'A masterclass in why sheep count' - Mark Stephen, presenter of BBC Radio Scotland's Out of DoorsAcclaimed nature writer Polly Pullar has been fascinated by sheep since childhood, when she formed an inseparable bond with her pet lamb Lulu, and dozens more that followed.Through her own years as a sheep farmer, personal encounters, interviews, adventures and anecdotes, Polly reveals the fascinating world of sheep culture, emphasising the importance of shepher...

'Peppered with humour, empathy and kindness' - Sunday PostEver since her pet sheep Lulu accompanied her to school at the age of seven, animals and nature have been at the heart of Polly Pullar's world. Growing up in a remote corner of the Scottish West Highlands, she roamed freely through the spectacular countryside and met her first otters, seals, eagles and wildcats.But an otherwise idyllic childhood was marred by family secrets which ultimately ...

Polly Pullar tells the fascinating tale of one of the Hebrides unique thriving small communities through the colourful anecdotes of Lawrence MacEwen, whose family have owned the island since 1896. A wonderfully benevolent, and eccentric character, his passion and love for the island and its continuing success, has always been of the utmost importance. He has kept diaries all his life and delves deep into them, unveiling a uniquely human story, punctuated with liberal amounts of humour, as ...

Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2019When Les and Chris Humphreys moved to Ardnamurchan 15 years ago, little did they realise they would be sharing their home with some of Britain's most elusive and misunderstood mustelids. Amongst all the animals and birds that visit their garden, they have formed a special bond with numerous pine martens, and have studied them and a cast of other creatures at close range through direct observation and via sensor-operated ca...

Polly Pullar has had a passion for red squirrels since childhood. As a wildlife rehabilitator, she knows the squirrel on a profoundly personal level and has hand-reared numerous litters of orphan kits, eventually returning them to the wild.In this book she shares her experiences and love for the squirrel and explores how our perceptions have changed. Heavily persecuted until the 1960s, it has since become one of the nation's most adored mammals. But we are now racing against time t...

A Times Bestseller Shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing'Remarkable, and so profoundly enjoyable to read ... Its importance is huge, setting down a vital marker in the 21st century debate about how we use and abuse the land' - Joyce McMillan, ScotsmanDesperate to connect with his native Galloway, Patrick Laurie plunges into work on his family farm in the hills of southwest Scotland. In...

A wonderful meditation on the English landscape in wet weather by the acclaimed novelist and nature writer, Melissa Harrison.Whenever rain falls, our countryside changes. Fields, farms, hills and hedgerows appear altered, the wildlife behaves differently, and over time the terrain itself is transformed.In Rain, Melissa Harrison explores our relationship with the weather as she follows the course of four rain showers, in four seasons, across Wicken Fen, Shropshire, ...

'Beautiful, meditative memoir.' - Sunday ExpressFrom the southern tip of Barra to the ancient stone circle of Callanish, Leonie and her friend Shuna ride off the beaten track on their beloved Highland ponies, Ross and Chief. In deeply poetic prose, she not only describes the beauties of the Hebridean landscape, its spare, penetrating light and its people, but also confronts the ghost of her mother and their fractured relationship.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be given your own remote islands? Thirty years ago it happened to Adam Nicolson.Aged 21, Nicolson inherited the Shiants, three lonely Hebridean islands set in a dangerous sea off the Isle of Lewis. With only a stone bothy for accommodation and half a million puffins for company, he found himself in charge of one of the most beautiful places on earth.The story of the Shiants is a story of birds and boats, hermits and fishermen,...

'I found myself turning the pages with an inward leap of joy' - Isabella Tree*WINNER of the Richard Jefferies Award for Nature Writing**Shortlisted for the James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Conservation*'Exquisite' GUARDIANIt was a tragic day for the nation's wildlife when England's last and loneliest golden eagle died in an unmarked spot among the remote eastern fells of the Lake District. ...

An introductory guide to everything the serious falconer needs to know about training, handling, and flying raptors from the five family groups.Learn how to train birds of prey correctly and safely. Jemima Parry-Jones, owner and director of the International Centre for Birds of Prey, covers everything the serious falconer needs to know about the five family groups: eagles, hawks, falcons, buzzards and owls.You will learn about handling, training, and flying. ...

A diverse and entertaining collection of writing examining and celebrating the British Countryside, from falconry to foraging and from the musings of a nighttime angler to tips for seasonal drinking.LANDStuart Maconie (Radio 2) on hill walking / Wainwright walksNick Small (CAUGHT BY THE RIVER regular) how to get nature into your garden, no matter how urban it isRichard King (Loops magazine editor) on the Winter Solstice and on the Summer SolsticeJohn Wri...