It began with a visit to Iona in 1989. Since then I’ve
returned to the islands every year. In 1995 I realized I needed to write about
these visits before the memories faded, but I never produced anything readable.
A trip to North Rona in 2002 was so inspiring that I wrote an article about it in one
night. It was published in the magazine Scottish Islands Explorer.
That led to placing several articles in SIE and the Scots Magazine. In 2004 I put 25 of them in book form, and approached 15 publishers over the next six years. I was rejected by them all. During that period more islands were visited, and the book doubled in size. I had almost lost hope of finding a publisher when John Humphries, who’d just taken over SIE, suggested I try The Islands Book Trust.
I sent it to IBT, and they decided to
publish it in two volumes. That was another beginning. Where this next
journey will end remains to be seen, but it should be a wonderful ride. I
started this blog to share some of what’s not in the books, both stories
and photos. There are some 250 black and white photos in the two books. My
intent is to share colour versions, along with other images not in the books,
and some of the stories behind them.
Hi Marc
ReplyDeleteJust come across your blog thanks to connecting with John Humphries. As a big supporter of the British landscape and particularly the Highlands and Islands through my own travels and photography I am so pleased I have come across your blog. Always looking to connect to individuals who have experienced these areas from a different perspective. Both books now on order from Islands Trust and looking forward to reading them with interest. Who knows we may cross paths one day on our travels.
Derek - I do hope our paths cross - your photos are superb.
DeleteGood to find you on Scottish Island Explorer. My family also hails (in part) from Scotland, and - like you - we have fallen in love with the area. We made our first visit to Iona last summer - so different from how we had imagined it! Such pure turquoise water, such tranquillity. We have also enjoyed Skye (a number of times), Raasay, Mull, Tanera Mor (on the Small Isles), Eilean Ban ... We always like St Colomba's inland island on the river Snizort on Skye ... and have also had happy visits to the inland island of Inchmahome (on Scotland's only 'lake', Menteith) ... and the island fastness on Loch Leven. You might like to see my poem, 'The Ceilidh House' on Joanna Ezekiel's site, 'My Delayed Reactions', linked from my blog here.
ReplyDeleteCaroline - thanks for commenting - I enjoyed your poem.
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