The Bone Cave
A Highland Journey through Myth and Memory
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Birlinn General
Published:5th Oct '23
Should be back in stock very soon
In The Bone Cave, Dougie Strang embarks on a transformative journey through the Scottish Highlands, exploring folklore and its connection to the landscape.
The journey captured in The Bone Cave is a rich exploration of the Scottish Highlands over the course of a month. Dougie Strang embarks on this adventure by walking and occasionally hitching rides, tracing a path through various folktales that are intricately tied to the locations he visits. As he immerses himself in these narratives, he discovers deeper meanings that enhance his understanding of the landscape, allowing him to engage with it in a more profound way.
This narrative is not just about the physical journey; it is also a reflection on stories—those that have been passed down through generations, telling of people, places, and the interconnectedness of the more-than-human world. Through The Bone Cave, readers are invited to witness how these tales shape cultural identity and influence one's relationship with the land.
Dougie begins his trek in October, coinciding with the red deer rut, which adds a natural soundtrack to his exploration. The bellowing of stags serves as a reminder that he is not only mapping the invisible landscapes of folklore but also engaging with the vibrant, living environment around him. This blend of storytelling and ecological awareness makes The Bone Cave a thought-provoking read, shedding light on themes of culture, land ownership, and ecological stewardship.
'This is a glorious read: measured, insightful, wistful and replete with meaning... a gem of a book'
* Scottish Field *'The Bone Cave is a meditation on the move; a listening to the voices of bird, wind and river, a holding onto tree and stone, a watching of deer . . . As Strang pitches his tent across the Highlands, kindling fire and memory, he draws us into the enfolded layers of landscape, wildlife and folktale that tell us who we were and yet might be. Wise and wonderful'
-- Merryn Glover, author of The Hidden Fires'I loved The Bone Cave. I loved tracing Dougie Strang’s journey through the Highlands on maps and in my mind. The places he describes come alive through his attentive, respectful presence, his affinity for the landscape, and his ability to infuse his travelogue with history, stories, memoir and folklore. It is an inspiring and beautiful book'
-- James Macdonald Lockhart, author of Wild Air and Raptor'Dougie Strang will guide you through the "carrying stream" of places, stories and deep time. Go confidently! You are in the hands of one of Scotland’s finest navigators'
-- Alastair McIntosh, author of Soil and Soul and Poacher’s Pilgrimage'Much more than a travelogue... it's the author's exploration of the connections between the places he visits and elements of Scottish folklore that make this such a special book'
-- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland *'A mesmerising journey through remote Scotland, full of myth and self-reflection'
-- David Robinson * Books from Scotland *'a sensitive exploration of land, time, modernity and masculinity... ache[s] with a profound, not-quite-lost connection to Earth'
* The New Statesman *'Although the book shines with folk tales and quirky lore, it doesn’t shy away from the real tragedy of the Highlands, where people remain dispossessed and land-ownership and ecological destruction remain a brutal fact of life'
* Bella Caledonia *'A fascinating insight into the ways in which landscape and folklore are intertwined here in Scotland... The ways in which these stories are linked to the landscape - and to the daily lives of the people who used to inhabit it - are expertly teased out by Strang'
-- Roger Cox * The Scotsman *'A unique perspective on place, land, ownership and ecological stewardship... a beautiful book'
-- Kathie Griffiths * Oban Times *'Excellent book'
-- Kathleen Jamie'A lovely well-written book... I really enjoyed my dip into Scottish folklore, the landscape that houses its memories and the tramping of the author’s boots on soggy ground'
-- Mark Avery'[Strang] shows that by preserving the stories of our land, we care for our land.... telling these tales is an act of love, rooted in deep knowledge of place'
-- Sally Hughes * Highland Bookshop *'Mixing challenging questions about rewilding, land ownership and Highland re-population with enchanting stories and luminous prose, The Bone Cave is a beautiful book: the perfect companion to a winter’s night by the fireside'
-- Susan Flockhart * Hera- Long-listed for Highland Book Prize 2023
ISBN: 9781780278353
Dimensions: 216mm x 138mm x 23mm
Weight: 367g
256 pages