Some times a book comes along that truly surprises the reader. "A Hebridean Naturalist' Journal" in its colorful jacket I thought would be another bird and wildlife book. Instead it is a marvelous book about the life of the Hebrides and a wonderful main character and one of the best books on the Hebrides I have ever read. William MacGillivray was just 21, on the verge of his career as an outstanding naturalist and bird artist, when he left Aberdeen to spend a year at his childhood home at Northton in Harris. In that year he kept a detailed journal that provides a rare insight into the rural life of 19th century Scotland, especially of the Outer Isles. MacGillivray recorded details of everything that happened in his daily life, the weather, his feelings about the people that he met, the food that he ate, the clothes that he wore, even the games that his family played in the evening. Running through the journal is his love of natural history. He wrote about the birds and plants that he saw and made detailed descriptions of them. This year in Harris was to set MacGillivray on the path to becoming one of Scotland's finest naturalists, first in Edinburgh and finally as Regius Professor of Natural History at Aberdeen University.

The book divides itself naturally into four parts all of which are fascinating. First, he gives wonderful detailed descriptions of his natural surroundings. The islands of Harris and Lewis come alive with beautiful and rugged landscapes. Sunrises and sunsets jump out of the pages with a life all of their own. The changeable ocean is seen in all of its different characteristics.

The second area he treats with detail is the weather of the islands. You feel the mist, experience the cold and snow, and revel in the sunshine. Hebridean Island weather can be transformed from beauty to fury in a few minutes. Our Naturalists tells delightful stories how he copes with drastic weather changes and the predicaments he goes through because of them.

The third area is the one I expected, details of the wild life and the birds of the islands. Gorgeous color drawings by the author of Hebridean birds are included and we have placed one with this article. The word descriptions are life like and would help anyone understand the creatures of the islands. An example is:

Saturday
Vultur Albiulla, Linnoi - White-tailed Eagle, Sea Eagle - An lular riamhach-bhuidhe-ghlas- A fine specimen shot by the Shepherd upon the carcass of a horse. This bird lives by rapine. Fish constitutes a principal part of its food. Hence it is often seen on the shores, and by the streams of this country. In the lambing season it plays great havoc among the flocks but seldom carries off lambs unless from an eminence and when the wind is high. Ewen MacDiarmid says it sometimes kills the small sheep of the country breed, and that he has seen one attack a deer. It first mounted to a great height in the air, then darted down with amazing rapidity, fixed its talons in the shoulders of the deer, and struck it repeatedly with its wings about the eyes - When the deer fell the eagle again mounted to perform the same manoeuvre. If he had not risen from his place of concealment, he thinks the eagle would soon have mastered the deer. The other species found here, the Black Eagle is said to be more rapacious - Of this species I shot one some years ago - Linnous makes this which I have been describing a vulture, from there being no feathers between the eyes and bill - But there are thin bristly plumules - and as it agrees in every other aspect with the eagle kind, it should be referred to the genus Falco - it possibly forms the link between the two genera.

The final strength of this book is the most powerful and the main reason I highly recommend this book. The naturalist shares honestly in this Journal his struggle for personal discipline and self control. Emotions we all have experienced many times. Even in 1817 in the remote Hebrides, the people struggled with life as we do today on the personal level. From the book:

Saturday, 10th January.
I have killed a useless horse for the purpose of shooting an Eagle or a Raven upon it. I have not yet been successful, but I probably shall next week. Tonight the Shepherd brought me an Oyster-catcher. I have formed a kind of plan for next week to which I trust I shall be able to adhere. I divide it into two classes: one relating to the body, the other to the mind-

Corporeal.
The chief object in this department is to acquire and maintain health and vigour with such a degree of hardihood, dexterity and address as may enable the machine to perform the various functions of life with ease. To attain these, the proper regulation of diet, exercise and rest is to be attended to: while the circumstances which tend to destroy life, or to vitiate the frame are to be avoided. Diet - this article is too much at the mercy of circumstances to be adapted to its natural purpose, with strict propriety. However, little perversion is made in this country: the substances used being in general proper, though the periods are not in common judiciously chosen. All I can do is never to continue to eat till the stomach is burdened, but rather to leave off while the appetite still continues. As to Exercise: I would have it always to be rather violent than too gentle: for besides its other good effect, it will have a great tendency to banish idleness. Exercise may be combined with amusement, and even with study. It becomes subservient to the latter, when I search for mineralogical and zoological subjects: to the former when modified into running, leaping, and putting the stone; to both when I look upon the objects which present themselves during my excursions with the eye of a poet or of a philosopher. Sleep; the duration of this must be proportioned to circumstances - varying from five to seven hours. The powers most likely in this country to vitiate the constitution are cold and wet: Both are to be carefully avoided when not absolutely necessary to be endured. Too great warmth is to be shunned, as it renders the frame more liable to be acted upon by the preceding. Under this article may be ranked hot food, which destroys the tone of the stomach and spoils the teeth. Intemperance in eating has been mentioned with disapprobation. It is alike detestable and injurious under all its forms-

Mental:
This division is too extensive for a detail of its particulars. Its primary divisions are Morality and Study. At present I shall only mention those virtues which I shall most carefully cultivate. Charity, comprehending Benevolence and Beneficence. Most inviolable regard to Truth. Decency in behaviour, equally removed on the one hand from immodest action and expression, or intemperate mirth; and on the other from morosity, fretfulness, or pride. Toward my equals, let my behaviour be gentle, social, pleasing, accommodating, polite; toward my inferiors condescending, affable, humane, taking care however that I transgress not on either side. To my friends let me be all gentleness and politeness. Let it be my constant endeavour to diffuse happiness around Perseverance, Resolution, Firmness. I have often allowed an erroneous opinion to pass unnoticed, because I was too diffident. But let me never be ashamed or afraid to be an advocate for the Truth. The vices or failings to be most carefully avoided are, Rudeness, Irresolution, Procrastination, Idleness. Let not a moment if possible be unemployed. It is an easy matter to find suitable employment: and let no opportunity of doing good both to myself and others be neglected or unimproved. Patience, Consideration. Let me never enter upon an undertaking however apparently inconsiderable, without previously weighing its advantages & disadvantages. Study: For the ensuing week I shall content myself with reading that part of the article Anatomy in the Encyclopaedia Britannica which treats of the bones and muscles, & the book of Job. Evidently the battle with himself was won by Mr. MacGillivray because he succeeded in his chosen field while still living his life the way he wanted.

I was shocked how much I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone. It is one of the "mosts" for lovers of the Hebrides.

This book is out of print.