One of the best things about Galloway is that it is off the beaten track and that few people go there – they all head further north or further south – but this is such a welcoming book, with gorgeous illustrations of landscapes and inviting tales of interesting walks with wildlife, beaches, good scenery and rural towns and villages that we English ought to be turning the steering wheel to the left around Dumfries more often.
Ian Carter writes so well about wildlife species and the places where they live that I’d struggle not to want to read a book of his but in this one the words and art of Karen Menarry add another layer of pleasure to the reading.
This probably isn’t a book that will change your life (unless it persuades you to move to Galloway) but it is a thoughtful and affectionate series of tales that will make you feel content.
Whittles have produced many good natural history and countryside books over the years but this is the first I’ve seen under their new persona as an imprint of Porto Press – everything seems fine judging by this.
The cover? I like the cover and would give it 9/10.
A Galloway Year: impressions of a naturalist and an artist by Ian Carter and Karen Menarry is published by Whittles.
You could buy this book from Bookshop.org and I have set up a booklist to make that easy through this link https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/MarkAvery Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase
Previous books by Ian Carter reviewed here: The Hen Harrier’s Year (with Dan Powell), The Red Kite’s Year (with Dan Powell), Rhythms of Nature and Human, Nature. Ian has also contributed two series of blog posts on this site, one on Wild Food, the other titled A Break from Humanity as well as a range of other blogs, book reviews and comments.
[registration_form]
We are already Galloway converts having not long returned from a holiday there. This year, for the first time, we connected with the artistic side of the local attractions and can confirm that these are worthwhile, too. Our late friend Colin Wilkinson reckoned Wood of Cree to be the best RSPB reserve – I hope it gets a mention.