Orkney: A Special Way of Life

by Richard Clubley

After moving permanently to the island he's always dreamed of, Richard Clubley here sets out to capture the experience of life on Orkney, from the history of Neolithic sites to a future in renewable energy, telling the stories of countless Orcadians along the way. Determined to travel further afield than his home on Mainland, Richard takes to the Outer Islands to meet the people who live there and tell their stories. A Special Way of Life is a delight for any lover of Scotland's remote places, filled with rich descriptions of the islands.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2021

Reviews

[Gill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was Orkney: A Special Place when I picked it up, as I didn't realise that Clubley had written a sequel. I shall try to borrow the first book to see what it is like.
This one is interesting, but I found it bitty and disjointed, especially the last section. I've marked it as Short Stories, as it jumps from pillar to post.
Reading the last few chapters this morning, they were the writing of secondary pupils, about the straw weaving industry, renewable energy production, the owner of the independent ferry service between Gill's Bay and Orkney (which had a slight link to the previous chapter admittedly), and, finally, the healing power of the small island community.
Some interesting material, but a difficult book to read straight through, it might be better on a shelf and dipped into when looking for something about one of the many subjects touched upon. I felt the chapter of pupils' writing was especially difficult as there was no context, no reason for the various different excerpts in the order in which they were presented, and no comment on them by Clubley. Were they merely page fillers to achieve a certain word count?

[Craig Allardes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insight into island way of life. Relevant to islands research for work