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Welcome to the Islands Book Trust Website
PUBLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE FROM OUR ONLINE SHOP...
Based in the Hebridean
island of Lewis, we aim to further understanding
of the history of Scottish islands in their wider
Celtic and Nordic contexts through:
- events including talks, visits, and conferences
- publications
- research and education
We have
a full programme of events
planned to achieve these objectives. If you support
our aims, we hope you will join
the Trust and visit us at 10 Callicvol, Port
of Ness, Isle of Lewis and the Angus Macleod Archive,
Ravenspoint Centre, Kershader, South Lochs, Isle
of Lewis.
LATEST SPECIAL OFFER BOOKS - We have a limited number of special prices here
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FUTURE
EVENTS
Saturday 24 May, 10.30am, Community Hall, Tarbert – BILL LAWSON: ‘Taransay’, followed (weather permitting) by boat trip to Taransay
Saturday 21 June, 10.30am, Marine Harvest shed, Lemreway – ADAM and TOM NICOLSON: ‘The Shiants’, followed (weather permitting) by boat trip to the Shiants
The Islands Book Trust programme of
events for 2008 is now published here
Visit to the Faroe Islands
We regret that we are no longer proceeding with this event in 2008. We hope to arrange a visit in 2009. Queries, further information, and expressions of interest, to Alayne Barton at alayne@theislandsbooktrust.com or 01851 820946.
3-day conference on the theme
'The Hebridean Contribution to UK Military
History', Monday 11 -Wednesday
13 August, The Old School, Shawbost,
Lewis. Speakers will include Mike Hughes,
author of 'The Hebrides at War'.
Programme and sign-up form here
Boat trips to :-
St Kilda - (Saturday 19 April),
Taransay (Saturday
24 May),
The Shiants (Saturday 21 June)
Monach Islands (Saturday 14 June)
Little
Bernera (Saturday 19 July).
Pabbay - (Saturday 9 August)
A full programme of events in Uist, Benbecula, Barra
and Skye here
RECENTLY LAUNCHED
GAME
ON LEWIS AND HARRIS - PAST AND PRESENT
by David S.D. Jones
In
this attractively illustrated booklet, David
Jones looks at the changing wildlife of
Lewis and Harris over the centuries as seen
through estate and game records. He charts
the rise and fall of particular species,
often heavily influenced by the management
policies of the estates, and gives a tantalising
insight into changing attitudes and the
world of sporting estates.
By
drawing on sources not hitherto widely used,
David Jones's research, based on his impressive
Western Isles Countrysports Archive, allows
a glimpse of a different world, which will
be of absorbing interest to those fascinated
by both the natural and social history of
the islands.
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LATEST
PUBLICATIONS
Available now
CROSSING THE MINCH
Exploring the Links between Skye and the Outer Hebrides 
On a good day, the mountains of Skye and the long chain of the Western Isles are clearly visible from each other, and their history has been interwoven over the centuries through a common Norse and Gaelic cultural heritage, land ownership links, the movement of people in both directions, and more recent economic and social pressures.
In May 2007, The Islands Book Trust held a two day conference entitled Crossing the Minch, to consider these many links, similarities and differences. Set in the magnificent surroundings of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, the contributors included Cailean Maclean, Aonghas MacCoinnich, Anne Frater, Iain Mac an Tailleir, Roger Hutchinson, and Bill Lawson.
This volume brings together the various contributions, providing essential reading for anyone with an interest in the history of these islands.
Retail price £9.00
Now available
THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ALEXANDER CARMICHAEL
A ground-breaking collection of essays celebrating the life and legacy of one of the most fascinating and controversial Scots of his time, the folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912). Carmichael devoted his adult life to collecting the extraordinarily rich oral tradition of the people of his native Highlands, above all in the Outer Hebrides where he spent nearly twenty years. Much of this material was edited and published in the six volumes of Carmina Gadelica (1900-71), a magnificent treasure trove of Gaelic charms, hymns, poems, songs, and stories which has captivated and intrigued readers world-wide ever since.
The Life and Legacy of Alexander Carmichael presents the fruits of a four-day conference held in the island of Benbecula in July 2006 under the auspices of The Islands Book Trust. Bringing together contributions from academic and local Hebridean scholars alike, it allows us for the first time to appreciate and evaluate the astonishing range and influence of Carmichael's work. Alexander Carmichael is famous today as the inspirer of the 'Celtic Christianity' movement, and the cause of one of the most bitterly fought scholarly controversaries in Scotland for a generation. This collection reminds us that he was also perhaps the greatest folklore collector of his age, the editor and creator of one of the most remarkable art books of the twentieth century, a figurehead for the Scottish Celtic Revival, a man who dedicated his life to upholding and promoting the culture, traditions and interest of his own people.
Retail price £15.00
ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR BOOKS
THE
FRENCH MACDONALD
- ECHOES OF
JACOBITE AND NAPOLEONIC LINKS WITH THE HEBRIDES
When
Frenchman Jean-Didier Hache bought on impulse
a 'MacDonald print' in a Paris auction in
the 1970s, he had no idea what fate lay
ahead: the beginning of close personal links
with a remote part of the Outer Hebrides
which would last a lifetime, and the unfolding
of a dramatic story going back over 250
years which will forever bind together the
history of Scotland and France.
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| PUBLICATIONS
ST
KILDA, MYTH AND REALITY
This
book is based on a discussion  session
entitled, Writing about St Kilda: Myth
and Reality, which took place at the
inaugural Hebridean Book Festival in Stornoway
in August 2006.
Millions
of people all over the world are fascinated
by St Kilda and their impressions are inevitably
based on previous writings, pictures, or
the views of others. What these images are,
how they have arisen and the influences
that are at work in building myths, are
as interesting a subject as the reality
of the history of St Kilda itself - and
the two concepts are now difficult, perhaps
impossible to differentiate from each other.
This book aims to examine how far writing
about St Kilda over the centuries has built
up particular images about the island, which
may or may not reflect the reality of life
there.
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ISLAND
NOTES
Island Notes - If you missed one
of our events we have introduced a series
of modestly-priced Island Notes which summarise
talks given at Trust events.
A
price list and order form
is available here
more...
PUBLICATIONS
THE
DECLINE AND FALL OF ST
KILDA
This
thought provoking volume is based on the
very successful conference held in Great
Bernera, Lewis in August 2005 to mark the
75th anniversary of the evacuation of St
Kilda.more...
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The
Angus Macleod Archive Proje ct
The Book Trust is leading a project to preserve and make available to the public an important cultural resource known as the Angus Macleod archive - the life's work of the late Angus Macleod MBE (1916-2002) of South Lochs, Lewis. We are working in conjunction with the Pairc Historical Society (Comunn Eachdraidh na Pairc), and with the agreement of Angus Macleod's family on this project.
Angus Macleod was born in Calbost, South Lochs, Lewis, and was at various times during his long life a crofter, seaman, businessman, community leader, historian, and genealogist. He held many public positions, and in particular was the driving force behind the formation of the Scottish Crofters Union in 1985, and of Cuimhneachain nan Gasgeach in 1989 to commemorate those who led the Lewis land struggle in the latter part of the 19 th century and the first part of the 20 th century.
During his life, Angus Macleod personally put together a remarkable archive of written and photographic material, sound recordings, and artefacts covering his wide range of interests. The topics include crofting history, genealogy, fishing history, oral history and song, settlement names and history, land reform, and the Church. A significant part of the material is in Gaelic.
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LEARNING FROM HISTORY – THE NEXT STAGE OF THE ANGUS MACLEOD ARCHIVE PROJECT
The Book Trust is pleased to announce that a new project, entitled Learning from History, will enable the Angus Macleod Archive to remain open to the public and the annual memorial lecture in honour of Angus Macleod to continue during 2008.
Under the project, a Gaelic teacher (Kenny Smith) has been funded by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to lead a research project which will consider how best material from the Angus Macleod Archive (and also Hebridean Connections and the Callicvol Collection) can be worked up and presented for use in schools. This fulfils a long-standing objective of the Book Trust to encourage greater use of local historical material for education. The Book Trust will be funding a part-time Archive Assistant post based at the Ravenspoint Centre, Kershader, South Lochs, to help with the project, and also to oversee the storage of Book Trust publications, deal with orders for publications, and monitor sales.
The Book Trust’s contribution to the project is being assisted in part by grants from the Hugh Fraser Foundation (£2,000) and the Gatliff Trust (£1,000), to whom we are most grateful. The remainder of the cost (some £10,000) is being funded by the Book Trust from its own resources, and an appeal is being launched to give Book Trust members and others who wish to contribute to this important initiative the opportunity to do so. For further details, please contact Alayne Barton on 01851 820946, email alayne@theislandsbooktrust.com , or make a donation by credit card using the PayPal facility on this website.
If funding is forthcoming from the higher education sector, the project could also be extended to Colleges and Universities.
The Book Trust hopes that, if the research phase of the project in 2008 is successful, a further project might follow, concentrating on the production of educational resources for use in schools.
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MACLEAN PRESS
The Book Trust is pleased to announce that it has purchased the Skye-based publishing company Maclean Press, including the stock of several important and attractive books on island themes which complement our own titles. We are offering many of these books, along with some of our own, at greatly reduced prices - for details see Publications - Special Prices more
2008 EVENTS EXTRAVAGANZA FROM THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUST
This year’s programme of events organised by The Islands Book Trust is more than simply ‘bigger and better than ever before’ – it is a veritable extravaganza of over 20 talks, conferences, and visits to islands which should have something for everyone interested in the history of the Hebrides and further afield
Introducing the programme, Book Trust Chairman John Randall said:
‘We have tried to get a good blend of speakers from the islands and from the outside, from local communities and from the academic world. The subjects under discussion range from early Christianity in Ness to the Lewis Chemical Works. We have also aimed to combine old favourites, like visiting the spectacular Shiant Islands, with something new – and this year we hope to reach St Kilda, and the Monachs. We have particularly expanded our programme of events in Uist, and are holding another conference in Skye. Our events are open to everyone, but we would encourage as many people as possible to join the Book Trust – this entitles you to reductions at events, and also brings you a regular newsletter with full details and reports on all our events, publications, and other activities. We are not a learned society, but an inclusive organisation where everyone interested in the history of the islands will find a warm welcome.’
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