www.theislandsbooktrust.com

INSIDE

From the chairman

New Staff

Books

Colonsay

Calum Cille

Uist and Barra

Lewis and Harris

and.................

the 2014 events programme

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g history THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUST

URRAS LEABHRAICHEAN NAN EILEAN

ne w s l e t t e r No.39 May 2014editorAlayne M Barton

THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUSTU R R A S L E A B H R A I C H E A N N A N E I L E A N

and

urras leabhraichean nan eilean - the islands book trust a registered scottish charity SC032682 Ravenspoint Kershader Isle of Lewis HS2 9QAenquiries - tel 01851 820946 email: alayne@theislandsbooktrust.combook sales - tel: 01851 880737 email: sales@theislandsbooktrust.com

retirement presentation

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WE’RE BEGINNING TO SEE SIGNS OF SPRING at last here in the islands with lambs bouncing on the crofts and birds nesting on the machair. Naturally then, our thoughts are turning towards this summer’s programme of events …

This year we are holding two conferences, in Colonsay and Donegal. The former takes place from 6th – 9th June and aims to celebrate and promote the heritage of the beautiful island of Colonsay, paying particular reference to the work of Donald MacKinnon, the outstanding Gaelic scholar the centenary of whose death falls this year. The Donegal conference, which will be from 20th – 22nd June, builds on the success of last year’s Slighe Chaluim Chille conference held in Orinsay in South Lochs, and will continue the process of both examining the legacy of Columba in Ireland and Scotland and discussing how to develop the Columba Trail as a means of encouraging heritage and tourism links between communities in the west of Ireland and the Hebrides. Places for both conferences are limited so book now to avoid disappointment!

Our ever popular boat trips resume in May, with a trip to Mealista Island on 17th and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for glorious weather after last year’s disappointment. Also on the programme are Isay (Skye) and Ronay in May, Mingulay and Haskeir in June, South Pairc and Ensay in July and Canna in August. Also in August is our AGM, on the 26th, after which our autumn series of talks will begin.

There’s a lot of activity on the book front too as May sees the launch of two new titles, ‘Teaghlach Machair’ by Donald Sinclair and ‘The Secret Island’, the proceedings of 2013’s enormously successful conference held in Tiree. June will see the publication of ‘200 Years of Farming in Sutherland’ by Reay Clarke and a memoir by Dolina MacLennan entitled ‘An Island Girl’s Journey’. You can find more information on all the above within these pages.

We would like to welcome our two new members of staff, Marketing Officers John Groom and Mairi Mackenzie, and new Trustee Maureen Kerr, author of our bestselling title George Murray – ‘A Schoolteacher for St Kilda’. We’d also like to thank outgoing Trustee Donald Meek for all his work on behalf of the Trust and we wish him well in his retirement.

Finally can I urge you to renew your membership if it is due – your contribution is very important to us in these financially difficult times.

Alasdair MacEachen Chairman May 2014

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Retirement DinnerA farewell dinner at the Park Guest House, Stornoway was held for outgoing Chairman John Randall on 14th January, during which he was presented with a beautiful picture of Loch Stilligarry in South Uist as a token of thanks for all his work on behalf of the Book Trust. Although retired as Chairman, John continues as a trustee with special responsibility for fundraising.

New StaffWe would like to welcome our two new part-time Marketing Officers, appointed thanks to funding obtained from Comunn na Gàidhlig’s Business Innovation and Marketing scheme. John Groom and Mairi Mackenzie began work on 1 April and their contracts run until December 2014. They will be responsible for increasing the profile of the Book Trust, as well as our publications, membership, and sponsorship income. John and Mairi introduce themselves below …

John Groom

Following a career in sales, I decided to give up the constant battle to achieve targets, and set myself a new goal to travel the Scottish Islands. After weeks of camping and hosteling, I finally settled down for the winter on the Isle of Lewis, and after two winters, I’m still here! In some ways it’s not so different from the Cambridgeshire fens where I grew up - it was quite remote, and the winters could be very bleak. The landscape is a world away though, and the history, culture and sense of community that make the Hebrides unique can be found nowhere else. My next task is to learn a little Gaelic, and read the amazing collection of titles that the Books Trust has produced!

Mairi MackenzieCo as a tha mi/Where I come from: ‘S ann a Òrd san Eilean Sgitheanach à tha mi bho thus, thàinig sinn mar teaghlach dha Ceann a Loch, Leòdhas ann an 2011I grew up in Ord on the Isle of Skye and we moved to Kinloch, Lewis in 2011.Sgilean Proifeasanta/Professional Background: As dèidh ceum a’ dhèanamh aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig tha mi air a bhith an sàs ann an obair na meadhanan, gu h-àraidh obair rianachd. Tha sgilean ealan agamsa cuideachd agus leis a sinn tha obair margaideachd a’ còrdadh rium gu mòr.

Change is afoot here at IBT HQ

From the Chairman

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Since completing my studies at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig I have worked mainly in the media, particularly in an administrative nature. I really enjoy marketing work as it gives me the opportunity to explore my artistic skills.Cuir seachadan/Hobbies: ‘S toigh leum a bhith an sàs ann an obair saor-thoileach sa coimhearsnachd, tro na bliadhnaichean tha mi air a bhith an sàs le diofair buidhnean bho Urras Coimhearsnachd Shlèite, Fàs Mòr, Macmillan Cancer Research dha The Nappy Network ‘s Harris Gun Club. Tha balach beag agamsa ‘s leis a sinn chan eil ùine gu leòr airson mòran eile a dhèanamh ach feumaidh mi ràdh gu bheil mi uabhasach dèidheil air losgadh na calmain-crèadha!I really enjoy volunteering for community groups, across the years I have been involved in a wide variety of organisations from Sleat Community Trust, Fàs Mòr, Macmillan Cancer Research to The Nappy Network and Harris Gun Club. As I have a young son I don’t have much time to dedicate to hobbies but I have to admit to being a very keen Clay Pigeon shot!

Book LaunchesAfter a winter spent beavering away behind the scenes here at IBT HQ we have several new books coming out in May and June. First is Teaghlach Machair, an account of the making of the popular Gaelic drama ‘Machair’ by Donald Sinclair which will be launched at the brand new Café Roo in Point on Friday 16th May. With ‘Machair’ cast and crew members present, it’s bound to be an entertaining evening so do come along and join the fun.

A week later, on Friday 23rd May, we’re off to Tiree for the launch of The Secret Island, the proceedings of last year’s enormously successful conference exploring the history of Tiree. We’re very much looking forward to being back on the island again, especially at such a wonderful time of year, and anticipate that the launch will be equally well supported by the local community.

Finally, on 25 July, we will be launching 200 Years of Farming in Eriboll, an account of one family farming in the far north of Scotland at the Durness Gathering in Sutherland. The author, Reay Clarke, is one of the Clarkes of Eriboll, in north-west Sutherland, a dynasty of sheep-farmers who have been living and working in Sutherland since the 1820s, and whose farm at Eriboll only passed out of their hands in the 1920s. Reay will be on hand to answer questions and to sign copies of the book so don’t miss this opportunity to hear him speak.

Hebridean ConnectionsDon’t forget you can catch up with the latest developments in the Hebridean Connections project on their blog at http://blog.hebrideanconnections.com/

New Courses at UHIMight you or some of your friends and contacts be interested in a distance-learning masters (MLitt) focusing on Scottish History, British history, history of sport, as well as maritime and coastal history within the North Atlantic?

Notice of AGM of the Islands Book Trust: Tuesday 26th August at the County Hotel, Stornoway, 6.30pm.

This year’s AGM will take place on the evening of Tuesday 26th August in the County Hotel, Stornoway and all members are cordially invited to attend. Following the business part of the evening, there will be a talk by Eric Richards entitled ‘Highland Estate Factors in the Age if the Clearances’.

Agenda

1. Apologies2. Minutes of last AGM (13 July 2013)3. Matters arising4. Chairman’s report5. Treasurer’s report6. Any other business

Please remember to renew your membership – your support really counts!

Taught from the Scottish Highlands, our two new programmes - the MLitt History and the MLitt History and Archaeology of the Highlands and Islands - are available from anywhere in the world. These online programmes involve the launch of several new masters-level modules (individual short courses) for 2014-15. Further information about them and the programmes more generally, is available via the link below, and by contacting Alison MacWilliam on history@uhi.ac.uk. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/cultural/centre-for-history/postgraduate

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This year our main conference will be held on the fascinating island of Colonsay, from 6th – 9th June. Colonsay, and the associated tidal island of Oransay, has a population of some 130 and is one of the most beautiful of the Inner Hebrides, with a rich heritage of natural history, place-names, early Christianity, and Gaelic traditions.

It also played an important part in 17th century Scottish history through the exploits of Coll Ciotach (Colkitto) and his son Alasdair mac Colla Chiotaich, a turbulent era followed by population decline and emigration. A more Colonsay man, Donald MacKinnon, the centenary of whose death falls this year, was an outstanding Gaelic scholar and occupied the first ever Chair of Celtic at Edinburgh University.

The aim of the conference is to mark the 100th anniversary of Donald MacKinnon’s death by looking at aspects of his illustrious life and work, and shining a spotlight on the outstanding human and natural heritage of his native island. It is hoped that, by celebrating Colonsay’s past, the event will promote the island’s economic and cultural future.

Like all Island Book Trust events, this will be much more than an ‘academic’ occasion. We pride ourselves on bringing people together from a range of different backgrounds on the principle that we can all learn from each other’s perspectives, and that a mixture of backgrounds adds to the enjoyment of the occasion. We also believe there are great advantages in holding conferences in a community setting, with active participation by local people. So most sessions will take place in the Colonsay Village Hall, and there will be a community ceilidh and an opportunity to visit places of historic interest in Colonsay and Oransay.

This 4-day event is organised by the Islands Book Trust, based in Lewis and dedicated to furthering understanding and appreciation of the history of Scottish islands. It has been arranged in partnership with the Colonsay and Oransay Heritage Trust, and the University of Edinburgh. We are grateful for support from Awards for All and the Colonsay Estate.

Meals and overnight accommodation can be arranged as part of an all-inclusive conference price for those who wish this – see the booking form included with this newsletter. Alternatively, people can come along to individual sessions on a pay-as- you- go basis. There are special reductions for Colonsay residents and full-time students. For more details, please email Alayne at alayne@theislandsbooktrust.com or phone on 01851 820946.

Colonsay: Donald Mackinnon’s island

In addition to our main conference in Colonsay, we are also holding another, smaller conference in beautiful county Donegal, from 20th – 22nd June.

The purpose of the conference is to consider the historical legacy of Colm Cille/Calum Cille/ Columba in Western Ireland and Scotland; and to discuss how best to develop Slí Cholmcille/Slighe Chaluim Chille (the Columba Trail) as a means of encouraging heritage and cultural tourism links between communities in the west of Ireland and the Hebrides.

St Columba is the best known of the early Christian saints who journeyed from Ireland to Scotland in and around the 6th century AD in search of personal fulfilment or to evangelise. He is believed to have been born at Gartan, Donegal, leaving Ireland in 563 to found a monastery on Iona, where he died in 597. Many legends surround his activities, particularly in Ulster, Iona, and the Hebrides. Indeed, a whole mythology, some of it reflecting a pagan past, has been developed over the centuries. Columba’s religious and cultural legacy is of great importance, and includes many early churches dedicated to his name in both Ireland and Scotland.

To encourage further understanding of this legacy, and the enduring linguistic and cultural links between communities in Ireland (both north and south of the border) and Scotland, the Colmcille Initative has established Slí Cholmcille/Slighe Chaluim Chille (the St Columba Trail) – from Glencolmcille, Donegal, in the south to Lewis in the Outer Hebrides in the north, including sites in Donegal, Derry, Argyllshire, and the Hebrides. It is instructive to note that in St Columba’s time it was probably easier to travel along the route of the Slí than it is today!

The conference is organised by the Islands Book Trust, who are based in Lewis and dedicated to furthering understanding of the history and heritage of Scottish islands in their wider Celtic and Nordic context, including comparisons with Ireland. It follows a successful conference held in Lewis in June 2013. We have considerable experience at arranging successful international events, involving academic speakers and other experts alongside people from local communities. We have approached a first-class array of speakers to lead off the discussion. Some of the talks will be in Irish Gaeilge and some in Scots Gaelic, with simultaneous translation facilities into English available.

This 3-day event, to be held at the Ostán Loch Altán hotel in Gortahork, Donegal, with a visit to Tory Island, will bring together people from Ireland and Scotland to discuss the legacy of Columba and how best the Slí can be developed to promote linguistic links and cultural tourism.

Meals and overnight accommodation can be arranged as part of an all-inclusive conference price for those who wish this – see the booking form included with this newsletter. Alternatively, people can come along to individual sessions on a pay-as- you- go basis. For more details, please email Alayne at alayne@theislandsbooktrust.com or phone 01851 820946.

The development of Slí Cholmcille/Slighe Chaluim Chille:Heritage, Community and Tourism

tory island Joe ryan

Kiloran Bay, isle of Colonsay

(nige Brown)

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Margaret Macaulay – ‘The Prisoner of St Kilda’On Tuesday 11 February we welcomed Margaret Macaulay to An Lanntair in Stornoway to talk about her book ‘The Prisoner of St Kilda’, published in 2009 by Luath Press.

‘One shotgun wedding. Two Kings. Thirteen years incarcerated. You may be sure I have much more to tell.’ Lady Grange, letter from St Kilda, 1738.

Rachel Chiesley married James Erskine, Lord Grange, a Scottish lawyer, sometime in the early 1700s, though the exact date is unknown. In all likelihood the marriage took place because she was pregnant but to begin with at least domestic life was uneventful. Dividing their time between a town house in Edinburgh and their estate near Prestonpans in East Lothian, Lady Grange had nine children before things began to unravel.

By 1730 however, Lord Grange had embarked upon an affair with coffee house owner Fanny Lindsay and his wife’s behaviour was increasingly unstable. He was active in the Jacobite cause and she threatened to expose this secret in an attempt to force him to leave his mistress. When she booked a seat on the stagecoach to London in January 1732 in order to take her tale of treason to London, he decided the time had come to take action.

On the night of 22 January Lady Grange was violently abducted from her home and taken north via Falkirk and Balquhidder, eventually reaching the Monach Isles, where she was held until 1734. In June of that year she was taken to St Kilda, where she was to remain, in terrible conditions, until 1740.

The story is quite well known, but Margaret raised some interesting issues in her talk, namely, why did James Erskine go to such lengths to remove his wife; why did he have such willing accomplices and why did no-one try to find Lady Grange, who was well-known in Edinburgh society? In her answers to these questions Margaret drew our attention to eighteenth century attitudes to women; divorce was complex and socially undesirable and divorced mothers were rarely given custody of or even allowed access to their children. She pointed out that there is no surviving contemporary female view of the affair, apart from Lady Grange’s own testimony. When asked by a member of the audience why Lord Grange did not simply have his wife quietly murdered, Margaret reminded us that he was a deeply religious man which would have precluded such an action, but that in those days holding one’s wife captive on a remote island was quite within the rights of a husband, especially if she was known to be emotionally unstable. The fact that Boswell and Johnson enjoyed the joke a few decades later proves the point: ‘After dinner to-day, we talked of the extraordinary fact of Lady Grange’s being sent to St Kilda, and confined there for several years, without any means of relief. Dr Johnson said, “if M’Leod would let it be known that he had such a place for naughty ladies, he might make it a very profitable island.”’

It was a most interesting and thought provoking evening and we are very grateful indeed to Margaret. Her book ‘The Prisoner of St Kilda’ is available from Luath Press, price £8.99.

Bill Lawson - ‘Emigration from the Western Isles’It was a great privilege in March to hear Bill Lawson talk in Stornoway from his vast

Recent Events in Lewis and Harris experience on the subject of emigration from the Outer Hebrides 1750-1920. A huge and complex story was revealed – with different islanders and different destinations contributing to the changing pattern of movement over this 170 years period. As Bill brought out, it is all too easy – and misleading – to think of all emigrants being driven from their homes at the time of the Clearances. Some were, but many more made their own proactive and positive decisions to pursue a better life in a new country. Indeed, the Western Isles should celebrate the success of great adventurers and entrepreneurs such as Alexander Mackenzie in North America, Colin Mackenzie in India, and Thomas Macleod in the Antarctic, all of whom were born in Stornoway. Bill Lawson’s lifetime’s work in gathering together genealogical information about every family in the Outer Hebrides, including over 20,000 emigrants, is now becoming available on the Northton Heritage Trust website www.hebridespeople.com

Tony Marr - ‘South Georgia and the Falklands – Albatrosses, Penguins and Whaling’Tony Marr is an ornithologist who lives in Port of Ness in the Isle of Lewis. His talk for the Book Trust in An Lanntair, Stornoway, on Tuesday 25 March was a real highlight of the 2014 programme. He based his talk on visits he has made to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands as a cruise ship ornithologist. His lecture was informative and thought-provoking, and his photographs of bird and animal life in these southern islands were truly stunning.

The photos of the old Salvesen whaling stations brought back memories of the many Lewismen who worked at the whaling in the fifties and sixties. In fact, a few of them were present at the talk. The evening was enhanced by Tony’s humorous anecdotes about incidents that occurred on his travels to the South Atlantic.

John Love - ‘Cuairt a Chanaidh’ On the evening of 22 April, in a change to our published programme, naturalist John Love gave a wonderful presentation at An Lanntair, Stornoway, which drew on his deep personal knowledge and links with the island of Canna. John got to know the people of Canna while he

wandering alBatross

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New and Forthcoming Books from IBTLove and Music Will EndureA Novel based on the life of Màiri Mhòr nan Òran

Liz Macrae Shaw

Màiri Mhòr, poet and political campaigner was born into a crofting family in nineteenthcentury Skye. Her powerful voice was only unleashed in middle age when she was falsely accused of theft. She poured her rage and despair into songs about the plight of her fellow Highlanders who were being driven from their homes. Through force of character she overcame the barriers of background, class and gender to become their champion and inspiration. Finally she had to face up to the failures of the campaign for crofters’ rights and the disillusionment of the returning exile.

Her life reflected the truth of the Gaelic proverb, which translates as ‘When the world comes to an end only love and music will endure’.ISBN: 978-1-907443-58-9 | Paperback | £8.99 | Available now

Teaghlach MachairThe Machair Family

Donald Sinclair

This well-illustrated book in Gaelic and English celebrates the 20th anniversary of an important cultural phenomenon, the Gaelic soap opera Machair which was first broadcast on Scottish Television in 1993. Popular and critical acclaim soon followed, with the Scotland on Sunday TV critic Kenneth Roy describing Machair as ‘the most interesting development in television drama in Scotland since Tutti Frutti’. By 1999, a total of 150 episodes had been produced on the Isle of Lewis and broadcast throughout Scotland. Sensational viewing figures were complemented by a wave of heartfelt affection which swept across a charmed nation. With record audience ratings, BBC ALBA continues to screen Machair for a new generation of fans and admirers. Why was Machair so successful? Who were the people behind the emergence of this modern media phenomenon? Featuring

was living on the neighbouring island of Rum in the 1970s and 80s. Canna is the most westerly of the Small Isles (also comprising Rum, Eigg and Muck) and

arguably the most isolated. The isle of Sanday is linked to the main island at low tide, although recently a new road bridge has been built to allow constant access regardless of tide levels.

The island was bought by folklorists John Lorne Campbell and his wife Margaret Fay Shaw in 1938 and gifted to the National Trust for Scotland in 1981, though they continued to live there until their deaths in 1996 and 2004 respectively. Canna House remains as it was during their lifetimes and is an important resource for scholars, housing as it does a vast archive of over 900 items, including diaries, letters, music and photographs.

Inhabited since Neolithic times, Canna has many important field monuments and its group of early Christian sculptured stonework is second only to that of Iona. It also boasts a rare ‘cursing stone’, dating from c. 800. The Vikings settled in the region in the ninth to twelfth centuries and left their mark on the island in the form of its place names.

The entire area of Canna and Sanday, with the exception of the enclosed agricultural land, has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, being home to 248 species of native flowering plants, nationally important colonies of puffins and manx shearwaters amongst others, and iconic species such as white tailed sea eagles, golden eagles, peregrine and corncrake. The insect life is also of great national significance. The island was managed by the Campbells as a nature reserve and the NTS continue to manage it in this way; the farm for instance has a zero-cropping policy and areas are cordoned off from March to September in order to encourage ground nesting birds such as the corncrake.

John’s talk, which included dramatic contemporary and archive photographs of the natural landscape, wildlife, and human history of Canna, gave a valuable insight into the life of the islanders, particularly during the time of John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw. This led on to a discussion of the impact of land ownership, and the relative success of different models in the Small Isles over the last century. Despite a population having fallen as low as 13, John expressed guarded optimism about the future of Canna, now owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

isle of Canna

Caroline maCKinnon

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the long history of one family – the Clarkes – in one place – Eriboll – but which speaks for many. This book describes the beginnings of sheep farming in the north, and takes the reader through decades of social change and upheaval, from the remote and rural north of Scotland to the sunny climes of Tasmania, Australia, all through the unifying lens of one extraordinary family. The history and voice of sheep farmers has long been ignored in the past, to the peril of current and future farming. As the author demonstrates his knowledge and understanding of the land and how it must be managed, we might all benefit from listening to this point of view and approaching the key asset of the north – the land – with more respect than has hitherto been shown.ISBN: 978-1-907443-60-2 | Paperback | £9.99 | Available June 2014

DolinaAn Island Girl’s Journey

Dolina MacLennan in conversation with Jim Gilchrist and Stuart Eydmann

Dolina Maclennan is well known as an outstanding singer, actress, and storyteller of national and indeed international renown. She has received a lifetime award from the Saltire Society for her contribution to Scottish cultural life. In this sensitive and very personal account, Dolina looks back on some of the forces which moulded her, from her childhood in a traditional Gaelic-speaking community in rural Lewis to her friendship with many of the great figures of the Scottish literary and artistic scene over the past half century – including Hamish Henderson, Hugh Macdiarmid, and Sorley Maclean. From her starring roles in the iconic 1970s theatre production ‘The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black, Black Oil’ to the 1990s Gaelic TV soap opera ‘Machair’, Dolina has become an instantly recognised figure. She also has all the qualities of the traditional Gaelic story-teller, steeped in island heritage and culture. Her authentic voice rings out loud and clear in these memories – in a way which is simultaneously simple, powerful, and very moving. ISBN: 978-1-907443-61-9 | Paperback | £11.99 | Available August 2014

detailed background information and interviews in Gaelic and English, Teaghlach Machair tells the story of the making of the hit long-running drama serial which broke down language barriers and helped gain widespread acceptance and credibility for a rejuvenated 21st Century Gaelic culture.ISBN: 978-1-907443-44-2 | Paperback | £15.00 | Available now

The Secret IslandTowards a History of Tiree

Various

Tiree is one of the most fertile Hebridean islands and has had a relatively large population since early times. One of its Gaelic names – ‘Tìr ìseal an eòrna’ (the low land of barley) - encapsulates its reputation for productive agriculture, while another - ‘Tìr bàrr fo thuinn’(the land below the waves) - illustrates its generally very low-lying nature. And yet, strangely, Tiree is one of the few Hebridean islands without a full-length recent book published about its remarkable history. In the summer of 2013 the Islands Book Trust held a three-day conference on the island in an attempt to explore this hidden history. The conference brought together a wide range of people, from the academic world and from the local community, with knowledge of aspects of Tiree’s history from 1600 to the present day, so they could discuss their views with the ultimate objective of filling this gap. This is the fascinating result of those few days.ISBN: 978-1-907443-62-6 | Paperback | Price: £12.00 | Available now

Two Hundred Years of Farming in Sutherland The Story of my Family

Reay D. G. Clarke This ground breaking and original book conjures up an increasingly lost way of life: that of the sheep farmers of the far north of Scotland – their work, lives, families and how these changed over two hundred years. The book makes an enormous contribution to our understanding of a long neglected facet of Highland history. It does so in the most accessible way: through

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Books from Other Publishers Secrets of the Sea House

Elizabeth Gifford

Scotland, 1860. Reverend Alexander Ferguson, nae and newly-ordained, takes up his new parish, a poor, isolated patch on the Hebridean island of Harris. His time on the island will irrevocably change the course of his life, but the white house on the edge of the dunes keeps its silence long after Alexander departs.

It will be more than a century before the Sea House reluctantly gives up its secrets. Ruth and Michael buy the grand but dilapidated building and begin to turn it into a home for the family they hope to have. But their dreams are marred by a shocking discovery. The tiny bones of a baby are buried beneath the house; the child’s fragile legs are fused together - a mermaid child. Who buried the bones? And why? Ruth needs to solve the mystery of her new home - but the answers to her questions may lie in her own past.

Based on a real nineteenth-century letter to The Times in which a Scottish clergyman claimed to have seen a mermaid, Secrets of the Sea House is an epic, sweeping tale of loss and love, hope and redemption, and how we heal ourselves with the stories we tell.ISBN: 9781782391135 | Paperback | £7.99 | Available now from Corvus

IslandHow Islands Transform the World

J. Edward Chamberlin

Ever since the dawn of human history, islands have been at the heart of our desires - and our fears. Drawing on anthropology, literature, biology, art, philosophy and earth science, Island tells the groundbreaking story of humans and islands throughout history, and celebrates islands as a central part of the world we live in. With a unique cross-

disciplinary approach, encompassing everything from the wonder of an island’s flora and fauna, to the geological roots of island formations, via references to popular culture, poetry and literature (including Prospero, Gulliver, Robinson Crusoe and the Count of Monte Cristo), Chamberlin tells the vivid and absorbing story of how islands have shaped human history, society and culture. A marvellously ambitious book that celebrates islands for all their worth, whether real or invented, literal or fictitious, as a central part of the human narrative.

ISBN: 978-1909653382 | Hardback | £14.99 | Available now from Elliott & Thompson

The Girl on the Ferryboat/ An Nighean Air an Aiseig

Angus Peter Campbell

I loved her from the moment I saw her, and that love has never wavered. It has encased every choice I have ever made, and I have never done anything in my life which didn’t involve her image somewhere… I’m so sorry for it all

This is the latest English-language novel from award-winning Gaelic poet, novelist, journalist, broadcaster and actor, Angus Peter Campbell, and the first to be published simultaneously in Gaelic and English.

Vividly evoked Scottish novel of chance encounters and of family memories, regret, love and loss.

Combines myth, music and linguistics to recount the memory of a hazy summer’s day on the Isle of Mull.

ISBN: 9781908373779 (English version) / 978-1908373922 (Gaelic version) | Hardback | £12.99 | Available now from Luath Press

EVENTS

urras leabhraichean nan eilean - the islands book trust is a registered scottish charity sc032682 ravenspoint kershader isle of lewis hs2 9Qa

general information: alayne@theislandsbooktrust.com and www.theislandsbooktrust.com

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ry THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUSTURRAS LEABHRAICHEAN NAN EILEAN

(1) WESTERN ISLES

saturday 17th May, depart 11am from husinish, harris: boat trip to Mealista island

saturday 24th May, depart 10am from kallin, north uist: boat trip to ronay

saturday 14th June, depart 10am from castlebay, barra: boat trip to Mingulay

saturday 28th June, depart 10am from berneray, north uist: boat trip to haskeir

saturday 5th July, depart 11am from Màraig, harris: boat trip to loch claidh and loch bhrollum (south pairc)

saturday 19th July: boat trip to ensay from leverburgh, harris, and berneray, north uist

saturday 9th august, depart 8am from kallin, north uist: boat trip to canna for feis chanaidh

tuesday 26th august, 7.30pm county hotel, stornoway, lewis: eric richards – ‘highland estate factors in the age of the clearances’

thursday 11th september, 7.30pm comann eachdraidh nis, ness, lewis [g]: Murdo beaton – ‘walking in the footsteps of heroes’,

friday 12th september, 7.30pm sgoil lionacleit, benbecula: Murdo beaton – ‘walking in the footsteps of heroes’

thursday 23rd october, 7.30pm: pairc school, gravir, lewisangus Macleod Memorial lecture (details to be announced later)

tuesday 11th november, 7.30pm: an lanntair, stornoway, lewisMairi hedderwick – ‘island exposure – reflections on how the hebrides are perceived’

saturday 29th november, 7.30pm: kildonan Museum, south uist hugh cheape – ‘canna and other places through the lens - the photographs of Margaret fay shaw’

(2) OTHER EVENTS

(i) TIREEfriday 23rd May, 7.30pm: an talla hall, tiree launch of ‘the secret island’ book,

(ii) COLONSAYfriday 6th – Monday 9th June: colonsay‘colonsay – donald Mackinnon’s island’: conference in colonsay to commemorate centenary of death of professor donald Mackinnon (details to be announced later)

(iii) IRELANDfriday 20th – sunday 22nd June: donegal/tory islandconference about slighe chaluim chille and the columban links between ireland and scotland (details to be announced later)

notes1. all boat trips are weather permitting and must be booked in advance.2. [g] = Mainly in gaelic, but please note that non-gaelic speakers are very welcome and encouraged to come – translations into english will be provided.3. please see website www.theislandsbooktrust.com for updated information on all events. 4. for further details and bookings, please contact Alayne Barton 01851 820946 or John Groom 01851 880737 (all events), Alasdair MacEachen 01870 602124 (uist and barra), Sine Ghilleasbuig 01470 562325 (skye), or Christine Gunn 01847 896508 (stroma).

(iv) SKYEsaturday 10th May depart 11am from steinn quay: cuairt mara/boat trip - loch a’ bhàigh gu Ìosaigh le iona dhòMhnallach - lochbay to isay [g] - a bilingual event with iona Macdonald

saturday 28th June: walk from cladh Ma ruibhe ann an aoineart agus tùsdal le uilleaM Mac a’ phearsain [g]

(v) CAITHNESSboat trip(s) to stroma will be arranged please contact christine gunn for details ChristineGunn@caithnesshorizons.co.uk