coverTOcover WORDS MORAG BOOTLAND The Eagle’s Way BY JIM CRUMLEY
SARABAND, PAPERBACK £12.99
Jim Crumley has been described as ‘the best nature writer working in Britain today,’ and this work on the return to Scotland of the magnifi cent white-tailed eagle – or sea eagle – certainly proves that point. Crumley’s beautiful, descriptive prose paints a
magnifi cent picture of these most graceful and majestic creatures.
Crumley has spent years observing both
golden and sea eagles in Scotland and is well placed to write this captivating account of how these two great species of eagle are learning to share the Scottish skies.
There was no sustained sea eagle presence in Scotland between 1918
and 1975, when they were reintroduced to the Isle of Rum. The latest birds, all the way from Norway, have been released in the east, in the Tay estuary. This has created a kind of eagle highway between east and west, a thoroughfare that runs across the country and seems to indicate that the birds on one side are aware of
‘His love of these birds is infectious and readers should expect to be transported to the glens with eyes fi rmly set on the skies by the enthusiasm of his stories’
the presence of the birds on the other. Crumley believes that much of this is down to instinct. Despite the lengthy absence of the sea eagle from our shores, the birds have some inkling of the landscape, which is built into their very beings. They have an awareness of these most ancient fl yways. Crumley takes us on an bird’s-eye tour of eagle habitat’s in Scotland; from Mull, where golden and sea eagles co- exist, to the fairways of St Fillans, and the variety of great places to view eagles from the most remote wilderness to charming cottage gardens. We also learn much about the nature of these great symbols of the wilderness
from a man who has observed them for 25 years. His love of these birds is infectious and readers should expect to be transported to the glens with eyes set fi rmly on the skies by the enthusiastic and, in places, almost poetic stories of sightings and encounters with eagles. The photography within the book by Laurie Campbell is stunning, but almost superfl uous, so expressive is the text. Crumley often asks the question ‘What next for Scotland’s eagles?’ and
for Scotland’s wild land in general. The reintroduction of sea eagles may be controversial and the birds certainly have their sceptics, but will it and the beaver trial pave the way for similar projects for wolves or even bears in the future? As long as we have Jim Crumley here to write about it, then I have no doubt that – at the very least – the tales of their return would provide fantastic entertainment for wildlife lovers across the country.
190
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK
SALMON FLIES PAST AND
PRESENT BY HENK VAN
BORK,COCH- Y-BONDDU BOOKS,
PAPERBACK £19.99
A fascinating guide for salmon
fi shing enthusiasts containing detailed dressings for 28 fl ies, including fully dressed fl ies, hairwings, Spey fl ies and shrimp patterns. As well as instructions on how to create these beautiful fl ies, the author has included possible alternatives to any hard to fi nd, illegal or expensive feathers. Each fl y is pictured and comes with illustrations and instructions on how to create it along with a history, overview and details of any associated traditions. A must for fi shing fans.
ORIGINAL DEATH BY
ELIOT PATTISON, COUNTERPOINT, HARDBACK £15.70
This is the third book in Pattison’s colonial mystery series – following
on from Bone Rattler
and Eye Of The Raven – and sees exiled Scottish clan chief Duncan McCallum attempting to solve the murder of an entire village of Native Americans during the pre-revolutionary era. Pattison’s writing incorporates historical fact and is all the better for it. However, this does slow down the pace of the narrative in places in order to allow for the precise and detailed explanations of life in this time for both the Scottish settlers and the Native Americans. The plot lines involving mysticism and the supernatural provide a pleasing balance to the historical content.
FIELDONLINE
TO COMMENT VISIT THE LINK TO FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AT
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK
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