We had our formal launch of the book in An lanntair the art centre in Stornoway on Monday night, it seemed to be a really good night and well supported with around a hundred folk who turned up. Robert gave a brilliant intro to storm paddling in the Islands and seeing some of the old video footage was making a few folk sea sick in the audience.
Tim presented a lot of the pics that didnt make the book with a great soundtrack and I talked about my first trip to St Kilda with Murdy Campbell. We seemed to catch folks interest as we sold over fifty books on the night.
Published by admin July 5th, 2010
in reviews and Outer Hebrides.
With kind permission from the Stornoway Gazette, here’s a short article which appeared last week by Sheena MacKenzie:
The Outer Hebrides – Sea Kayaking Around The Isles & St Kilda by Robert Emmott, Tim Pickering and Mike Sullivan is a brilliant guide to local kayaking routes. Simple explanations and helpful maps make it an excellent choice for kayaking novices the Outer Hebrides, with safety advice and information about the environment and access rights. However, its appeal is not limited to those interested in water sports. Being one of those people myself, I found the book full of fascinating information about the history and beauty of the Islands.
One of the authors, Mike Sullivan, said: “We feel the book is a unique guide for the Outer Hebrides not just for kayakers but for those who love the Islands and especially the coast around it. “We tried to get the balance of good information, history and stories from particular places as well as capturing dramatic images for each of the trips described. There are some aerial shots and images taken from the water which adds to the sense you are seeing the Islands from a totally different perspective. “Hopefully it will inspire folk to actually put the book down, pick up some paddles and get paddling!”
The guide opens with a practical map that clearly shows useful information on where the places are and how to get there. This is followed by a run through of environmental information and the potential dangers of the sport, important information for beginners and fanatics alike. A key is introduced, explaining a straightforward grading system of the difficulty level of the routes and symbols used to indicate things such as ferries and strong tides. A short, educational history of kayaking is given, and after the routes themselves are explained, the book ends with practical safety advice, a glossary of Gaelic place names and recommendations for other books.
There are 44 different routes in the book, and each one is written about in great detail. Their descriptions begin with a set of statistics, containing total distances and estimated times, plus the difficulty grading and details of the effects of weather and tides. The rest of the description conveys all kinds of information about the area, with subjects from local history to whale-watching sites, anyone with an interest in the islands will undoubtedly find something to make their trip worthwhile. The photos in the book are breathtaking and increase the excitement that the authors have created. Clear maps plainly mark the routes, with detailed tidal information on each map where it is needed and warnings on weather and hazards for each trip. There is no information to show the sites of interest, which I think would have been a valuable addition.
Overall, this guide would be a worthwhile investment for anyone who enjoys the island and its history, and visitors who want to explore the region more. The launch of the book takes place on July 5 at 7pm in An Lantair, where copies will be sold before being sold in local shops. The book is also available online from www.pesdapress.com
Published by Robert Emmott May 5th, 2010
in publication details.
It’s somewhat dreich here today (and perhaps hard to say where the mist stops and the volcanish ash starts!) so I’ve been sorting through my photographs of a recent trip to Taransay. This serves as a good reminder of the variability of the weather in the islands and that when it’s fine April is a great time of year for camping, with the added bonus that the midge season has yet to start!
Taransay is best known for the Castaway reality show from the year 2000. However, in the guidebook you’ll find it under its gaelic name of Tarasaigh. In practice there’s no hard and fast rule about the use of Gaelic and English names but in the book we’ve used those of the OS maps to try and help those less familiar with the Outer Hebrides find where they’re going.
The shot below was taken as we returned to Harris, and was in stark contrast to the lively seas and fantastic clapotis we enjoyed the day before going round the SW corner of Taransay.
Published by Mike Sullivan May 1st, 2010
in publication details.
Not only was he brave to be the first to kayak to St kilda he also took on an American warship in his kayak. Hamish Gow was an ardent anti polaris protester when they first started to create a base for the submarines at Holy loch in 1961,how strange it is that the debate about updating our current trident missiles rages on!
Hamish with a few other kayaks actually paddled out to an anchored warship to make their protest. He managed to clamber on to the mooring bouy and unfurl a CND banner then started to climb the anchor chain to get onto the ship.However it was heavily greased and it was proving difficult. He then spotted some bubbles in the water underneath him and suddenly two navy frogmen rose from the depths and wrestled him off the greasy chain and took him into custody on the ship.
Hamish appeared in court and pleaded guilty to breach of the peace but used the moment to make an impassioned speech to the sheriff about the absurdity of nuclear missiles.
The story goes that when he arrived at St Kilda in 1965,which was then occupied by the army, that he was again taken into custody as they thought he was embarking on another extreme protest. In fact the army staff were a bit surprised to find himself and his wife fast asleep in their tents but treated them with great hospitality and arranged for a boat to take them back to Uist after a couple of days recouperation.
Find out more about the first St Kilda trip in the guide book.
A recent photo of Hamish.
Published by Mike Sullivan April 25th, 2010
in photos.
Looking forward to seeing Monty Hall’s St Kilda feature on BBC2 this week. There is a good section on it in the new guidebook but reading about it and watching it on telly still won’t prepare you for actually being there, truly awesome. When Tim was there he took some great shots and some of them made it to the guidebook, but one of my favourite shots didn’t … don’t know why .
Published by admin April 23rd, 2010
in video.
Tune in next week as Monty is off to St Kilda. John Crace of the Guardian has this (and more) to say about the program: “The basic premise is that Monty and his telegenic black labrador Rubes will spend six months in the Hebrides working as a volunteer nature warden. The job has to be unpaid because its previous incumbent Jim, a lifelong Hebridean resident who has forgotten more about the islands than Monty is likely to learn, was made redundant some years ago when funding dried up. Luckily, Jim has no hard feelings and is happy to show Monty the ropes by taking him fishing, escorting him to the Monach Islands and digging him some peat.” Check it out on the BBC iPlayer: Monty Hall’s Great Hebridean Escape.
Published by Mike Sullivan February 8th, 2010
in publication details.
The finish is in sight. It has been a long time coming and a lot of work and time to get this book ready. I really admire the previous guidebook writers who have done this on their own it was hard enough with three of us writing it. So really exciting that it will be ready by May to hit the market and give folk an insight into this special paddling destination.
Seeing the cover shot of that summer paddle in Little Bernera has brought a bit of warmth to the coldness of the isles just now, but not that that stops us, Tim is apparently planning a wee camping trip this weekend!
Published by admin February 8th, 2010
in publication details.
The isle of St Kilda is as remote as you will find in the British isles and it holds a particular mystique for sea kayakers. This summer the first guidebook to sea kayaking the magical isles of the Outer Hebridesis due for publication from a team of three local authors, expert sea kayakers and raconteurs; Mike Sullivan, Robert Emmott and Tim Pickering . Check out their writing, updates and news right here.
