Sea Room: An Island Life in the Hebrides

Reminiscent of Heat-Moon’s PrairyErth: A Deep Map Nicolson’s work is also a map in depth of the Shiants; tiny islands off the coast of Skye, in the Hebrides that his father gave him. Nicolson, born in 1957, lives with his family in Sissinghurst Castle, and is the 5th Baron Carnock, although we are told he never uses the title. (Can I borrow it then please Adam?) His father author Nigel Nicolson who gave the islands to Adam, bought the islands when his mother, authoress, Vita Sackville-West found them listed for sale by author Comptom McKenzie!

All this talent, Nicolson claims, descended from an early branch of marauding Hebridean pirates and shepherds. Indeed, the Shiants were actually owned by the Nicolson clan centuries before his show more father’s gift but were lost to one of those perpetual clan wars and raids the featured in this glorious region’s long history. Adam decide on conservation and archeology, not profit, eventually opening up the isles to scholarly research international archeology teams and camping Boy Scouts. He has the honour of preserving these wonderful, floating, tiny bits of man’s history but later argues against his own ‘ownership’ in context and principle.

Early in his ownership, whilst visiting his mentor and tenant he meets a typical “Jock of the North’, looming over the author he challenges;
“Ar yew the man who says he owns the Shiants?’
“Yes,” I said, smiling charm, the English defence, “I am actually”.
“Will, yer a sackful o’ shite”.

Adam commissions an appropriate boat, a sixteen-foot, clinker built replica of the ancient boats with a Viking heritage. Declaring her a beauty he hesitating asks the dour, neat Hebridean builder if he will be able to become a proper sailor of her.
“Aye, if you had another life” is his reply.

But, in fact, he is a quick learner and studies his craft as closely as his windswept and near-barren islands, uses his ‘little ship’ well, joins the shepherd’s in their annual roundup and gets the local accolade of knowing “every inch, rock and pebble’ of his glorious heritage.

He notes that ladies never find the ‘house island’ (Eilean an Tighe) a welcoming environment and later archeology reveals a valid reason for such feminine detection of vibes – a limpet pile in the byre that shows the famine years, even decades, of starvation and hardship when the residents were reduced to eating this, the island’s most repellent resource.

This is a marvelous book and Adam Nicolson has deeded his islands to his son in turn and they remain a glorious resource in trust for us all (http://www.shiantisles.net/). show less

Adam Nicolson owns the Shiants islands, off Lewis. He clearly loves these islands and is about to hand them over to his son. He writes about the wildlife, natural history, geology and social history of the islands. He also writes about getting his own boat to get to and from the islands and some of the practicalities of spending time on the Shiants. He has a curious mind and is interested in a range of subjects and people. His love of these islands comes across and he is observant of the features on the islands. His writing is rambling and sometimes repetitive and he is very clear about his opinions. He feels a right to private ownership and that he is the best person to care for these islands and he tells the reader that he has no time show more for the RSPB and Nature Scot and ecology experts. He gives a sense of these islands as someone who spends time there in the summer for leisure. show less

Well written and engaging. At nearly 400 pages one could say that no stone was left unturned to describe the natural history, social history and archaeology of the islands and their relationship with other parts of the Hebrides. But it wasn't hard to read and flowed well with each chapter describing a specific aspect. The discussion about the rights and wrongs of their ownership was rather one sided.

Beautifully written, poetic in places, historical account of the Shiant Islands, lying off the east coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. It is the author's love letter to a place, remote and challenging. He make the most of the meagre evidence to weave a fascinating tale and at every point his deep affection shines through, honest and inspiring.

A superb, beautiful, luminous book. Nicolson's writing is vivid and immediate, his view of the islands loving but unsentimental.

A beautiful book by the English owner of a trio of Scottish islands. Was a real joy to read. I can't recall ever reading another book with such a love of a particular place. Made me think of what it means to be from somewhere. Reminded me of The Farm in Greensboro.

A real let down and not what I expected. I thought it would be a present day, life on the island perspective. However, it was more a written record of the island's history and different uses over time.