Calum's Road

by Roger Hutchinson

Calum MacLeod had lived on the northern point of Raasay since his birth in 1911. He tended the Rona lighthouse at the very tip of his little archipelago, until semi-automation in 1967 reduced his responsibilities. ‘So what he decided to do,’ says his last neighbour, Donald MacLeod, ‘was to build a road out of Arnish in his months off. With a road he hoped new generations of people would return to Arnish and all the north end of Raasay . . .’ And so, at the age of 56, Calum MacLeod, the last man left in northern Raasay, set about single-handedly constructing the ‘impossible’ road. It would become a romantic, quixotic venture, a kind of sculpture; an obsessive work of art so perfect in every gradient, culvert and supporting wall that its creation occupied almost twenty years of his life. In Calum’s Road, Roger Hutchinson recounts the extraordinary story of this remarkable man’s devotion to his visionary project.

Genres: Nonfiction, Scotland, History, Biography, Historical, British Literature, Environment

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Mick Bordet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of one man's determination to connect his small and shrinking community to the rest of the world by hand-building a road through the hills of Raasay shows both the best of the human spirit and the frustrations of dealing with a combination of petty politics and bureaucracy. The book contains a potted history of several significant population shifts on the small Hebridean island as its people deal with greedy landlords, ridiculous quantities of red tape and the often hostile environment itself. We see the huge impact of the infamous clearances on a thriving and happy community, but the lure of the modern world and a series of authoritarian changes to the structure of rural education also have a substantial role to play. Against this background, lone crofter, lighthouse keeper and postman Calum Macleod sticks to his belief in the traditional way of life and takes matters into his own hand: planning, digging, hauling and constructing a stretch of road that would take at least ten years to complete.
It is a fascinating read, only missing out on more information about Calum and the whole road-building process, though to be fair, that would probably only have been possible had he kept a diary. I just feel that there must have been more to tell about the actual construction and what life was like for him and his family when the road was complete (other than a paragraph or two). Books of this nature often have a few photographic panels in the middle; there are a couple of places where photographs are described when it would have been nice to see them - before and after images of the road, etc.

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an incredibly resilient individual. I am in awe. I have to admit to finding the style and some of the historical diatribe a bit confusing and laborious at times but reading about the 'clearances' of the Scottish highlands in the late 1800's shocked me. Forcing people to leave the land where their families and ancestors have lived for generations, unprepared and under provisioned, to carve out an impoverished existence on the shores of unfamiliar lands. Just awful. I was amazed, too, at the inhuman attitudes of the government in refusing Calum and his community's pleas for basic amenities such as electricity and a road and bridge to connect their community to the 'outside world' and allow their children to easily attend school. Such ignorance and arrogance. The final chapters, detailing the completion of Calum's fantastic feat, are almost poetic and I am glad he was able to reap the benefits of all his hard work and sheer determination before he became 'the last man out of Raasay'. Breathtaking.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: http://bettie.booklikes.com/

[Josh Alan Melville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the real life story of the hardened islander Calum Macleod and his feat of building his own road. The book takes you through the last 200 years of history on the Isle of Raasay in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It explains the culture, Education and working life of its natives and the massive impact the highland clearances had on the area.

Calum held on to the traditional values of the community when most people were forced to leave due to a lack of facilities including electricity, health care and postal services. The centralisation of Government in Scotland meant it was difficult for small communities to get funding for basic necessities which left Raasay without a road in the northern part of the island.

Calum Macleod showed incredible determination after many attempts to get approval for a road he set out to build a stretch of road by hand covering over 2 miles with many obstacles and weather conditions to overcome. It took him over 10 years to finsh and he was rightly awarded a BEM for his service for his contributions.

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

True story of Calum McCleod, who in the 1960's - 1970's built a road by mostly by himself on a remote island in the outer Hebrides because the powers that be didn't think the minimal population warranted a road. This was mostly a political and cultural history of the islands, which I found interesting, but only a little about the actual road building, which was disappointing and is what I had picked up the book for. It was also a character study of Calum, who was a real character indeed, but the anecdotes from talking to people who knew him were redundant. Really, it would have been better as a long magazine article focused on the road than as a book.

[GaP · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of an extraordinary man from a humble crofting community of South Arnish on the Isle of Raasay in the Highlands of Scotland. With his town population down to the double digits, Calum MacLeod asked the powers that be for a road to built to for access only to get stonewalled by bureaucracy every time. So he bought a book on road construction, got the tools, and went to work. Took him the better part of 20 years because he was crofting, farming, and working at the nearby lighthouse...and right up until the road was finally finished and eventually paved, he was blocked and put off at very turn...until he was awarded the British Empire Medal for being of service to his community...(not for defying the establishment, of course.) He was a self-taught scholar, writing scathing letters to a local newspaper when his community was being ill-served. Quietly inspirational.

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative and interesting read that cannot decide if it wants to be fiction or scholarly writing. I was personally put off by the odd mix of imagined dialogue between historical figures and fully blown scholarship. I found this book quite exhausting and think it would've been better when shorter. Callum's Road on Raasay is of course fascinating and you should all visit one day. It's a beautiful island in general!

[Nicky Featherstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having now visited the Isle of Raasay and travelled along Calum’s Road, the book meant so much more. Historically, very interesting and the landscape gives the truth to Calum McCleods resilience and stoicism. The writing isn’t remarkable, the story is.

[Domhnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous and interesting insight into recent west coast history - Deagh leabhar

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quotes

"Like many another mild-mannered, naturally courteous and relatively shy man, Calum MacLeod was able to channel his anger into the written word. Unlike most others, he was also able to assuage it by building a road."

"And at the very end of the day, of a life, or of a community, there was a statement to be made. It might, and would, be scorned as a pointless gesture ... But any gesture ... any victory was better than none at all."

" ... this man, who was then aged between fifty-six and sixty-four years, would complete his crofting chores; his animal husbandry - he had at one time as many as eighty sheep and fourteen cattle - his vegetable garden, his crops and his peat-cutting. He would also continue to build the motor road ..."

"Calum then attacks the cliff-face with his pickaxe and brings down a shower of rocks. He sorts through the stones with his bare hands ... He picks up four very large chunks of granite and puts them inside the worn, wooden wheelbarrow ... He wheels the four large rocks a few yards ... before tipping them out of the barrow. Then he begins to slot them into place ..."

Doing that sort of activity has long been a passion of mine. For decades I have abused multiple wheelbarrows on stonework projects, so I have an inkling of Calum's awesome accomplishment. Reading the types of rock he manipulated, seeing the youtube images, even more amazing. Wish I could walk the road and examine his stacked stones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfGeM...

[Steven Shook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Calum's Road to be a very enjoyable book. The story of the building of the roadbed begins with a history of Raasay, which is an island located between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland. A history of Calum's family also is provided throughout the story line.

One aspect of the story that I found interesting relates to scale. The road that Malcolm "Calum" MacLeod built was less than two miles in length - much shorter than I had perceived it to be given the little I knew about the road prior to reading the book. I live in Idaho (USA), which is about three times larger in land area than the Scotland. The driveway from my home to the county road is a mile long. Many forest roads are built that are far longer than Calum's road. Hence, I didn't find the length of the road that Calum built all that remarkable.

What I did find remarkable is that Calum used manual labor to construct the road. Bulldozers, graders, and dynamite would have resulted in the construction of Calum's road is less than a month - even in the 1960s and 1970s. However, given the book's description and videos of the road available online, the beauty of a Calum's "handmade" road likely far surpasses any road constructed by machine. I would love to go Raasay and see the road myself in a future visit to Scotland.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true story of the building of a road to his village in the small Inner Hebridean island of Raasay by one very determined man, Calum MacLeod. After years of unheeded requests to build this lifeline and help stop the haemorrhage of people from the north of the island, Calum resorted to shaming the local government by setting-to and building the road himself. Despite being by this time in his fifties, he carried out the back-breaking work alongside his job as relief lighthouse-keeper and looking after his own croft. Out in all weathers (and those who know Raasay will know what that can be like!) he completed the task virtually single-handed, an inspiration to anyone dealing with faceless and inflexible bureaucracy.

Calum's story is skilfully interwoven with narrative of the island's history over the last two hundred years. Recommended for anyone with a love of the Scottish islands and their history, and inspirational biography.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend brought me this book from her vacation hiking on the Isles of Lewis, Harris and Skye in Scotland. It is a wonderful story/history of the Isle of Raasay –a small rocky island off of Skye. The focus of the story is Calum MacLeod who builds a mile and three quarter long 12 foot wide road by hand. (Look up the wonderful pictures of the road on the internet) But, the story goes back to the Highland clearances and the 200 plus years leading up to the road. The author uses council records, earlier oral histories and interviews so that the sounds of Gaelic and of Scotland come through. It also has lots of details that not everyone will appreciate - like data on rainfall and winds. I don’t think you have to be a Scot to enjoy the book, but it might help.

[Simon Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uplifting tale of one man’s single-mindedness in the face of bureaucracy, ignorance and physical hurdles. The book put’s Calum MacLeod’s achievement in the historical context of the Highland Clearances and depopulation. His road is a testament to human endeavour and perseverance against the odds. The book is a glance into a culture and heritage on the edge of the British Isles. Having visited Raasay this book made me keen to go back and explore more.

[David Muir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story of an amazing feat but the writing style is rather odd. It's like the author can't make up his mind if he is writing an academic book (full of cross-references and meticulous weather/census records), an investigative piece of journalism, or a popular biography. Worth reading though if you are intending to visit Raasay or Skye, or if you want an insight into Gaelic culture.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and moving book about a quintessential Gael, lifetime resident of Arnish on the Hebridean Island of Raasay, off Skye, and his indomitable spirit. He had a vision and realised it through sheer dogged determination and skill. A good read which gives a hugely interesting insight into the lives and troubles of crofters over a long period of history.

[Joan]

This was a great little read about pure determination, but also about what happens when you don't live in a "mainstream" part of the UK. Beautiful and heartbreaking really, but Callum himself was an inspiration and its great that his achievement and love for his community are recognised here

[Calum Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a story. What a series of events. It is wonderful that it happened, and wonderful that it has been chronicled in such a sweet book. It is not an outstanding book and certainly one will need a preexisting interest in the topic to really engage with it, but I had that—so it worked for me.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing true life story that interweaves with the social history of the Highlands and the devastation caused and continuing to be felt by the infamous clearances. Made my heartache for those peoples uprooted from their beloved land ,so similar to that of Ireland.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cross-posted from Nightjar's Jar of Books.

An account of the life of Calum MacLeod, and the construction of the road from Brochel Castle to South Arnish, which he built almost single-handedly with only a wheelbarrow and a few hand tools, in hopes of bringing settlers back to the north of Raasay, and connecting his two-person community with the rest of the world.

Calum MacLeod seems to have been a truly remarkable man; his persistence and ingenuity - demonstrated not only by the building of this incredible road, but by numerous enterprises throughout his life, which Hutchinson also describes in this book - are inspiring, and Calum's Road is both a thorough and impassioned account of his life and work, and his dedication to the land and community that raised him. As someone who does not generally read biographies, I'm probably not the best judge, but it seems clear even to me that Hutchinson has taken great care with his research, and has investigated this tale from many different angles.

Which is not to say that the book is perfect. The problems I noticed were quite small, but cropped up a lot: Firstly, Hutchinson uses a lot of quotations, and as the book went on, they became both more frequent, and much longer, sometimes taking up whole pages... Perhaps this is not uncommon in biographical/historical writing, but I would've preferred to have read much of it in Hutchinson's own words, especially since it's clear that he's an excellent writer. Secondly, a lot is said about the beauty of Calum's Road, and of the island as a whole, so it's a shame that this book doesn't include any photos or illustrations beyond a couple of maps at the very beginning (and a single photo on the inside of the cover) - and also something of a surprise, since there are a few places in the book where Hutchinson describes photographs in great detail, where surely it would have been much simpler to show the photos themselves...

I do think that my overall impression of this book must have been improved by the fact that I read it while visiting Skye (which is just a short distance from Raasay, and which is mentioned in several places in the book), but even despite that, this was a really interesting and engaging story. (It's certainly sparked an unexpected interest in Raasay in me, even though I've only ever seen the island from a distance, and have never given it much thought...) Undoubtedly, this is a book that will be of most interest to people who already have some attachment or attraction to the Hebrides, or to similar island communities... but if you are one of those people, then Calum's Road is definitely for you.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose it's difficult to write an entire book about building a one and three quarter mile long road. Which might explain why the first three quarters of the book keeps making brief references to the road and then wandering off into accounts of Calum's family history, the highland clearances, the way in which the government tends to neglect or ignore isolated communities...all good stuff, but not what I was expecting to read in a book purporting to be about Calum building his road.

Due to this lack of focus, I found my attention kept wandering in the early parts of the book, and the story didn't really grip me until the final section, which was totally about Calum and his work. I think the book would have been improved if it had been more of a straight biography of Calum, with special focus given to his road-building - he was obviously an extremely intelligent and self-educated man who would have provided plenty of material for a biographer. As it was, I felt that a lot of the history didn't so much provide background as water down the overall impact of the book.

It would also have been good to see some photographs of the area - we had a lot of descriptions of the road, how brilliantly it was constructed and how beautiful it looked, but not a single photograph of the road, or of Calum apart from a very dark one on the inside back cover which is almost impossible to see. There are photographs of both the road and its maker in existence - an internet search produced dozens - so it is a shame none were included in the book.

In spite of its faults, this book still provides a memorial to an unusual and courageous man. It's worth reading, although I'm not sure it deserves the 'minor classic' of its burb!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is the story of the construction of a short road connecting the southern end of the Scottish island of Raasay to its northern end. More than that it’s the story of its builder. The finished road is approximately 1 3/4 miles long. If that doesn’t sound all that impressive, consider the fact that Calum MacLeod built the road almost entirely by himself (one small session of government help with dynamiting and a final topping of tarmac) in his spare time. Calum’s part of the road was done entirely by hand with handmade wheelbarrow, shovel, land scraper and pickaxe.

The islands of Scotland and their people have a long history of abuse and neglect by aristocratic owners and the government. In the case of Calum who grew up on Raasay in the early 20th century the Highland Clearances were over as an official policy but neglect and misguided policies continued. Eventually small services were provided and the residents paid small rentals and taxes. In exchange they received limited postal services, telegraph and schoolteachers, but no road. When the government ultimately decided to remove the children to be boarded and educated elsewhere Calum’s end of the island became rapidly depopulated. Calum’s real work on the road began in the early 60’s and was more or less finished in 1982. He was finally able to drive from one end of the island to the other in his own vehicle—no driver’s license.

More than the story of a man singlehandedly building a road, the book is a lovely demonstration of A Scot’s determination. The man was largely self educated but well read and kept up a st

[Andrew Macfarlane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I vaguely knew the general story. The book is more about highland life in general through the experience of one island. You can romanticise the highlands, the life of self sufficiency, the gaelic language but there is a stark fact, and one that the protagonist stubbornly misses: almost nobody wants to live like that any more. There was perhaps a reason Calum had to build the road himself (and with the minor but neccessary help of the Royal Engineers, the Scottish Agricultural Board and his neighbour). There were more pressing things needing the money. The message subliminally given is that if more attention, help and cash had been spent on Raasay, Rona, Fladda then the depopulation of the island wouldnt have been so stark. No hint that the world moves on and when empirical facts dont back up your hereditarily learned practices or better is available then more often it is because you are stubborn rather than the modern world being licentious. Calum wrote and spoke of choice in gaelic. There is no recognition that the dying of the language is in any way due to the apalling unattractiveness of a life of poverty and drudgery in the places it is primarily spoken rather than the more interesting and open minded world elsewhere. How irronic that the main areas of growth for the language are now the cities and the incomes with a romantic view of it, making it a middle class hobby forced on children in gaelicschools that the parents would never have wanted to be in themselves. No hint of recognition that economic prosperity has any connection with the growth or decline of populations and language

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about Calum MacLeod, resident of Arnish on Raasay Island in the Hebrides chain in Scotland, who built a road connecting his remote section of the island to the more populated (relatively speaking) portion. The book contains a well told history of Raasay and other Scottish islands, featuring greedy landlords, the infamous clearances, educational policies and bureaucratic and political impediments to road building and growth of populations on Scottish islands that provide and explanation for and preface to Calum’s road building. Calum’s 10-year construction project resulted in an operational road with stonework described as a work of art, incredible considering he had no formal engineering education (having left school at 14) and worked full time as a crofter and lighthouse keepe for the duration of the road construction.. After many years and bureaucratic hurdles, Calum’s road was finally paved by the local Council authorities and incorporated into the island’s road system. Besides this book, there are documentaries and other stories- and a song- about Calum’s road. The book lacked photos but the internet has plenty. An excellent read and a great way to kick off the New Year, which will include a trip to Scotland.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calum's Road tells the story of Calum MacLeod (1911-1988), who lived at the north end of the island of Raasay, Scotland. I picked it up earlier this year while I was visiting the neighbouring (and larger in area and population) Isle of Skye.

Calum lived at the remote northern end of Raasay, about 2 miles from the northern end of the road connecting the southern half of the island. Frustrated with inaction from the government bureaucracy concerning requests to extend the road to the residents of the northern part of the island, he built one over the rugged terrain (mostly) himself, with hand tools such as picks and shovels.

With the above setup, the book also is largely a history of life in (especially northern) Raasay, including the factors that led to population growth in the northern, less desirable areas in the 1800s, and then the reasons for that area's decline in population in the 20th century. Spoiler: (not really a spoiler) Calum thought that the lack of a road was a factor.

The book was quite an interesting companion to a trip to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and would be enjoyed by anyone interested in Scottish history and culture.

[Jenny]

Beware, the road part doesn't get going for ages! There is a long and interesting lead-up detailing the history of the Highland Clearances.

It seemed to me that the writing was not quite far enough removed from the style of a local newspaper and laden with evidence. I don't want to be too hard on that though.

While I appreciated Calum's achievement with the road and the life of service in the Post-Office and the Northern Lighthouse Service, not forgetting the impressive success of their croft, I was left with the distinct impression that I would not have liked the man.

I am not giving this book a score because it requires an editorial update. At one point Calum uses racist language which surely reflects his own beliefs and is unacceptable for a book published in 2006. I borrowed by copy from my public lending-library and will recommend that they remove it from their shelves on account of the offence it causes.

[Coli Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calum MacLeod was a truly remarkable man. Formally educated until he was 14, he lived his life utterly immersed in the culture and land of his forebears; so much so that by his death he was better read and better able to live in his world than most university scholars in theirs. His legacy is a road (no spoiler there) but he is truly remembered as a man who refused to kow tow to bureaucrats and local government mannequins. His abiding ambition was the regeneration of his beloved township which he saw being eroded, not by sheep replacing families, but by the invasive policies of a local authority that simply didn’t understand what it was to live in north Raasay. This is a chronicle of far more than a road; it is about dedication, unselfish pursuit of betterment and the continuation of a traditional way of life. Read this book.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calum MacLeod was a rural savant. He achieved the pinnacle of accomplishment but did so by means of an indomitable Celtic spirit. Calum was descended from a family who endured the indignity of Highland Clearances in the mid-1850s. When returning in the early 20th century the council could never be bothered to build a road on Raasay that could help local crofters earn a more promising living. Calum MacLeod basically said, "fair enough, I'm doing this myself."

That he did. By himself. Over 20 years. He is legendary, but not for typical reasons. Not in the Homeric sense. His life is a remarkable attestation to the power of place and the hardy stuff of the human spirit.

[Nadja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will forever thank Portree's main bookshop employee for recommending this volume to me.

This book will give you feelings if you, like me, are anyhow charmed by the lost culture of people that live on the edge of the world.
I have been in the area and I have seen the island of Raasay, but I would have never dreamt of it being the scenery of a late counter strike of a dying community, embodied by one, extraordinary man.

Read it not as a biography of a man -or a road- but as the tale of a lost world and its last traces. It is written beautifully and easily, it also has the charm of real life stories.

I absolutely recommend it.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book at a bookstore in Aviemore Scotland and read it after getting back from our trip. We drove Calum's Road and explored Southern Raasay on our trip so the book was especially meaningful. The struggles of the crofters in Northern Raasay were extreme compared to the rural depopulation of small town mid-America that we see today. The book is sad but hopeful. I don't know that it would resonate as much without the trip to Raasay but would recommend it to anyone interested in small-town stubbornness and hard work. There's a lot of similarity's between Calum and our Greatest Generation here in the US.