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The Guga Hunters

By (author) Donald S. Murray
Format: Paperback / softback
Publisher: Birlinn General, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Imprint: Birlinn Ltd
Published: 22nd May 2015
Dimensions: w 128mm h 201mm d 29mm
Weight: 320g
ISBN-10: 1780273053
ISBN-13: 9781780273051
Barcode No: 9781780273051
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Synopsis
Every year, ten men from Ness, at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis, sail north-east for some forty miles to a remote rock called Sulasgeir. Their mission is to catch and harvest the guga; the almost fully grown gannet chicks nesting on the two hundred foot high cliffs that circle the tiny island, which is barely half a mile long. After spending a fortnight in the arduous conditions that often prevail there, they return home with around two thousand of the birds, pickled and salted and ready for the tables of Nessmen and women both at home and abroad. The Guga Hunters tells the story of the men who voyage to Sulasgeir each year and the district they hail from, bringing out the full colour of their lives, the humour and drama of their exploits. They speak of the laughter that seasons their time together on Sulasgeir, of the risks and dangers they have faced. It also provides a fascinating insight into the social history of Ness, the culture and way-of-life that lies behind the world of the Guga Hunters, the timeless nature of the hunt, and reveals the hunt's connections to the traditions of other North Atlantic countries.Told in his district's poetry and prose, English and - occasionally - Gaelic, Donald S. Murray shows how the spirit of a community is preserved in this most unique of exploits.

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'Deeply moving' -- Will Self * Daily Telegraph * 'Mesmerising. When I closed this book I was left with the feeling that Donald S. Murray had been paring away layers of centuries of life in Ness for my benefit...Beautifully judged' -- Jim Crumley * Scots Magazine * 'He writes with an inherent understanding of Highland culture, language and way of life' * Herald * 'An extremely fine book...wonderful' * West Highland Free Press * 'A beautifully-written evocation of a fascinating and timeless act' - Shetland Life 'A book worthy to take its place as a classic of its kind' * New Shetlander * 'Outstanding' - Highland News; '****' * Scottish Field *