Book description
The Shetland Islands sit where the North Atlantic Ocean and the
North Sea meet, closer to the Arctic Circle than to London. Over the
centuries they have been a vital staging post for Vikings, Hanseatic
traders and merchant sailors from faraway lands. Yet somehow, the same
islands remain off the map' of British consciousness. Ron McMillan
spent weeks on the unbeaten Shetland tourist path, braving the
weathers to explore scenic landmarks, archaeological treasure troves
and remote islands so under populated that for centuries they have
lived with the threat of abandonment. A travel writer for more than
twenty years, McMillan cast an inquisitive and witty eye over
present-day Shetland to interweave the Islands' history, archaeology
and 400-million-year-old geology with observations of a remarkably
hospitable society that remains intricately connected to the outside
world. His warm and generous narrative is the first original Shetland
travelogue since 1869. Set amidst fascinating locations and soaked in
history, filled with stories skilfully told, this is a book for lovers
of lyrical travel writing delivered with informed authority and
irresistible humour.
Ron McMillan, born in 1958, has been a professional writer and
photographer since 1986, when he covered the tumultuous scenes in South
Korea, during the run-up to the 1988 Olympic Games. For ten years, from
a home base in Hong Kong, McMillan criss-crossed Asia on assignment for
major magazines in Asia, North America and Europe. Now based in Bangkok,
Thailand, BETWEEN WEATHERS is his first book.
