Kayaking the Sea Roads – Exploring the Scottish Highlands

Ed Ley-Wilson is a former crofter, salmon farmer, and small business owner and has a string of expeditions to mountains and seas around the world to his name. He has also run 1200 miles of the Great Wall of China and the 2000-mile length of the Himalayas.

Kayaking the Sea Roads is his journey by sea kayak into the heart of the sea roads that make up our Scottish Highlands and islands. Blending the intensity of the journey with careful observation of the natural world and first-hand knowledge of the challenges of living and working in this place, the author reminds us that mother nature, vast and resilient, is still out there beyond our mobile phones and urban lives. For those with the eyes to see, its natural rhythms can awaken a deep sense of wonder and cause us to become part of the sorely needed environmental recovery.

With Ed, we travel low in the water with the restless sea ever-present, and we camp with him on remote, rough shores. We share his feelings of wonder at the natural world and his fear at the exposure to rough seas, and we encounter with him not just the myriad animals and birds that share his every day but also the people, their communities and the often gnarly rural issues impacting on human and animal alike.

Alongside a deeply felt appreciation of the natural environment is a first-hand insight into the environmental and land management issues pertinent to the Highland coast. By exploring, for instance, the impact of native versus non-native species, community land ownership, tourism, hunting and the varied other uses and indeed non-uses of coastal lands and seas, the readers’ eyes are opened to a Scottish Highlands that is so much more than just a pretty view.

At the surface, this is an adventure story, but at its heart, it is a tale about belonging and a deep sense of place, and it is a journey home, home at the end to where the author’s Highland love affair began.

• A story of enlightenment, an opening of heart and mind to the wonders and challenges of living and working on our remote Scottish Highland shores.
• Describes first-hand wildlife encounters with dolphins, porpoise, otters, sea birds, sea eagles and more.
• Discusses pertinent issues around environment, economy, land ownership, land management and more.
• Promotes people in the landscape, making connections, building communities.
• A tale of belonging and a deep sense of place.

Price: £16.99