Work your way around the entire coast of Scotland

COASTAL Scotland celebrates the history, heritage and wildlife of the Scottish shores. With nearly 800 islands and several thousand miles of coastline, Scotland has one of the most diverse coasts in all of Europe.

This book, throughout its 208 pages, takes a tour around the coast, west to east, from the Solway Firth to northernmost Sutherland and back down the coast to the Borders. The numerous colour photos make one want to head off to the coast and explore immediately.

Clear colour maps help with location and interest, vignettes of local artefacts, stamps, book covers (and local ales and spirits) add to the picture of each area. The text describes local history and heritage, flora and fauna, architecture and culture, and touches on art and literature.

Although not a cruising guide as such, navigation aspects are covered, including notes on tidal flows and timings, buoyage, sea states, drying channels and access from the water. Within each section, the reader will find distances, relevant OS map numbers, tidal constants, the sea area name and submarine areas, all important information for those following the route from the sea.

Author Stuart Fisher approached the writing of this book from the sea in his sea kayak. It is one of a series which includes Canals of Britain, and another coastal guide, Coastal Britain: England and Wales.

In fact the final page of Coastal Scotland offers a map of Britain with a coloured key as to what’s covered by each book of the series, inland and coastal. He is editor of Canoeist magazine, writing guides to the canals and waterways of Britain, always researched from the water.

As a reader, boater and sometime sailor with a strong interest in all things coast and waterwayrelated, I’d recommend this book for its interest and enjoyable mix of facts and stories. I enjoyed revisiting places I know well and those I am yet to visit.

As a previous editor of reference books and visitor guides, Coastal Scotland must have been great fun to research, write and produce. Start at the beginning and work your way around the entire coast of Scotland, or dip in and out as you fancy.

Get a copy, if only for vicarious sailing, travel and sightseeing during these times of shutdown, if not for planning travel adventures for when we’re able to get out and about again.

Coastal Scotland by Stuart Fisher, published by Adlard Coles/Bloomsbury (208 pages, paperback £25, eBook £24).

ISBN: 9781472958709 (paperback); 9781472958761 (EBook)