Islands of the Evening
Journeys to the Edge of the World
by Alistair Moffat
- Paperback
- E-book
Reviews
An exploration of Scotland's past through the eyes of a scholarly hiker ... magnificent
New Statesman
Delightful ... Moffat's writing is at its most fascinating when he writes about his own experience
Church Times
See Scotland's shores in a new light on Alistair's journey
Scots Magazine
A lively and sometimes humorous account for a popular audience and whilst meticulously researched, he captures the spirit of beauty of the 'thin place' between heaven and earth
Life and Work
Moffat writes sensitively and informatively about early monasticism... His book is also full of fascinating asides on more recent spiritual and religious currents and controversies in these regions, and makes for a satisfying and compelling travelogue
Church Times
Moffat has a gift for putting readers at ease and bringing history alive... part social history, part travelogue, part religious hymnal, this is a charming book
Scottish Field
Moffat uncovers the monastic communities, linked by piety and seacraft, that once girded the Atlantic like so many prayer beads. A compulsive read
The Tablet
About the Book
'Magnificent' - New Statesman, Books of the Year
Fourteen centuries ago, Irish saints journeyed to the Hebrides and Scotland's Atlantic shore. They sought spiritual solitude in remote places, but their mission was also to spread the word of God to the peoples of Scotland. Columba was the most famous of these pioneers who rowed their curraghs towards danger and uncertainty in a pagan land, but the many others are now largely forgotten.
Alistair Moffat sets off in search of these elusive figures. As he follows in their footsteps, he finds their traces not so much in tangible remains as in the spirit and memory of the places that lay at the very edge of their world.
The Author
Alistair Moffat
Alistair Moffat was born and bred in the Scottish Borders. A former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Director of Programmes at Scottish Television and founder of the Borders Book Festival, he is also the author of a number of highly acclaimed books. From 2011 he was Rector of the University of St Andrews. He has written more than thirty books on Scottish history, and lives in the Scottish Borders.
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