Islander by Patrick Barkham

Published by Granta Books, Hardback, 352 pages, Price £20.00

Patrick has done a number of books which include wildlife [The Butterfly Isles, Badgerland] so when you see the title you think you are onto a winner here with islands visited like Orkney, Isles of Sicily, Barra, Eigg and even the Isle of Man but the book seemed to get lost on one particular man who was not interested in wildlife. Of course birds have to be mentioned on especially St Kilda and Ray Island in Essex where he had Little Egrets roosting above his tent. He lists the bird remains found in the Tomb of the Eagles which I had not found out about on my visit on South Ronaldsay so I did learn about many of these islands and still have to visit some of these written about.