Remi­nis­cen­ces of a Hebride­an School Mas­ter 1890 — 1913

Bir­linn, 1997

236 d.

[Klap­pen­text]

In 1889 Fre­de­rick Rea arri­ved from the Mid­lands to teach in South Uist, at that time one of the poo­rest places in the Outer Hebri­des. Roads were often no more than rough tracks across the moun­tain moor­land or over the storm-swept machair, and his Gae­lic-spea­king pupils were often fro­zen and starving.

In this extra­or­di­na­ry book, he recounts the years he spent in this remo­te cor­ner of Scot­land, whe­re he was wel­co­med with uncom­mon kind­ness and gene­ro­si­ty by the island­ers, who found him to be a sin­ce­re, con­sci­en­tious man and an excel­lent tea­cher. The book also reve­als Rea´s keen powers of obser­va­ti­on as he descri­bes the lonely, rug­gedly beau­tiful land­scape and the cus­toms and life­style of the peo­p­le. Fre­de­rick Rea tre­asu­red his memo­ries of South Uist for the rest of his life, and his love and respect for the islands and island­ers is won­derful­ly con­vey­ed in this vivid testament.

Stand­ort: AA