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Book Review: Brother Nature, by Jim Crumley
Friday, May 09 2008
My bookshelves groan with classic Scottish nature writing from Seton Gordon, Fraser Darling and Mike Tomkies, all of which I heartily recommend. To these I can now add Jim Crumley, a contemporary writer taking up an increasing amount of space on my poor shelves! This latest book is published by the small Scottish independent publishers, Whittles Publishing who coincidentally have also recently reprinted books by Gordon and Tomkies. The book starts with a very atmospheric experience in Alaska but this is not a book about faraway places. It is about the author’s local patch, some 20 miles by 12 on Scotland’s Highland Edge and some of the observations he makes can only be possible by having such an intimate relationship with the local fauna and flora. Crumley is also a man with strong opinions and these surface early as when in talking about reintroductions his acerbic wit refers to the bureaucratic talking shop that passes for Scotland’s conservation decision makers that have been discussing the reintroduction of beavers for about a dozen years. More ire was reserved for the project to reintroduce the Red Kite near to his home patch when he was told that every single bird had been tagged with a piece of coloured plastic which leads him to declare that people aren’t spotting birds – they are just looking for a piece of plastic! Continue reading.....
Very Old Islay News Snippets
Tuesday, May 06 2008I came across these very old news snippets through the Islay List, they were posted by Helen Campbell Blair and I thought it would be a good idea to share them with you.
Ship Hibernia aground at Islay - 1808
Greenock, November 22, 1808
The ship Hibernia, of and from Londonderry, for Philadelphia, Jacob James, master, was driven on the rocks near the entrance of Lochendall, in Islay, in the gale of the 8th instant; and the crew, and 70 passengers, narrowly escaped with their lives, and lost a great part of their property. Several gentlemen and a lady of the number arrived here, on Sunday, in the Tarbert packet, and express in the warmest terms, the gratitude they owe the respectable family of Shawfield, for the kindness and hospitality they experienced from them after the disaster, particularly to Colonel and Lady CHARLOTTE CAMPBELL.
Distillery in Islay to Let
Glasgow, 24th Sept., 1851
To Let: Kildalton Distillery, situated at Port Ellen Islay, from whence there is regular communication with Glasgow by Steamer. The Machinery and Utensils of this Distillery are complete, and in good working order. There is a plentiful supply of the best Water for Distillery purposes, and the machinery is driven at all seasons by water power. Abundance of Peat is to be had from a moss adjoining, on the most reasonable terms, and altogether, from the situation of the Distillery, there is every facility for its being worked with economy and to profit.
A good Dwelling-House in connection with the Work can be had if required, and encouragement will be given to an enterprising tenant. The Draff, &c., from the Distillery can be disposed of on the spot. For further particulars, apply to Messrs. Marshall, Hill, and Hill, 41 West George Street ; Messrs. Hunter and Sharpe, 35 Buchanan Street, or to Archibald Johnstone, at the Works, who will show the premises.
Book Review: Birds of Argyll
Sunday, May 04 2008
Published by the Argyll Bird Club, 2007, 424 pages, ÂŁ45.00 (available from The Celtic House, Bowmore, and other outlets
on the island. Also: at www.argyllbirdclub.org. The last book which dealt with the birds of Argyll was published over a century ago, in 1892! The Argyll Bird Club, an organisation with less than 200 members, deserves great praise for taking on the very considerable challenge of producing a modern, up-to-date, avifauna of the county. The book had been produced an editorial team of six people who, between them, came up with the original concept, obtained the necessary funding to cover the printing costs, and then buckled down to the hard work of writing the introductory chapters and well over half the species accounts, drawing the maps, finding photographers and artists, and at the end laying out the whole work prior to sending it to the printers. I should declare an interest at this point, as I wrote a ten of the species accounts (not surprisingly concentrating on the geese and ducks), but despite that involvement I was tremendously impressed when I received my copy of the book. It has been written, illustrated and published to the highest standards. Continue reading.....
New Islay Book: Islay - The Land of the Lordship
Friday, May 02 2008
There is a new Islay related book on the horizon which is expected to be published in the summer of 2008. The book is called "Islay - Land of the Lordship" and is written by David Caldwell, has a hardcover and consists of 320 pages. To give you an idea what this book is all about you can read the "synopsis" supplied by Amazon, where the book can be pre-ordered for ÂŁ19.80.
Islay was originally part of Dal Riata, the early kingdom of the Scots, but was then colonised by Scandinavian settlers in the middle of the ninth century. It was also the home of the MacDonalds who established the Lordship of the Isles during the Medieval Period. In the Gaelic world, their status was king-like and, at the height of their power in the 15th century, they mounted a challenge to the Stewart dynasty for control of Scotland. However, this book is not just about the great men. It also looks at the lesser folk, especially during the time of the Campbell lairds, from the early 17th century onwards.Archaeology combined with documentary research has helped to build up a picture of how the people of Islay lived, the way the land was farmed and the development of local industries, including the distilling of whisky. This book provides a comprehensive grounding in island history for visitors and locals alike, and, for the valuable details it gives on local families, will be particularly valued by genealogists and those tracing their roots to Islay.
Tag: islay book history
BBC - A History of Scotland
Thursday, May 01 2008
Scotland’s History is a new multi-platform project from BBC Scotland to bring the country’s history to life on screen, the internet and radio. Spearheading the project is a new landmark 10-part television series, 'A History Of Scotland', which will start on BBC Scotland in November this year, with a screening on network BBC Two at a later date. A History Of Scotland will use dramatic photography to capture the best of Scotland’s varied and breath-taking landscapes, including Finlaggan, the ancient seat of the Lords of the Isles. Presented by Neil Oliver, the series will be broadcast in two parts, first five episodes will transmit this winter, starting with the origins of Scotland and ending with the Unions of the Crowns in 1603. The second part, which will go out late next year, takes the story from the Covenanting movement through the Treaty of the Union right up to devolution.
Neil Oliver says: 'What better time could there be to look again at Scotland’s past, with people openly questioning the future of the Union and Britain? It is a great time for debate about Scotland’s identity and I passionately believe if you care about Scotland’s future you have to understand its past. It’s a gripping tale…with a cast of characters that is hard to beat, set against a landscape that is second to none.' Neil also believes that the time is right for a radical re-think of the general approach to Scottish history. He says: 'The beauty of Scotland is overwhelming but I’ve often thought that Scotland’s popular history is just like her landscape…impossibly romantic, obscured by mist and myth and always changing. Over the centuries, the romantic version has been of a 'lost cause' – the tragic victim - but this isn’t history, it’s Scottish mythology and this series is looking to explode the myths. 'We’ve lost touch with the past. I care passionately about this country and, on a very personal level as a Scot, I really want to understand its complex past, to get to the real story of what has made us the people we are today.'
This story was published with kind permission from the Ileach local newspaper.
Tag: scotland history finlaggan
Islay and Jura Cycle Leaflet
Wednesday, April 30 2008
Cycling on Islay is becoming more and more popular and mr Islay cycling himself, brian palmer from the thewashingmachinepost and the Ileach, published a new leaflet together with the Argyll and Bute Council.
This is a leaflet on the dos and don’ts and the whys and wherefores of cycling on Islay and Jura. Aside from information pertinent to cyclists, there are also three circular routes detailed for those who would like to put some of the advice into practice. Copies of the leaflet are free and are available at Debbies Minimarket in Bruichladdich, the Tourist Information office in Bowmore and from the Ileach office, also in Bowmore. If you like to receive a copy prior to your arrival on Islay you can send brian an email at cycle-leaflet@thewashingmachinepost.net
More information about cycling on Islay is available from brian's daily updated website and from the cycling page on the Islayinfo website.
Drawing on the (Islay) Sea
Tuesday, April 29 2008
Waking up to find your house is on fire is one of those nightmares that we all hope we never have to live through - but it happened to Justin Ruthven-Tyers (picture) and his wife Linda when they were living in an ancient cottage on the edge of Exmoor back in 1992. The house was 'upside down' with the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living accommodation upstairs and Justin describes waking to a strange roaring noise, then reaching up to feel the ceiling above his head hot to the touch before making a hasty exit. Within minutes, the building was a blazing inferno. Despite having no practical experience of building or woodwork, Justin decided to rebuild it himself, and having done so, kind of caught a building bug which for some obscure reason resulted in a decision to construct a gaffer, a fifteen ton traditional wooden sailing boat. Designed by their friend marine architect John Hesp, the project took three years to complete and was a great success.
The magnificent vessel, named 'Caol Ila', after their favourite whisky, became Justin and Linda’s home for the next seven years during which they were to visit the island for the Classic Malts Cruise in 2001, an event featured in the Ileach at the time. Hopefully 'Caol Ila' will shortly be moving to a permanent mooring here because the couple have now moved to the island, overlooking the Sound of Islay. Linda is working as a health visitor at Islay hospital and Justin has been working on a series of distillery related artworks, drawings in black and white using pencil, powder and stick. Inspired by the sea and classic sailing images, many of his works feature old wood, rope, canvas, water and stone, conjuring up images of times past and often referring to wrecks and other scenes of maritime dereliction. His work has been featured in various galleries in Cornwall as well as in Lochgilphead and at Islay Studios in Bruichladdich. He hopes to widen his exposure on the island soon and produce commercially available prints. Check out www.justintyers.co.uk
Bunnahabhain Distillery by Justin Ruthven-Tyers
Islay Nature Report 16 - Spring
Monday, April 28 2008
Welcome to this weeks Islay Nature report. There is not much news from the Owls yet, the eggs are expected to hatch early May. What has changed however is the internet address for the Owls! They are now hosted at the Islay Natural History Trust website at: www.islaynaturalhistory.org.
The Islay Birds blog: With all the new migrants Ian had almost daily updates including breaking news last Friday: "The first Corncrake of the year was heard this morning, here at Kilchoman, and Michael Copleston had a Spotted Crake over on the Flats at Gruinart last night!" and a day later Ian reports that he had actually seen the Corncrake. This is not an easy task since these birds are very secretive. On Thursday Ian writes: "There were quite a noticable increase in the number of migrants both seen and heard whilst helping with the Thursday walk at RSPB Loch Gruinart reserve. In the woodland itself, there were more Willow Warblers, and some Bluebells to be seen, there was also a Coal Tit. There also appear to be more Sand and House Martins here on the week, but still not a large number of Swallows yet." Continue reading....
The arrival of Western Ferries in Islay 40 years ago
Sunday, April 27 2008The sixth of April 1968 saw a new beginning in ferry transport for Islay. On a beautiful sunny Saturday, forty years ago Western Ferries’ brand new red and white ferry, Sound of Islay sailed into Port Askaig for the first time and it seemed that the whole of the population of Islay was there to greet her. Captain Angus Mitchell, and First Officer, Sandy Ferguson were afraid to leave their brand new ship as it was overrun by enthusiastic sightseers. With the coming of the Sound of Islay came a revolution in sea transport as far as Islay was concerned as, up until then, cars were driven on to a net and swung into the hold of the mail boat. Now here was a roll on roll off ferry which brought Islay into line with the other islands on the west coast that had had roll on roll off ferries since 1964. For reasons best known to itself the Scottish Office built three identical ferries, the Hebrides, the Clansman and the Columba to service all the other islands from Mull to Lewis but Islay, as was always the case, was left out in the cold and had to make do with the mail boat.
Western Ferries boat, Sound of Jura in the Sound of Islay
With the coming of the Sound of Islay came a new timetable which was the forerunner of the one we have today, and very different from what Islay had been used to with the first sailing leaving from Kennacraig at 6.00am plus a Sunday sailing. Duncan Paterson was one of the first to sell papers from the bus shelter in Port Askaig to crowds of Ilich who, for the first time in their lives, were able to read their Sunday papers on a Sunday. Continue reading....
A New Islay Wildlife Blog
Saturday, April 26 2008
As promised yesterday, today another new website from Islay. This time a blog about Islay's wildlife called Islay Birder, run by John Armitage from Portnahaven, which is a great area to observe sea birds, specially the coastal area near the Frenchman's Rocks. John's profile on his blog: "I retired early after 20years with RSPB working in conservation. Most of my time now spent doing voluntary bird survey work. Enjoy many other aspects of natural history including mammals and butterflies/moths. Particularly enjoy seawatching and bird migration." John will cover the wildlife on the Rhinns and will post updates regularly on his new blog.
When I sent John an email he replied: "From time to time I'll also be incorporating information, updates etc relating to the British Trust for Ornithology and the current Atlas Project 2007-2011 aimed at determining the wintering and breeding distribution of birds. I'm their Regional Representative (for Islay, Jura and Colonsay) so get involved in organising various surveys." John knows Ian Brooke from the Islay Birds Blog and Jeremy Hastings from Islay Birding well and the three of them will operate independently, each covering their own area. I will also include John in the weekly Wildlife report and mention some of the highlights.
The Frenchman's Rocks near Portnahaven
For the wildlife enthusiasts among us there is now another good source of information. A quote from last Wednesday: "A drastic change in the weather brought light winds, sunshine and warmth to such an extent that I had both Green-veined White and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies during the day, the first for the year. For once birds could actually be heard singing as opposed to everything being subdued by the wind!!!"
Welcome to the "(Islay) Blogosphere" John, we are looking forward to reading a lot more about Islay's fantastic wildlife. John's website can be found at islaybirder.blogspot.com.
Tag: wildlife portnahaven
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