To the Island of Tides, Alistair Moffat
To the Island of Tides, Alistair Moffat
List: $29.00 | Sale: $20.31
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To the Island of Tides
A Journey to Lindisfarne

Author: Alistair Moffat

Narrator: David Rintoul

Abridged: 10 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/01/2019


Synopsis

In "To the Island of Tides," Alistair Moffat travels to - and through the history of - the fated island of Lindisfarne. Walking from his home in the Borders, through the historical landscape of Scotland and northern England, he takes us on a pilgrimage in the footsteps of saints and scholars, before arriving for a secular retreat on the Holy Isle. Lindisfarne, famous for its monastery, has long been a place of sanctuary. It is an island rich in history: the Romans knew it as Insula Medicata; it reached the height of its fame in the dark ages, even survived Viking raids, before ultimately being abandoned after Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. Today the isle maintains its position as a space for retreat and spiritual renewal. "To the Island of Tides" is a meditation on the power of place, but also a more personal journey; a chance for a personal stocktaking and a reflection on where life leads us.

About Alistair Moffat

Alistair Moffat was born in Kelso, Scotland. He is an award-winning writer, historian, and director of programs at Scottish Television. He was director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and former rector of the University of St Andrews. He is the founder of Borders Book Festival and cochairman of The Great Tapestry of Scotland. His many books include The Highland Clans, To the Island of Tides: A Journey to Lindisfarne, and The Hidden Ways: Scotland's Forgotten Roads, shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Penny

More than a bit disappointing. I normally love this book genre - the mixture of history, personal memoir and landscape/nature writing.  Plus I live in the north of England and have visited Lindisfarne many times. I was interested in learning more about the life and times of St Cuthbert as the author p......more

Goodreads review by Pierke

It's a crossover between a travelogue, a memoir and a biography of St. Cuthbert. Not religious myself and in the same age group as the author, I liked his ruminations on how to best live the last decade(s) of your life and prepare for death. But the book gives also an interesting glimpse into the li......more

Goodreads review by J.F.

Having just returned from a week in the Scottish Borders and ending with a trip to Lindisfarne, this was a perfect 'end-of-summer' read for me and has made me all the more determined to (one day ) follow St Cuthbert's Way from Melrose to Holy Island. Moffat eschews this modern pilgrim's route, howev......more

Goodreads review by Claire

Such a great read -read overlooking Holy Island and finished on the Isle of Arran which definitely added to the beautiful atmospheric writing. I’m looking forward to reading more of Alistair Moffat......more