12 Books that changed the Highlands - and bored the rest of us to death

The West Highland Free Press copies Melvyn Bragg and comes up with a list of 12 Books that have changed the Highlands....and a fucking fascinating list it is too. It seeths with the pent up passions of a crofter's daughter falling for the swarthy Wee Free priest who screams "the power of Christ compels thee" at the height of their forbidden congress.

...but enough of the pulp fiction that is The Report of the Napier Commission, why the hell is Hellspout by Bill Knox not on the list. Without a doubt the finest novel with a Western Isle setting and I'll have-you if you disagree.

For what it's worth here's the list - I think in reverse order. If you can tick off more than 3 then you are beyond help.

1) “The Hill of the Red Fox”, by Allan Campbell McLean

2) “Who Owns Scotland?”, by John MacEwen

3) “Whisky Galore”, by Compton Mackenzie

4) “The Making of the Crofting Community”, by James Hunter

5) “Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist”, by Margaret Fay Shaw

6) “Tir “‚Mhurain”, by Paul Strand

7) Carmina Gadelica, by Alex­ander Carmichael

8) Dwelly’s Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary, by Edward Dwelly

9) A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, by Martin Martin

10) Dain do Eimhir, le Somhairle MacGill-Eain, by Sorley MacLean

11) The Report of the Napier Commission

12) The Gaelic Bible, translated by Reverends James and John Stewart