The west coast of Scotland casts a spell on anyone with a taste for adventure, a feeling for the past or a love of the wild, uninhabited places. With tidal currents of awesome power running between fascinating patterns of islands, it is a challenging place for any type of small craft.

Robin Lloyd-Jones has been exploring here in his sea kayak for more than forty years. In this enhanced new edition of Argonauts of the Western Isles he takes us on many a memorable expedition to wild and beautiful shores. Amongst magnificent scenery and ever-changing seas, we are transported to Jura, Scarba, the Garvellach Isles, Mull, Staffa, the Treshnish Isles, the Monach Isles, Iona, Lewis and the Uists, Skye, the Orkneys, the Shetland Isles to places with music in their names, like Tir Nan Og the land of the ever-young, places which, once visited, become part of you.

Along the way the author tells us a great deal about kayaking, about the wildlife and the history of the area but, more than that, he makes us feel that we are with him on his kayak. We experience what it is like to set out with one's destination below the horizon and nothing but open sea ahead, to bivouac under the stars, to spend the night aboard a wreck, to be 'hunted' by the vortex of the Corryvreckan whirlpool, to paddle into dark, booming caves, to feel an Atlantic swell rolling beneath the kayak and to become part of its rhythm.

Through the author's vivid descriptions we know the terror of a force nine gale, the tranquillity of moonlit trips, and the lure of tiny bays and seal-meadows accessible only to a slim kayak. We encounter dolphins, otters, unidentified monsters and nuclear submarines. And when he writes of the magic of remote islands, the Robinson Crusoe in all of us is awakened. This is a book to set the imagination adrift, a book for those seeking wider horizons, be their vessel an armchair or a kayak.

Sure to be of appeal to all outdoor enthusiasts, particularly kayakers; anyone with an interest in travel and adventure and with an appreciation of the natural world and environment.

‘We learn about wildlife, history, the terror of a force nine gale, the tranquillity of moonlit trips and the lure of tiny bays’. Scots Magazine

‘Lloyd-Jones has a wealth of kayaking experience and his tales are interesting, well written and told with an engaging sense of humour. Despite being about unfamiliar locales for most of us, these stories are most engaging and will be appreciated by anyone interested in sea kayaking. Argonauts of the Western Isles is highly recommended’. QUYAQ

‘His love of, and fascination with, this part of the world shine through what is an eminently readable account of his many ventures. ...an absorbing account of one person’s adventures on the sea... ...this is a thoroughly engaging book and one which I would wholeheartedly recommend’. Scottish Island Explorer

‘...a ‘must have’ for all kayaking and outdoor enthusiasts’. Scottish Paddler

'Argonauts of the Western Isles was never just a kayaking book. It was a rite-of-passage story of one young man and his chums exploring the boundaries of an exciting sport and discovering a new world, all told through a series of ripping yarns which appealed to everyone with a sense of adventure. If anything, the new chapters are even more accessible and even if you've never picked up a paddle, you'll want to. If you're already a kayaker then this book must be on your shelf.' Ocean Paddler

eBook available here

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