From the continent of Europe Britain appears as a cluster of offschore islands, but the Britisch mainland has its own satellites - and the most numerous amongst these are the northern and western islands of Scotland. Each island varies greatly from its neighbour in size and character: some are fertile and prosperous wihile others lie barren and deserted, but all are united in the unique historical and archaeological heritage which they share.
In Scottish Islands Ian Grimble takes us on a journey which begins over six thousand years ago when man first set foot on island soil, and traces the lives and experiences of generations of inhabitants who have settled or conquered there. We see how early society was shaped by strong beliefs and economic necessity as the first settlers adapted their way of life to the vagaries of the climate and fertility of the islands. Christianity, brought to the Hebrieds by St Columba in the sixth century, survived the assault of the Viking invaders which was to transform the structure of life small communities had taken centuries to devise. After the Hebridean islands were ceded to the Scottish crown by Norway in the thirteenth century, and Orkney and Shetland by Denmark in the fifteenth century, the islanders were subjected to the new laws of a distant government and enjoyed vastly differing fortunes as clan chiefs or absentee landlords continued to quarrel over their destiny.