Boatlines

'Wonderful... a rich compendium of the Scottish engagement with the sea'

-- Adam Nicolson, author of Life Between the Tides

'The small boats that made Scottish history have never seemed so charismatic and characterful as in Ian Stephen’s gorgeous, vivid prose. A writer uniquely attuned to the water, and to the relationships each boat shares with the places it shaped, his stories restore past sea roads and river routes to life'

-- David Gange, author of The Frayed Atlantic Edge

'[Boatlines] tells of the compelling bonds between humans and nature, along with copious anecdotes about the vessels, who built them, sailed in them, and the communities they served... an evocative love letter to the sea'

-- Neil Drysdale * Press and Journal *

'A magisterial flight across 30 or 40 different vernacular vessels... it is fascinating'

* West Highland Free Press *

'Ian Stephen's fascinating new book explores Scotland's deep relationship with boats, the talented people who built them and the many communities that still depend on them'

* The Herald *

'A wonderful book about...the small boats that do so much to give individual stretches of the coastline of Scotland such distinctive characters'

-- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland *

'Although there's an incredible density of nautical information, Stephen also packs in anecdotes and has a light writing style'

* Scottish Field *

'A sensitively written account of sailors' lore to vicariously share the pleasures of life afloat... absorbing and leaves you wanting more'

-- Frank Rennie * Stornoway Gazette *

'carefully researched and there are a selection of nice pencil drawings which make for a pleasing read' 

* Sailing Today *

'Stephen, through his wonderful use of prose, allows us to experience the culture of these coastal and canal communities which followed a natural rhythm governed by the seasons, the weather, and the tides'

-- Marc Chivers * Mariner's Mirr