Isles at the Edge of the Sea (Paperback) - Common

by Jonny Muir

Off the western seaboard of Scotland are hundreds of islands. Beginning on Arran, Jonny Muir sets out to explore these places with a single to reach the St Kilda archipelago, the islands at the edge of the world. On the way he attempts to finds his inner peace on Holy Island, takes part in a punishing foot race across the mountains of Jura, confronts the Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye and walks the white-sand beach on Berneray. He encounters sharks and whales, discovers gory histories and follows in the footsteps of Boswell and Johnson, but island life is not without its challenges. Man-eating' midges live up to their reputation on Rum. An Atlantic storm threatens to rip his tent to shreds on Barra. Wicked weather lashes the Outer Hebrides, leaving his prospects of reaching St Kilda balanced on a knife-edge. An intensely personal account of a journey through some of Britain's most extraordinary landscapes. Complete with twenty five beautiful color plates.

Genres: Scotland, Travel, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2011

Reviews

[Elizabeth Ducie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throughout my reading of this book, the one word running through my head was 'why?' Why would someone want to run up and down hills and mountains? Why would he put himself through the torment of wild camping in atrocious weather condition? But I could certainly understand why he wanted to visit the Inner and Outer Hebrides.

This isn't a detailed travelogue; and I wouldn't use it as a way to guide myself around the islands. It's a personal account of a hard but beautiful journey. I read it as an introduction to the region prior to my first visit. And as such, I really enjoyed it.

[Cordelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this beauty on Barra at the end of our trip of the Hebrides. A little bit of a celebration of it all

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought the book as a student of the author, and got it signed by him :) A great read, accurate and interesting, lovely to hear about his journey, I recommend this book!

[Judethmc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I good old fashioned travelogue very good and would definitely recommend.

[Kirsty Keddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have visited the Western Isles or are planning a visit then ths travel journal gives a little insight into that life. Written by a young English hill runner it is rather patchy and bias in its perspective but nevertheless less has a authentic enthusiasm to the narrative which makes it engaging. Far from being great travel writing but having visited most of the island visited and recognising many of the experiences I found it worth reading to the end.

[Steve Chilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brought originally just to see the quality of the publisher's paperbacks. Turned out to be a fascinating take on one person's exploration of the Hebrides. Makes me even keaner to go back to the other isles soon. He seemed to lose it a bit when he got to Lewis, just wanting to move on to the finale - the trip to St Kilda

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much but that was no surprise after having visited a fair number of the islands included. Reading about islands I haven't been to really made me want to fulfill my ambitions to get there. Indeed beautiful and some incredibly remote just makes you want to pack a bag and seek some adventure!

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed following Jonny's journey through the stunning and treacherous Hebrides. I particularly liked reading about the history of the islands and the stories of author's encounters with the locals and other fellow travelers. This book would have benefited from better proofreading.

[Estelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too much emphasis on running/physical endurance for me but a useful overview of the Hebrides making me very keen to visit St Kildare now.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic inspiration. New Years Resolution #1: Explore as many of Scotland's Islands as possible.

[Paul M · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have a wistful desire to discover the Hebrides, then this book will certainly do nothing to dispel it.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read which felt genuine.