Publications about Eigg

An Island and its People - Eigg, a photographic record
Published by the Isle of Eigg History Society, this selection of pictures from the Eigg Photographic Archive gives a flavour of what traditional life was like on Eigg before the changes that took place in the latter part of the 20th century.

Scenes of people at work and play, of crofters, fishermen, lairds and their lodges were all recorded on film and are represented in the Archive and in this book. Over 50 photographs and captions on 50 pages

Copies are available from the Isle of Eigg Craftshop, Isle of Eigg, PH42 4RL for £6.50 plus £1 p&p. Cheques payable to Isle of Eigg Craftshop

The Geology of Eigg
A booklet by Professor John Hudson covering all aspects of the fascinating Geology of the island.

"This little book is full of interest and there are good sketches, maps and diagrams and photographs. At £5, it is a "must" for everyone visiting Eigg....it makes fascinating reading and is a real incentive to visit the island."
Open University Geological Society Journal, Spring 2004

Copies are available from the Isle of Eigg Craftshop, Isle of Eigg, PH42 4RL for £5.00 plus £1 p&p. Cheques payable to Isle of Eigg Craftshop

Eigg, the Story of an Island, by Camille Dressler, published by Polygon, £12.99 ISBN 0-7486-6224-3.
Tracing the changing fortunes of the island and its inhabitants, this book also gives an indication of the situation which prevailed in the Highlands and Islands as a whole with the description of clan politics and the economic of crofting.

The story of the Eigg community buy-out campaign occupies the concluding chapters which charter the changes and events which have brought about plans for the most radical Land Reform since the Crofters'Act of 1886.

Eigg, an island Lanscape, by Susanna Wade Martins, was first published in 1987. The third edition, published in 2004 is now available in the Island Craft Shop, price £7.50 plus postage.

This popular, fully illustrated short account of the history and landscape of Eigg includes the findings of the recent archaeological survey by the RCAHMS and a new final chapter brings the island's story up to the millenium.

Soil and Soul: People versus Corporate Power, by Alastair McIntosh. Published by Aurum Press, London, £17.99, 322pp. + xiv, hardback, ISBN 1-85410-802-6.

In Soil and Soul, Scottish writer and campaigning academic Alastair McIntosh shows how it is still possible for individuals and communities to take on the might of corporate power and emerge victorious. Alastair's beliefs are rooted in his upbringing on the Isle of Lewis. The first part of his book explores how the old way of life in the Hebrides was threatened with extinction by global capitalism. He does not advocate returning to a preindustrial golden age, but balances the gains of modernity against what has been lost. In particular, he demonstrates how the rise of the modern era undermined communities governed by a sense of reverence and mutual responsibility. But right relationship can be restored, he suggests, by learning from the bardic tradition to create a new harmony of soil, soul and society.

The second part of the book demonstrates how such principles of community empowerment can be successfully applied. As a founder of the Isle of Eigg Trust, Alastair helped the beleaguered residents of Eigg to become the first Scottish community ever to clear their laird from his own estate. In a campaign that earned worldwide renoun, the islanders raised sufficient funds to oust their landlord , very much against his will, and successfully galvanized political demands for land reform in Scotland.

This extraordinary book weaves together theology, mythology, economics, ecology, history, poetics and politics as the author journeys towards a radical new yet ancient philosophy of community, Spirit and place. His daring and imaginative responses to the destruction of the natural world make this an uplifting, inspirational and often richly humorous read. Alastair McIntosh is a Scottish academic and activist. A fellow of the Centre for Human Ecology, he lectures all over the world on subjects including new economics, community and nonviolent defence strategies - www.AlastairMcIntosh.com

The Cruise of the Betsey with Rambles of a Geologist by Hugh Miller, Facsimile edition, with Introduction and Notes by Dr Michael Taylor, Preface by Professor T C Smout.

Facsimile reprint of Hugh Miller's 1857 notes recording his rambles around Scotland in the mid 1840s. A journalist and social commentator (Hugh Miller was one of the first writers to condemn the Highland Clearances), he also had a keen interest in fossil collecting and was successful in arousing public interest in geological history. This account shows the full range of Hugh Miller's interests - the lyrical descriptions of the scenery and accounts of beautiful fossils show a deep affection for the Scottish landscape, while his role as a serious religious journalist and social crusader is highlighted in his discussions on the Disruption and its consequences. A fascinating book, of particular interest to local historians, geologists, ramblers, readers of great Scottish literature, and lovers of the Western Isles and Northern Scotland.

Published 21 August 2003 by:

NMS Enterprises - Publishing,
National Museums of Scotland,
Chambers Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1JF
Scotland
tel: 0131 247 4164; fax: 0131 247 4012; email publishing@nms.ac.uk
ISBN 1 901663 54 X
paperback 576 pages

Price £20.00
Copies available through bookshops or contact the publisher at the above address for details on how to order direct.

The Birds of Eigg
John Chester, the resident Scottish Wildlife Trust warden on Eigg, has written this 52 page booket covering all the island bird list.

Copies are available from the Isle of Eigg Craftshop, Isle of Eigg, PH42 4RL for £5.00 plus £1 p&p. Cheques payable to Isle of Eigg Craftshop

EIGG - The Archaeology of a Hebridean Landscape
In 2002 and 2003 the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) carried out an exhaustive survey of the island, and have produced this fascinating braodsheet which maps and describes their findings.

Copies are available from the Isle of Eigg Craftshop, Isle of Eigg, PH42 4RL for £5.00 plus £1 p&p. Cheques payable to Isle of Eigg Craftshop