
Pabay
An Island Odyssey
Christopher A. Whatley(Author)
Birlinn Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 11. July 2019
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-78027-579-6 (ISBN)
Description
The tiny diamond-shaped island of Pabay lies in Skye's Inner Sound, just two and a half miles from the bustling village of Broadford. One of five Hebridean islands of that name, it derives from the Norse papa-ey, meaning 'island of the priest'. Many visitors since the first holy men built their chapel there have felt that Pabay is a deeply spiritual place, and one of wonder. These include the great 19th-century geologists Hugh Miller and Archibald Geikie, for whom the island's rocks and fossil-laden shales revealed much about the nature of Creation itself.
Len and Margaret Whatley moved to Pabay from the Midlands and lived there from 1950 until 1970. Leaving a landlocked life in Birmingham for the emptiness of an uninhabited island was a brave and challenging move for which nothing could have prepared them. Christopher Whatley, their nephew, was a regular visitor to Pabay whilst they lived there. In this book, based on archival research, oral interviews, memory and personal experience, he explores the history of this tiny island jewel, and the people for whom it has been home, to create a vivid picture of the trials, tribulations and joys of island life.
Len and Margaret Whatley moved to Pabay from the Midlands and lived there from 1950 until 1970. Leaving a landlocked life in Birmingham for the emptiness of an uninhabited island was a brave and challenging move for which nothing could have prepared them. Christopher Whatley, their nephew, was a regular visitor to Pabay whilst they lived there. In this book, based on archival research, oral interviews, memory and personal experience, he explores the history of this tiny island jewel, and the people for whom it has been home, to create a vivid picture of the trials, tribulations and joys of island life.
Reviews / Votes
'Beautifully written, and presents a richly detailed and fascinating historical narrative. Whatley delves into the island's past and the people who have made Pabay their home. It's as much a testimony to how people have shaped the island and how the island has shaped them' * Dundee Courier * 'Historically insightful and charmingly personal' * Scottish Field * 'The inspiring story of how a family left the city behind to set up home on their very own isle of dreams' * Sunday Post * 'An island history almost without comparison... one of the finest Highland books of the 21st Century ... There has, to my knowledge, never before been one devoted entirely to the tiny Pabay in Broadford Bay. Nor has there been written quite so good a book, on this or any other Scottish subject' -- Roger Hutchinson * West Highland Free Press * 'This Odyssey is replete with cases of the past and present colliding, of scandals and skirmishes, pilgrimages and political spats, and it creates a vivid depiction of the many trials, tribulations and joys of island life' -- Neil Drysdale * Press and Journal *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Illustrations
Illustrations, black and white; Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 225 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
609 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78027-579-6 (9781780275796)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Person
Christopher Whatley, OBE, FRHistS, FRSE is Professor of Scottish History at the University of Dundee. His publications include the award-winning The Scots and the Union and, more recently, Immortal Memory: Burns and the Scottish People.