This is the first book ever to be written on the collective history of the little group of islands between Ardnamurchan and Skye. As some of the best known Hebridean islands, Canna, Rum, Eigg and Muck have a long and varied history, but are also amongst the least documented. Rum was the playground of the Macruari kings of the Northern Hebrides; Eigg was the island meeting point where their descendants conceded primacy to the Islay Macdonalds, while Muck and Canna were the property of Iona, spiritual nerve centre of the west. With reference to both the extensive material remains on the islands and rare original source material, this book is a dynamic and wideranging account of the Small Isles and their history.

A guidebook to 15 day walks and 1 multi-day trek on the Isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna, Coll and Tiree. Exploring the beautiful scenery of the Western Isles, the routes are suitable for walkers of all abilities. The day walks range in length from 9 to 27km (5–17 miles) and include a challenging round of Rum Cuillin. A 3-day trek around the coast of Rum covering 40km (25 miles) is also described. 1:50,000 OS maps included for each walk Detailed information on public transport to and around the islands Highlights include an ascent of An Sgurr Information included on local history, geology and wildlife

Some ten thousand years ago, hunter-gatherers moving through a landscape newly emerged from the grip of the last Ice Age reached four islands on the western seaboard. The shores they landed on were deserted. After making camp, they struck out to hunt and explore. We know this because the evidence of their presence has been preserved down the millennia - in traces of flint and quartz, in charred fragments of grain and animal bone, in great heaped piles of ancient shellfish. The islands were Rum, Eigg, Canna and Muck - four distinctive shapes rising from the waters of the Inner Hebrides between Ardnamurchan and Skye. Collectively, they are known as the Small Isles.From those first moments on, people have been working these islands and using their resources, adapting each landscape to suit the changing needs of the communities they served. In this definitive new book, archaeologist John Hunter searches for the stories of the Small Isles in the evidence that survives - from the fragmentary physical remains of dwellings, defences, places of worship and monuments, to the records of early antiquarians, historians and travellers.This is a journey to rediscover communities that were erased by the mass migrations of the nineteenth century, and the rise of the Victorian sporting estate. Within a few generations cultural identity on the islands disappeared and a new order developed. Placenames were changed, buildings and structures abandoned, and traditions forgotten. The Small Isles became islands without memories.This comprehensive guide - illustrated with a wealth of photographs, maps and drawings - takes readers on a tour of both place and time. Crisscrossing the landscapes of four fascinating and evocative islands, it reveals traces of a forgotten past in everything that has been left behind.

This guidebook describes 30 day walks all over the Isles of Harris and Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. The walks range from 2 and 14 miles (4 to 22km) in length, and are easily accessible from Stornaway or Tarbet. Routes vary from short strolls to long wilderness hikes, high-level and low-level, and include the An Cliseam horseshoe, visits to ancient historic monuments like the stone circles of Calanais and the famous Butt of Lewis lighthouse, all illustrated with OS 1:50,000 maps and dramatic photography. The routes take in most of the main summits as well as historical and geographical places of interest. A list of all the Marilyns (British hills of any height with a drop of at least 150m on all sides) on Harris, Lewis and St Kilda is included at the back. Tips are also included about walking on St Kilda, Berneray, Taransay, The Shiant Islands and The Flannan Isles, along with a short Gaelic glossary and route summary table, and advice on practicalities to make the most out of any walking trip on Harris and Lewis.

In 1938 John Lorne Campbell bought the Hebridean isle of Canna. He wanted to prevent it becoming a rich man's playground (like so many other islands and Highland estates), to preserve a part of traditional Gaelic culture and show that efficient farming methods could be compatible with wildlife conservation and sustainability. But his determination to get the island left him burdened by debt, and even after he gave it to the National Trust for Scotland in 1981 he still had to fight to secure his legacy. This acclaimed book is an insightful and human portrait of one of the twentieth century's most significant scholars of the Gaelic world, and of his 60-year partnership with Margaret Fay Shaw, who together created the world-famous library of Gaelic song and other material at Canna House.

Scottish Island Bagging by Helen and Paul Webster, founders of Walkhighlands, is a guide to the magical islands of Scotland. Focusing on the ninety-nine islands that have regular trips or means of access for visitors, plus fifty-five other islands which have no regular transport but are still of significant size or interest, the authors have described the best ways to experience each one. Of the islands featured, many are household names – Skye, Lewis, Bute – while some, such as the isolated St Kilda archipelago and the remote Sula Sgeir, will be unknown to all but a hardcore few. When it comes to things to see and do, the islands of Scotland have it all. Wildlife enthusiasts can watch out for otters, orcas and basking sharks, while birdwatchers in particular are spoilt: look out for the rare corncrake on Islay, sea eagles on Mull, or sight puffins, gannets, storm petrels and many other seabirds on any number of islands – although beware the divebombing bonxies. Foodies can sample Arran or Westray cheese, the many islands' world-renowned seafood or learn about the whisky making process and sample a wee dram on a distillery tour. While the human history may not stretch back in time as far as the geology of these ancient lands, it is rich and varied: visit the 5,000-year-old Neolithic village of Skara Brae on Orkney, or Mackinnon's Cave on Mull, following in the footsteps of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. You can even stay in the house on Jura where George Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four. Hillwalkers can bag a Munro, walk the wild clifftops or take in the sights, or you could just escape from it all on one of the dozens of beautiful and deserted beaches – before joining the locals for a ceilidh into the wee hours. Well served by ferries and other transport links, getting around is easy. You could even take the world's shortest scheduled flight. In Scottish Island Bagging, let Helen and Paul Webster be your guides to these enchanting isles.