Roger Hutchinson

Hutchinson's paean to a remarkable individual and a disappearing (if not already gone) Hebridean way of life is presented in this gentle but not overly sentimental history. A simple story is presented, wrapped in considerable historical background. Hutchinson achieves a near perfect tonal balance as we follow Calum MacLeod in his work on the road and flashback to the historical events which led to Calum's decision to build it himself. Calum's achievement is amazing; the events surrounding it show more are maddening and heartbreaking. Hutchinson tells these intertwining stories with a skill that draws the reader in while staying out of the way.

An easy read requiring only a few hours, but one of those tales that stays inside of you long after you've put the book back on the shelf. Highly recommended.

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More about the history of Raasay than the road itself. When the book veered to the historical and anthropological, I liked it; but it never turned a critical eye on the road or Calum, which made me uneasy.

True story of a man who built his own 1.75 mile road on Raasay; told the wider story of his crofting life & the community as it was cleared & dwindled. Informative and respectful, but not too sentimental.

A history of Scottish Gaelic, intertwined with a history of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gàidhlig college on the Isle of Skye. I read a large chunk of this book earlier in the year, but only finished the last 10 pages this evening.

I must admit I found it sad to see the struggles the language is enduring to survive, and how much people have had to fight for the smallest of victories when compared to Welsh, or even Irish. Well worth reading.