Blazing Paddles

Alone in his tiny kayak, Brian Wilson sets off on an 1800-mile odyssey around Scotland’s grand cliffscapes, unspoiled shorelines, fearsome sea passages and Hebridean islands. He discovers a world of sea-level adventure, and in the process takes a good look at Scottish identity from a unique and fascinating perspective. Sometimes harrowing, frequently philosophical, often hilarious, this book will appeal to all lovers of the coast and its endlessly varied characters, wildlife and lore. Adventure is there aplenty as he battles with whirlpools, heavy seas and hypothermia, streaks naked in front of Lady Diana, and survives a close encounter with a killer whale. The narrative is brim-full of history and folklore, disasters at sea, haunted bothies and the exploits of Celtic Saints, Viking raiders and mermaids. It is inhabited by larger-than-life characters like Tex Geddes the shark hunter, Dr Stan the cave-dweller, and a whole camp of homosexual gold panners. It is also a perceptive commentary on submarines, supertankers, and other issues threatening the Scottish coastline and its unique and fragile wildlife.

'As good a maritime sage as has ever come out of the Scottish seas.’
The Scotsman

‘I don’t know whether the adventure itself or the story of it deserves the greater admiration; the combination strikes me as a triumph – which I hope will have many successors.’ BBC RADIO 4 – A Book at Bedtime

‘One of the classic pieces of canoe writing. This is without doubt the best sea canoeing travel book I have ever read.’ CANOEIST Magazine

‘Beautifully illustrated, by a perceptive conservationist … is both topical and entertaining.’ Canoe Focus