Robin Noble
The Islands and Highlands of northern Scotland run deep in the blood of Robin Noble. He is a naturalist who leads groups at the world-renowned Aigas Field Centre run by Sir John Lister-Kaye, and an eminent expert on the ancient woodlands of the Highlands. He’s also an artist, singer and hill-walker. His history of the Highlands, Castles in the Mist, was shortlisted for the Saltire Society History Book of the Year award, whilst North and West explored Scotland’s wilderness. His latest book, Sagas of Salt and Stone, is a love letter to Orkney.
BUYING OPTIONS
Buy Castles in the Mist
The magnificent Highlands of Scotland represent, in so many ways, ancient Britain. But much of this apparently wild environment is, in fact, far more recent in origin – it has been shaped by the Victorians. Castles in the Mist reveals how, for better or for worse, the vast sporting estates of the Victorian era created the salmon rivers, deer forests and grouse moors, transforming the Highlands into the landscape that we recognise today, with its attendant environmental problems. In a seductive blend of memoir, history and natural history, Robin Noble explores the colossal impact of the Victorian legacy in his beloved Highlands and issues a clarion call for change… to start tipping the balance back in nature’s favour.
Prizes and awards
Saltire Society History Book of the Year 2016, SHORTLISTED
REVIEWS OF Castles in the Mist
“A valuable insight into the historical context of the evolution of the current Highland landscape.” Mike Daniels, John Muir Trust Journal, Spring 2017
“Essential reading … If you think you know Scotland, then this book will probably make you think again, for there is much here that is thought-provoking and more than a little that is surprising … The Highlands and Islands have changed far more profoundly than most of us realise. Which more than anything else is what makes this such an important book.” Undiscovered Scotland
"Compelling. Noble is a wonderful guide… He blends together history, ornithology and a keen sense of economics with a highly personal approach to landscape." Brian Morton, The National
“A fascinating blend of history and natural history, an account of a landscape and how it came to be the way it is…thoughtful, informed…refreshing.” Northwords Now
Saltire Society History Book of the Year 2016, SHORTLISTED