This poetry collection is fundamentally a poet’s love letter to the Scottish Highlands, its beauty, geography, history and its people. In this book, which celebrates 25 years of travel and exploration of the Highland landscape, the poet has woven a wide ranging thesis, at its face at times a travel guide and memoir of moments, time and places, and at another level, as is the poet’s calling, a more profound and deeper analysis of time, journeys and the evaluation of self. It is a collection from a writer who understands the need to question himself and ponder the answers, as he believes the pathways to growth and personal understanding can be found there. There is no denying the profound impact of the Scottish Highlands on the writer, from his early days and first visits right through to later odysseys through a landscape he has grown to love and has changed with him across the years. Through his descriptions of northern castles, lochs, hills and glens, the poet has found a unique view of the dramatic Highlands of Scotland, and the emotions it creates, and delivers a deep and thoughtful collection of scenic, personal and journeyman poetry. The book clearly highlights a true and enduring love for a people and place, the wonder of unparalleled locations, and a poet’s roaming pilgrimages though a breath-taking land.

Table of Contents:
Contents 9 About the Book 1 Foreword 3 Prologue to the Highlands 10 Castle Tiorum 21 Glenfinnan 23 Rannoch 24 Loch Shiel 26 Road to the Isles 28 A Poem for A Girl on A Castle Wall 30 Loch Ness 32 Craigag Lodge 34 Midnight, at Glenfinnan Pier 38 Return To Moidart 40 The Glenuig Inn 42 Urquhart Castle 44 Stalker on Laich 46 Glenfinnan (Redux) 48 Concrete Bob’s Viaduct 50 The Leaning Tower of Glenfinnan 52 Catching Kilchurn Castle 54 White Sands of Morar 56 Eilean Donan Castle 58 Plockton 60 Empty Harbour at Nether Lochaber 62 Each-uisge 64 General Wade’s Military Road 66 Glencoe 69 Bridge at Banavie 72 Prelude to the Highlands 74 Highlands I – Proem 75 The Drive 77 Gàidheal 79 Loch Lomond 81 Culloden Moor 83 Drumnadrochit 87 Heilan Coos 88 Lower Diabaig 89 Fort William In the Rain 91 The Falls at Foyers 92 The Cave at Staffa 94 Loch Lochy 95 Postcard Home from Scotland 96 Glen Shiel 98 Questions on The Small Isles 100 Islands I – The Old Man of Hoy 101 Islands II – Skara Brae 103 Islands III – At Orkney 104 Islands IV – A Stone Grave in Unst 105 Islands V – Muckle Flugga 106 Neptune’s Staircase 108 One Night on Skye 110 A Conversation at The Crofter 111 Ardvreck Castle 113 Evening at Portree Harbour 114 A82 116 Highlands II – Interlude 117 Mallaig 118 Well of the Seven Heads 120 Pap of Glencoe 122 The Dark Mile & The Cauldron 123 Loch an Eilein Castle 125 Lochailort Sounds 126 The Ring of Brodgar 128 Moray Firth & North 130 Winter Sunset at Loch Shiel 132 Falls of Shin 133 Old Inverlochy Castle 134 The Roaring Mill 135 Prince’s Cairn 137 Na Fir Chlis (The Nimble Men) 138 Driving North 139 Triptych for Tourists 140 Western Stars I 142 Western Stars II 144 Moss-Bank 145 The Dawners Near Dalwhinnie 146 Bridge on The Allt Dearg Mor 147 Get Lost 148 The Smoo Cave 150 The Great White Glen 152 Highland Moon 154 Inverewe Gardens 155 Eilean Fhianain 156 The Rough Bounds of Knoydart 157 Highlands III – Postlude 158 The Bench: Epilogue from the Highlands 160