Martin

Martin to Lady Matheson and New Age

Travellers, they have been the source of

fascination and speculation. In turn, they

have given rise to innumerable theories

about their purpose, and why such an

impressive prehistoric monument should be

located in Lewis and on this particular site.

This booklet by Ian McHardy, a professional

archaeologist and historian, sets out some

important new ideas, drawing on folklore in

Scotland and the Celtic world more generally.

He demonstrates the value of looking across

disciplines, using insights from physical

science as well as traditional beliefs and

folklore, to shed new light on this age-old

subject.

210 x 140mm | 20pp | 11 colour and b & w

photos

ISBN 978-1-907443-08-4 Booklet

Retail price £7.50

SPEAK TO US CATRIONA

Donald S Murray

In this new collection of haunting and

memorable poems, Donald S Murray takes

his inspiration from ‘Tales and Traditions of

the Lews', the posthumously published work

of the celebrated amateur folklorist and

historian Dr Donald Macdonald of Gisla

(Dolly Doctor). Murray 's poetry follows the

same pattern of bringing together material

from many different sources. The resulting

poems celebrate the richness of the past and

present of Lewis, focussing not only on its

complexity but also on the diverse and

dramatic lives of the island's inhabitants.

210x147mm | 47 pp

ISBN 978-0-9546238-8-3

Retail price £5.00

Page 16: IBT Catalogue April 2013

16

16

THE SUMMER OF ‘89’

Bob Charnley

Following the chance discovery of a photo-

graph album chronicling the journey of a late

Victorian photographer around Scotland,

Bob Charnley set out to retrace his journey

and recover information about the people

and places portrayed in these evocative

images. The quality of the photographs stand

alongside those of George Washington

Wilson and D O Hill, and ‘The Summer of

‘89’ is now widely regarded as a classic

Victorian record of Highland life, and of the

west coast in particular.

240x190mm | 132 pp hardback, including

the original photographs in b/w throughout

Original retail price £14.95

ISBN 978 0 9516022 1 8

Reduced retail price £12.00

THE HIGHLAND CLAN MACNEA-

CAIL (MACNICOL)’

David Sellar and Alasdair Maclean

An entirely new account of the history of

one of the oldest Hebridean clans, the

Nicolsons of Scorrybreac in Skye, from their

origin in a remote Scandinavian past to their

dispersal around the globe in modern times.

This book is a remarkable synthesis of sound

scholarship and living oral tradition.

Historical texts, myths, traditions, story and

poetry are critically examined to produce a

fascinating history.

240x162mm | 96pp | hardback, including

colour pictures.

Original retail price £12.95

ISBN 978 1 899272 02 0

Reduced retail price £10.00

‘EXPEDITIONS TO THE

HEBRIDES’

George Clayton Atkinson

Edited by David Quine, this is a lavishly

illustrated and beautifully produced book

including extensive extracts from the

journals of the naturalist George Clayton

Atkinson, covering his explorations of the

Western Isles and St Kilda in 1831, and his

subsequent expedition to Skye, the Shiants

and Lewis in 1833. An intriguing insight into

both the natural and human history of these

islands at a crucial stage in their transition

from traditional societies to the modern

world.

240x160mm | 190pp | hardback, including

many colour illustrations throughout

Original retail price £25.00

ISBN 978 1 899272 06 8.

Reduced retail price £15.00

TRAVELS IN THE WESTERN

HEBRIDES FROM 1782 TO 1790’

Rev. John Lane Buchanan

In 1793, the Reverend Buchanan published a

searchingly full and controversial account of

his time spent in Harris and other parts of the

Outer Hebrides, including St Kilda, as

Missionary Minister. Including many first-

hand descriptions of the fauna and flora,

perhaps his most interesting observations are

on the people, their housing, social

behaviour and customs, their talents,

religious and educational prospects, and their

harsh experiences in making a livelihood in

an unfavourable climate and social structure.

This is a new publication of the original

book, with an introduction by Dr Alasdair

Maclean.

240x165 mm |112pp | paperback, with

illustrations.

Original retail price £8.50

ISBN 978 1 899272 04 4

Reduced retail price £5.00

Page 17: IBT Catalogue April 2013

17

17

MURDO CROLA

A Learned Man and a Very Talented Postman

Iain Smith and Murdo Maclennan

The remarkable story of self-educated scholar Murdo Macdonald (1907-1940) who lived in a remote cottage at Crola, Kinlochresort on the boundary between Lewis and Harris.

Iain Smith was raised in Ness in the Island of Lewis. Iain Smith’s father was told in 1932: “You must meet Murdo Crola, a local postman, a man who has never been to school. When I first came here, a few years ago, Murdo and I went for a walk along the local cliffs. And, as the sun was sinking in the Western sky on a beautiful evening over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, I could not help but say two lines from the Odyssey. Murdo said to me ‘Yes, minister: the Greeks also loved the sea’ and then quoted to me the next two lines of the Odyssey. John, this is no ordinary postman”.

210 x 150 |24pp | I map and 11 photos | Booklet

Retail price £5.00

LIFE ON THE EDGE Growing up in Steimreway

The Story of Chirsty Maggie Carmichael

Bob Chambers

Of all the settlements in Pairc, Stiomrabhagh (Steimreway) holds a special place in the heart of many. It is partly the beautiful setting, a ‘green oasis’ amongst the dark moorland surrounding it, partly the personal and family links which many people have with this now deserted village, But for all this interest, there have hitherto been no accounts of what it was actually like to live there. This is why Chirsty Maggie Carmichael’s story, put together by Bob Chambers with the help of Chirsty Maggie, her family, and many others, is so valuable. Through this unique account, we learn for the first time about the pattern of ordinary life in Steimreway – for example, Chirsty Maggie’s weekly walk to Lemreway school, the visits from the Minister, the waulking events, and the excitement of village weddings.

210 x 150 | 16 pp | 8 photos | Booklet

Retail price £5.00

OBAIR GUN DUAIS?

Alasdair MacGilleMhìcheil a’ tional ainmean Gàidhlig eun

A THANKLESS TASK?

Alexander Carmichael as a collector of Gael-ic bird names

Tristan ap Rheinallt

Everyone who has an interest in Gaelic culture and tradition will be familiar with the folklore collector Alexander Carmichael and with his masterwork, Carmina Gadelica. Plenty of evidence can be found within this work for how Carmichael took a keen interest in words and expressions related to natural history. It is known too that he collected large numbers of Gaelic bird names and sent lists of them to the ornithologists of the day. But how well qualified was he for this kind of collecting work? Was he correct when he wrote that he was engaged in ‘a thankless task’? These are just some of the questions addressed in this book.

198x 129mm | 100pp including 20 colour and b&w photos and illustrations

ISBN : 978-1-907443-10-7 Retail price £9.99

AIMHREIT AN FHEARAINN

The Land Struggle in Skye and Lewis

The 1880s marked a dramatic stage in the demand by crofters throughout the Highlands and Islands for land reform following the injustices of the Clearances. Crofters found a stronger voice, given greater confidence by the Highland Land Law Reform Association and developments in Ireland, and put pressure on landlords and the Government for improved rights and more land.

This illustrated book examines some of the key episodes in the Land Struggle in Skye and Lewis in areas such as Glendale and Pairc. The contributors, led by Professor James Hunter, provide new insights into the background and consequences of important events such as the Glendale Rising and the Pairc Deer Raid and the part played by figures such as John MacPherson, Donald Macrae and the Rev. Donald MacCallum.

ISBN 978-907443-27-5

Retail £7.50

Page 18: IBT Catalogue April 2013

18

18

GAELIC ON MAPS AND SIGNS IN SCOTLAND

Why it Matters

Ruairidh MacIlleathain

Roddy MacLean (Ruairidh MacIlleathain) is

a well-known Gaelic journalist and broad-

caster with links to Lewis (his grandfather

was from Callanish). In this stimulating and

passionately argued publication, based on a

presentation to the Book Trust in November

2010, Ruairidh assesses the current position

with regard to the use of Gaelic on signs and

maps in Scotland, both the patchy extent of

its usage and the frequent grammatical errors

which are prevalent. He argues that it is

important that the language is no longer

hidden away as has been the case for

generations, and that bilingual signage has

an important role in improving the

language’s status, visibility and usage. He

compares the position in Scotland unfavour-

ably with that of other minority languages

elsewhere in the world

ISBN: 978-1-907443-24-4 Booklet

Retail Price £6.50

THE ISLAND DWELLINGS OF NORTH UIST

Five Millennia of Island Life

Robert Lenfert

Robert Lenfert, a young American archaeol-

ogist preparing for a PhD at the University

of Nottingham, is the second recipient of the

GAMA (Gatliff/Angus Macleod Archive)

Award. This is funded by The Gatliff Trust

and The Islands Book Trust to allow students

to spend time in the Western Isles in order to

carry out their research, which is then

published. Robert was drawn to the crannogs

or duns, the island dwellings, that are to be

found in the Outer Hebrides, in general, and

on North Uist, in particular. His research

work was carried out in the Summer of 2010.

ISBN 978-1-907443-22-0 Booklet

Retail Price £6.00

PAPER CAIRNS

Poetry and Prose based on the work and

life of Angus Macleod (1916-2002)

Laura Helyer

This booklet contains a range of poems and a

short essay by Laura Helyer, a talented

young writer and graduate of St Andrews

University. Laura was the first recipient of

the GAMA (Gatliff/Angus Macleod Archive)

Award in 2009. This is funded by The

Gatliff Trust and The Islands Book Trust to

allow students to spend time in the Western

Isles in order to carry out their research,

which is then published. Laura was inspired

by the life and work of Angus ‘Ease’

Macleod (1916-2002) of Calbost, South

Lochs, Lewis.

210 x 140 mm | 24pp | 6 colour & b & w

photos

ISBN 978-1-907443-00-8 Booklet

Retail price £5.00

SOUTH LOCHS IN THE LEVERHULME ERA

A Community in Crisis

Monique Watt, a recent history graduate of Aberdeen University, was the 2011 winner of the GAMA (Gatliff/Angus Macleod Archive) Award. Researching into how the small community of South Lochs was affected by and responded to the acute problems and pressures coinciding with Lord Leverhulme’s ownership of the island in the years following the First World War. This booklet summarises the results of her pioneering research – showing for the first time at township and individual croft level how population over-crowding, land raiding, and eventually emigration, played their part in resolving a critical situation.

ISBN 978-1-907443-36- Booklet

Retail £6.00

Page 19: IBT Catalogue April 2013

19

19

1 St Kilda and Foula - John Randall, Michael Robson, Isobel Holburn £2.00 21 Tory Island - the Island that Nearly Died - Alasdair MacEachan £2.00

2 Place names of Barra and Lewis - Michael Robson, Anke-Beate Stahl £2.00 22 The Decline and Fall of Mingulay - Ben Buxton £2.00

3 History of Port of Ness harbour - Michael Robson £2.00 23 The Early History of Ness - Donald William Stewart £2.00

4 A Background to Shielings - Michael Robson £2.00 24 Singers and Tradition Bearers in Lewis and Harris I have known £2.00

5 Beehive Structures in Uig, Lewis - Dave Roberts £2.00 25 Tristan da Cunha - Paul Tyler £2.00

6 Travellers to the Hebrides - Elizabeth Bray £2.00 26 The Shiants - Adam Nicolson £2.00

7 The Flannan Isles - Michael Robson £2.00 27 World War Two in the Hebrides - Mike Hughes £1.50

8 Some Collectors of Gaelic song - Morag Macleod £2.00 28 Breaking down the Barriers - Lesley Riddoch £2.00

9 Looking at Monuments - the work of Historic Scotland in Lewis £2.00 29 The Archaeology of the Shiants - Dr Mary Macleod £2.00

10 Troubles over Rona - Michael Robson £2.00 30 Cultural changes in Quebec since the Gaelic Settlers - M Bennett £2.00

11 Rum - a Landscape without Figures - John Love £2.00 31 Three Centuries of Natural History in the Highlands - John Love £2.00

12 Writing about Islands - Mairi Hedderwick £2.00 32 The Seaweed Industries in Uist - Roddy Macdonald £2.50

13 St Kilda and 'the outside world' - Michael Robson £2.00 33 Pairc—Old Enigma New Ideas - Dr. Mary Macleod £2.00

14 Harvie-Brown in the Outer Hebrides - Michael Robson £2.00 34 The Changing Fortunes of Lewis Sporting Estates - David S.D.Jones £2.00

15 A Head for Heights - Sea Stacks - Chris Barrowman et al £2.00 35 Kinlochresort—Deserted Island Settlement– Ian R. Mitchell £2.00

16 The Deserted Settlement of Steimreway - John Randall £2.00 36 History of Eilean Glas Lighthouse, Scalpay - Islands Book Trust £2.00

17 Martin Martin on Uist - Michael Robson £2.00 37 The Church and Mingulay - Father Michael Macdonald £2.50

18 The Island of Scarp - Calum John Mackay £2.00

19 The Great Forest on the other side of Loch Shell - Michael Robson £2.00

20 A Grand Tour of Scotland's Inhabited Islands - Cairns Aitken £2.00

Island Notes are summaries of talks

given at events arranged by the Book Trust (already made available to Gold members). The new series is produced in an attractive A5 booklet format and is available at a modest price as listed in the table below.

Page 20: IBT Catalogue April 2013

20

20

The Islands Book Trust

Ravenspoint Centre

Kershader

Lochs

Isle of Lewis

HS2 9QA

Tel +44 (0) 1851 880737

[email protected]

www.theislandsbooktrust.com

EVENTS CALENDAR

Visit our website at www.theislandsbooktrust.com for the comprehensive list of events organised by The Islands Book Trust throughout the year.

THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUST – HIGH QUALITY BOOKS ON ISLAND THEMES IN ENGLISH AND GAELIC

Based in Lewis, the Islands Book Trust are a charity committed to furthering understanding and appreciation of

the history of Scottish islands in their wider Celtic and Nordic context. We do this through publishing books,

organising talks and conferences, visits , radio broadcasts, research and education on island themes. For details of

membership of the Book Trust, which will keep you in touch with all our publications and other activities, see

www.theislandsbooktrust.com or phone 01851 880737.