The Shetland Islands, in fact any of the wilder places of Scotland, are a romantic location for a good novel. Last week Lyn Baines introduced us to the first two of a detective series set in the Shetland Islands, Dark Raven and White Nights by Anne Cleeves. For a thorougly researched and engrossing read, try the historical novels of Dorothy Dunnett, the Lymond series, set in Scotland in the 1500's, with the hero Francis Crawford involved in the endless Scottish fight for freedom.
Further out even into the wild northern Atlantic than the Shetlands are the Hebridean islands, the setting for some delightful, humourous reminiscences and novels by Lillian Beckwith. Miss Beckwith retreated to this remote location in the 1960's to recover from a period of ill health, and came to dearly love the place and the people. The hills is lonely was her first of seven books about life on the island of Bruach, and they are all thoroughly good reads.
Another autobiography which is full of humour, quirky characters and gentle reflection is Stargazing : memoirs of a young lighthouse keeper by Peter Hill. As a University student in the 1970's wanting to earn some money in the summer break, Peter worked as an assistant lighthouse keeper on an island off the west coast of Scotland. A great read, which has also been read onto CD by the author.
Music today was from the CD The voice with Teddy Tahu Rhodes.
Cheers, Paul
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