A look at life on St Kilda without its people

Home to a small population until 1930, Alex Boyd offers a window onto how St Kilda has remained relatively untouched since its last inhabitants left. It gives a sense of how people would have lived and what’s being done to protect the site. Isle of Rust is a visual response to Jonathan Meades’ essay (included…

Read More

The secret gardening life of Beatrix Potter

This delightfully illustrated book reveals a little known aspect of Beatrix Potter’s life. She was a gardening enthusiast and how her evident appreciation and knowledge of gardening informed her work. McDowell writes beautifully, painting a charming portrait of Beatrix Potter and her garden at Hill Top Farm through the seasons. Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, by…

Read More

A celebration of Stornoway in poetry

SY Story: A Portrait of Stornoway Harbour is a stunning poetry collection which  explores the history of Stornoway from the Mesolithic time to its present-day life as bustling modern habour. Donald S Murray successfully brings to life the town’s triumphs and tragedies, which includes the sinking of the Iolaire and the departure of the Metagama…

Read More

Evocative portrait of life in the 21st century

Johnny’s return from London to stay with best friend Stevie in rural Fife is the final admission that his dreams of being an artist are over, in Three Craws by James Yorkston. On the bus home he meets Mikey, a low-level dealer from the area. As Johnny tries to get his life on track, Mikey…

Read More