At The Loch Of The Green Corrie

Shortly before his death, the much-loved poet Norman MacCaig asked Andrew Greig to try to catch a fish for him at his favourite place, the Loch of the Green Corrie. It is a remote, austerely beautiful, hill loch in the far North West Highlands of Scotland. There is some debate about where it actually is and Greig's much-needed directions hang on whether or not he is liked by the local man who knows the way. Finally, armed with the route and two old friends, he sets out on his quest. During the ensuing days, which are filled with reasonably unsuccessful fishing, Greig finds himself reminiscing and swept away by thoughts of love, loss, friendship and what it means to be Scottish. Part tribute to a great poet and friend, part celebration of home and part autobiography, this is a fascinating, moving and richly written book about life's great adventures.

Reviews

• "This is an intensely Scottish book, and proud of it.... Above all this book has captured the magic of place, a special place. Its pages are steeped in the scents of heather and bog, and the winds of the north – whether from the east or the west – blow through them." Tom Fort, Caught by the River
• "The recounting of this journey is a triumph. That this book is written by a poet is immediately obvious — the language is richly evocative, but is handled with lightness and delicacy. The balance in Greig’s tone is simply perfect." Alexander McCall Smith, The Times