Argonauts of the Scottish Isles

Robin Lloyd-Jones has been exploring the west coast and islands of Scotland in his sea kayak for more than forty years. In this book he recalls 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, and the Shetland Isles.

Along the way, he explains a great deal about kayaking, about the wildlife and history of the areas he visits. More than that, however, he makes us feel that we are with him in his kayak. Through his vivid and beautifully crafted prose, we experience 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.

This is a book to set the imagination adrift and appeal to the Robinson Crusoe in all of us; a book for those seeking wider horizons, be their vessel an armchair or a kayak.



Robin Lloyd-Jones grew up in India and studied at Cambridge. He has served as President of the Scottish Association of Writers (1993-1996) and the Scottish Branch of PEN International (1997-2000) and has also taught Creative Writing at Glasgow University. His book The Sunlit Summit was Saltire Society Research Book of the Year Award in 2013 and his novel The Dreamhouse was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1985.



'This was a delight to read with both beautiful yet accessible writing capturing the essence of sea-kayaking in Scotland'



'A thrilling tale of natural beauty and the survival instinct of the human spirit'



'The author takes a trip down memory lane ... all described in vivid and lyrical prose'



'That this book has been around on people’s bookshelves and in their imaginations for more than thirty years is testament to the enduring fascination people have with islands, the sea and exploration'



'Superbly written, by turns gripping, funny and evocative, this a classic of Scottish outdoor adventure literature and should prove entertaining and interesting even to those who have never lifted a paddle'