I have just finished On the Other Side of Sorrow by Jim Hunter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hunter_(historian)
It’s a lovely book about Nature and the People in the Scottish Highlands. I was for a time on Skye and it brings back many memories.
Much on the people and the clearances. Interesting to read the last chapter – to me this chapter sounds the right chord. I see first edition was published in 1995 and the latest last year and I wonder how much Jim Hunter has been changed the text of the latest edition?
I am a fan of Frazer Darling and I find plenty of his quotes in the book. One small criticism is that I didn’t find any quotes from Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain.
As I see it the Land Reform Bill is a necessary condition for repopulation of the Highlands but it is not a sufficient one: people have moved on since the Clearances and people will expect more to move back or just move to a more constructive life – broadband coverage is essential and better roads would help and it’s a pity that the Wick line wasn’t straightened at Dornoch Firth when they build the new road.
I am reeling today on the death of Charles Kennedy – not that I knew him – but he exemplified my ideal of liberalism.
There are of course many obituaries in today’s papers but the one that appeals most is in today’s Scotsman by Tavish Scott:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/tavish-scott-kennedy-a-man-never-underestimated-1-3790769
No doubt over the coming days he will come out On the Other Side of Sorrow.
PS Just caught up with
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2015/jun/02/steve-bell-on-charles-kennedy-cartoon
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