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Hebrides
A photographic journey through the Hebridean Islands by the bestselling author of the Lewis trilogy
The landscape of the Outer Hebrides, with its stark cliffs, ghostly mists and lonely beaches, has become a definitive character of Peter May’s Lewis trilogy. In Hebrides, readers will accompany him on an odyssey in prose and images, through a history of the Vikings’ ‘Long Island’ and his own deep personal connection with the islands that influenced his bestselling work. Travelling as if alongside his protagonist Fin Macleod, he describes the island life – as bewitching as it is treacherous – his encounter with the bird-hunters of Sula Sgeir, the savage seas of Ness and the churches of Eriskay. With extracts from the trilogy and specially commissioned photographs, this book places his writing and characters within the land that gave them form.
The landscape of the Outer Hebrides, with its stark cliffs, ghostly mists and lonely beaches, has become a definitive character of Peter May’s Lewis trilogy. In Hebrides, readers will accompany him on an odyssey in prose and images, through a history of the Vikings’ ‘Long Island’ and his own deep personal connection with the islands that influenced his bestselling work. Travelling as if alongside his protagonist Fin Macleod, he describes the island life – as bewitching as it is treacherous – his encounter with the bird-hunters of Sula Sgeir, the savage seas of Ness and the churches of Eriskay. With extracts from the trilogy and specially commissioned photographs, this book places his writing and characters within the land that gave them form.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
April 1, 2022
I have not spent that much time on the West Coast of Scotland, but I do remember it having a stunning landscape almost everywhere that went to. I never made it to the islands though, but having now spent some time looking through the magnificent pictures in this book I wish that I had done so now.
This book is a hybrid of Peter May’s recollection of and where and how he draws inspiration from the Islands to create the Lewis trilogy. I am not that much of a crime reader, so I was a bit ambivalent about this, but there are hints and the odd spoiler to the plots of each of the books, but what makes this for me is the stunning photos of the land and seascapes that David Wilson has taken. I can recommend it for those alone.
This book is a hybrid of Peter May’s recollection of and where and how he draws inspiration from the Islands to create the Lewis trilogy. I am not that much of a crime reader, so I was a bit ambivalent about this, but there are hints and the odd spoiler to the plots of each of the books, but what makes this for me is the stunning photos of the land and seascapes that David Wilson has taken. I can recommend it for those alone.
December 20, 2013
A lovely coffee-table book, would make a perfect gift. Fantastic photographs of the Outer Hebrides by David Wilson, with commentary by Peter May, both on the islands themselves and on his own experience of them, first while working on the Gaelic soap "Machair" and later as the locations of his Lewis trilogy (detective fiction). He is careful not to include spoilers, so you could read this without having read the novels first. Captures the beauty of the landscape and has a feel for the geography, historical and physical.
January 28, 2025
Beautiful photos.
February 1, 2016
See the locations in the book here Hebrides booktrail
The landscape of the Outer Hebrides has become just as much a character in Peter May’s Lewis trilogy as the characters themselves. All stunningly evoked in fiction, this is a real chance to see them for yourself, if you can’t get to the islands, There’s rocky headlands, small lochs, long and winding roads and a sense of isolation and ravaged land. There is real history here as well as a magical island setting where you just know there are tales of folklore, mysterious deaths and a sea that takes people and sinks ships. Walking in the footsteps of Fin Macleod, Peter takes you around the island showing you it as Fin would do, showing you his view of flora and fauna and explaining how the islands have shaped him and the other people on the island.
There is also mention of the many traditions and mysteries on the island as featured in the books such as the the land where the bird hunters track down the gulls each year and where the worst British maritime history took place.
You can really see the island as Peter describes it and how Fin lives it and Peter is the perfect guide telling you why and how certain places inspired and lent themselves to the events in each of the three Lewis Trilogy books.
The landscape of the Outer Hebrides has become just as much a character in Peter May’s Lewis trilogy as the characters themselves. All stunningly evoked in fiction, this is a real chance to see them for yourself, if you can’t get to the islands, There’s rocky headlands, small lochs, long and winding roads and a sense of isolation and ravaged land. There is real history here as well as a magical island setting where you just know there are tales of folklore, mysterious deaths and a sea that takes people and sinks ships. Walking in the footsteps of Fin Macleod, Peter takes you around the island showing you it as Fin would do, showing you his view of flora and fauna and explaining how the islands have shaped him and the other people on the island.
There is also mention of the many traditions and mysteries on the island as featured in the books such as the the land where the bird hunters track down the gulls each year and where the worst British maritime history took place.
You can really see the island as Peter describes it and how Fin lives it and Peter is the perfect guide telling you why and how certain places inspired and lent themselves to the events in each of the three Lewis Trilogy books.
November 2, 2016
Five stars for the glorious pictorial record. The text was clearly written by someone who loves the place and was both informative and related the islands to the books. I have always wanted to visit the Hebrides and even more so now.
June 24, 2023
A very interesting narrative by Peter May including his research for his books and the Gaelic tv series. Many pictures accompany his personal research and history of the Hebrides. It reads well by itself but a definite must read for anyone reading his Hebridean novels.
August 1, 2018
I read this book while in the Outer Hebrides myself. Although I didn't care too much for the text (it reads too much as an autobiography of someone I am frankly not that interested in), I did learn some new things that added to the experience. The pictures I absolutely loved. What a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world the Outer Hebrides are. As Peter May rightly states: 'Dominated by the force of the weather and the power of the Church, they resemble very little to be found on the mainland.'
May 6, 2021
At one point in my life, I an going to rent a cottage somewhere in the Hebrides: since I've read Peter May murder trilogy, I'm dreaming of visiting them and to get lost in one of the last truly wild piece of the UK left.
So of course I loved this tribute to the remotes Islands that the Hebrides are. The pictures from D. Wilson are amazing because he kept them so natural and unspoilt, like the Islands. The link to the books is obvious and rather well done with pictures illustrating entire bits of the trilogy. Loved this!
So of course I loved this tribute to the remotes Islands that the Hebrides are. The pictures from D. Wilson are amazing because he kept them so natural and unspoilt, like the Islands. The link to the books is obvious and rather well done with pictures illustrating entire bits of the trilogy. Loved this!
September 17, 2017
Awesome, beautiful photos and interesting details of the Hebrides! I loved it!
November 23, 2020
Some of the best landscape photography I have ever seen and written from a personal perspective that I really enjoyed. A wonderful book.
Want to read
September 3, 2023I learned of this book via this post: https://bitterteaandmystery.blogspot....
April 24, 2020
Loved it. Beautiful coffee table book with writing as interesting as the pictures are beautiful.
December 26, 2015
This is a stunning photographic book celebrating the landscape of the Outer Hebrides as depicted in the popular trilogy of books, known as The Lewis Trilogy. I had previously read these three books: Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and The Chessmen by Peter May and had been captivated by the author's fictional hero, Detective Inspector Fin Macleod. Hebrides allows readers to see the landscape through the eyes of Fin. This work is an odyssey for Peter May, revisiting the islands that were to become the locations of his superb trilogy. Travelling as if alongside protagonist Det Insp Macleod, May describes the island life - as bewitching as it is treacherous with its stark cliffs, ghostly mists and lonely beaches. He also describes his encounter with the bird-hunters of Sula Sgeir, the savage seas of Ness and the churches of Eriskay. But the book's main attraction is the specially commissioned, spectacular photographs taken by former BBC photographer David Wilson, who was so inspired with Lewis during his prolonged visit that he now lives on the West Coast of the Isle of Lewis.
This is a beautiful book that places May's writing and characters within the land that gave them form. And this is the end. May says: "And so my Hebridean adventure, which had lasted more than twenty years, came to an end. I had made a commitment to writing only three books, and the writing of them was done". If you have read The Lewis Trilogy you should buy a copy of this wonderful book and complete the journey alongside Peter May. And, like me, you will experience a tinge of sadness that there will be no more Fin Macleod.
This is a beautiful book that places May's writing and characters within the land that gave them form. And this is the end. May says: "And so my Hebridean adventure, which had lasted more than twenty years, came to an end. I had made a commitment to writing only three books, and the writing of them was done". If you have read The Lewis Trilogy you should buy a copy of this wonderful book and complete the journey alongside Peter May. And, like me, you will experience a tinge of sadness that there will be no more Fin Macleod.
December 12, 2016
This book didn't seem to know what it wanted to be and fought itself the whole way through. In my opinion, the photos are the joy of the book. Page after page of gorgeous landscapes from all over the islands just makes me want to buy a plane ticket and fly there tomorrow. The pictures were interspersed with a narrative that begins with the geological and human history of the islands and ends with the author's description of the places that inspired his fiction series. The text wasn't very exciting and was poorly spaced amidst the pictures. The narrative could break off in the middle of a sentence only to be taken up again 4 or 5 pages later. The pictures occasionally corresponded to the text, but not often. I thought the book we be more about the islands themselves, not about the fictional characters of the series. Even the informational sections were rather poorly put together. I didn't get much of a sense of the individual parts of the islands because the photos and text jumped all over the map. The author doesn't go into depth explaining much, raising more questions for me than he answered. A few photos near the end seemed completely incongruous with the rest of the book and left me feeling very confused.
I recommend looking a the photos, reading the captions and skipping the rest. As an informational text it didn't provide much. If you are a fan of the author's fiction series perhaps it would be more interesting to you.
I recommend looking a the photos, reading the captions and skipping the rest. As an informational text it didn't provide much. If you are a fan of the author's fiction series perhaps it would be more interesting to you.
November 30, 2016
When this book crossed my desk, along with Peter Mays's Lewis mystery trilogy (which is referenced throughout), I decided to pick it up along with the novels and to peruse it for background information.
Not only did I not know much (anything) about the Hebrides, but it never occurred to me how absolutely gorgeous these islands are, so this book was not only a revelation, but full of breathtaking page turns. Nearly every spread evoked a “wow” from me; that has never happened. It would be hard to describe the photos in this book, but “stunning”, “awe-inducing”, and “ethereally gorgeous”—along with “breathtaking”—is a start. Of course, it might be possible for amateurs to take photographs this exquisite, but I do think that part of what makes this book special is the extraordinary photography by David Wilson, who has settled on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.
So, even if you're not planning to read the trilogy, I would highly recommend an armchair wander through the Hebrides with this book as your companion. You're sure to find at least one photograph that you'll find unforgettable.
Not only did I not know much (anything) about the Hebrides, but it never occurred to me how absolutely gorgeous these islands are, so this book was not only a revelation, but full of breathtaking page turns. Nearly every spread evoked a “wow” from me; that has never happened. It would be hard to describe the photos in this book, but “stunning”, “awe-inducing”, and “ethereally gorgeous”—along with “breathtaking”—is a start. Of course, it might be possible for amateurs to take photographs this exquisite, but I do think that part of what makes this book special is the extraordinary photography by David Wilson, who has settled on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.
So, even if you're not planning to read the trilogy, I would highly recommend an armchair wander through the Hebrides with this book as your companion. You're sure to find at least one photograph that you'll find unforgettable.
April 1, 2019
Exquisite! This is a coffee table type of photo book, which should be read after finishing Peter May’s Lewis trilogy, which is set in the Hebrides. It adds another layer of enjoyment to the Lewis trilogy experience. (I wish other authors would do books like this, if they have a series that is so closely rooted in a specific location.)
May 3, 2020
This book is mainly a photography book but not quite. It is as well a tribute to the Trilogy of Lewis (The Blackhouse, The Man of Lewis and The Chessmen), the three crime bestseller novels written by Peter May which take place on the scottish Outer Hebrides.
It contains a lot of background about the author, from his stay in China, through his pass through the gaellic BBC TV serie 'Machair' (also played in Lewis) and ultimately about the on-site research he did on the isles and how and where he got inspired for the scenes of the Trilogy, all accompanied by pictures of the places selected for the books.
It is a small jewel for the lovers of the trilogy and also, like me, for the lovers of the Hebrides isles and their landscape.
I recommend you to read this book either during the reading of the novels (as I did) or right afterwards. This book is not a spoiler but It can take you away some of the surprise factor and influence your imagination. On the other hand it is nice to geographically place the imaginary scenes of the plot and that is what I did while reading the novels.
It contains a lot of background about the author, from his stay in China, through his pass through the gaellic BBC TV serie 'Machair' (also played in Lewis) and ultimately about the on-site research he did on the isles and how and where he got inspired for the scenes of the Trilogy, all accompanied by pictures of the places selected for the books.
It is a small jewel for the lovers of the trilogy and also, like me, for the lovers of the Hebrides isles and their landscape.
I recommend you to read this book either during the reading of the novels (as I did) or right afterwards. This book is not a spoiler but It can take you away some of the surprise factor and influence your imagination. On the other hand it is nice to geographically place the imaginary scenes of the plot and that is what I did while reading the novels.
November 5, 2017
Peter May has a long connection with the Outer Hebrides, particularly Lewis. He lived there while filming a long-running Gaelic drama, then returned when researching his mystery trilogy set in the area. This book contains stunning photos of the Hebrides (why I gave it 5 stars), and goes into detail about May's connection to the islands and how each of the three books in the series was inspired by particular places there. I haven't read any of his books, but I love the Hebrides and have visited twice. There's just something about that windswept, green and stony and hilly landscape that calls to me for no obviously apparent reason. The Hebrides have the most gorgeous, glorious beaches in the world, mostly visited by local livestock since the water is so cold and the weather so bad. I loved seeing so many of them pictured here, and I also appreciated that the photos cover the human landscape and its issues, with the decaying boats and houses. But the 5 stars are for the photos.
February 26, 2018
Besides being an wonderful photographic montage of the spectacular environs of the Outer Hebrides, this book is a must read compendium to the Lewis Trilogy - The Blackhouse, The Lewis Men and The Chessmen. Having read the Lewis trilogy before Hebrides, I thoroughly enjoyed the anecdotal accounts of places and people who shaped the stories (the author does a good job of not spoiling any storylines for those who have yet to read the trilogy). By far the most amazing thing, for me, was as I was viewing the beautiful photographs (by David Wilson) I "knew" these images. It was like seeing a movie for the second time. How Mr May is able to so fully capture the landscape, architecture and climate of these islands in the written word is beyond me.
July 8, 2018
This is a companion book for the Lewis Man trilogy written by Peter May that provides additional information and beautiful pictures of the Outer Hebrides.
Peter has written the text of the book while David Wilson is responsible for the photography. Together they have created a beautiful book.
Included is a geological history and people history of the Outer Hebrides, however, my favorite sections of the book relate to Peter’s personal history with the islands and a chapter on each of the Lewis Trilogy books. He provides more insight into each of the books and you see pictures of houses and locations that he used as reference points. I really enjoyed having this visual roadmap into this trilogy.
If you have read, are currently reading or are interested in reading this trilogy I highly recommend getting your hands on this book.
Peter has written the text of the book while David Wilson is responsible for the photography. Together they have created a beautiful book.
Included is a geological history and people history of the Outer Hebrides, however, my favorite sections of the book relate to Peter’s personal history with the islands and a chapter on each of the Lewis Trilogy books. He provides more insight into each of the books and you see pictures of houses and locations that he used as reference points. I really enjoyed having this visual roadmap into this trilogy.
If you have read, are currently reading or are interested in reading this trilogy I highly recommend getting your hands on this book.
November 4, 2020
Ok yes it's a coffee table book, but it is also well-written (by the author of the Lewis Man mysteries) and has incredible photography by David Wilson of these far flung, sea bound, windswept, rainbowed, fascinating islands. If, for example, you became obsessed with visiting the Hebrides but could not do so for some time, this book could be the perfect spark to warm your wanderlust. Peter May describes the settings for his novels and an earlier TV show called Mathair that was all in Scottish Gaelic, he describes visiting the islands over the years, and includes short excerpts from his books. They are now next on my reading list.
February 27, 2021
I got this book through interlibrary loan because I had just re read the trilogy and Coffin Road. The islands and the weather are so much a part of these books that I wanted to see them in pictures (I had already tried Google Maps which gave an idea but wasn't fully satisfying). This book was terrific - the pictures are amazing and the text gives information about Peter May's connection with the islands and uses quotes from the books in conjunction with the photographs. It includes specific sites that show up in the books, and examples of buildings related to ones he made up. I recommend it to fans of these books, it gives greater depth to understanding the landscape.
June 26, 2018
This is a photographic book of the Hebrides Islands (Lewis, Harris, et al). It is also a companion book for the reader who wants to picture the wild landscapes of these Northwestern islands of Scotland, and especially, perhaps, for readers of Peter May's Lewis trilogy located here: The Blackhouse, The Lewis Man, and The Chessmen.
I enjoyed looking at these pictures of such remote and barren landscapes, ruined buildings, coasts, mountains, tracks, and Stornoway [an extreme contrast to the rest of the places covered].
I enjoyed looking at these pictures of such remote and barren landscapes, ruined buildings, coasts, mountains, tracks, and Stornoway [an extreme contrast to the rest of the places covered].
September 2, 2019
Serendipitous reading on a rainy day, lured by a gorgeous book awaiting in our room at The Bridge House B&B, almost at the end of the road in the Southwest corner of the Isle of Lewis. Peter May introduces us to the Hebrides through a recounting of his research program for the crime series The Lewis Trilogy. Lots of fun anecdotes and gorgeous photographs by David Wilson. Site-specific reading at its best! Now, of course, I must read his thriller...
May 25, 2017
This book was fascinating since my wife and I visited the Outer Hebrides in 2010. We would love to return and spend more time. Peter May's description of the islands is excellent and the photography is great! As a result of reading this book, I have ordered the three mysteries written by Peter. The mysteries all take place on these islands.
October 15, 2017
Achingly beautiful photos of derelict blackhouses and whitehouses, rotting boats, gorgeous landscapes AND a photo 0f the boat altar. Although I have to say, the boat altar I pictured in my head was better.
I read the Kindle edition. I would love to see the hard cover edition. This enriched my appreciation of The Lewis Trilogy.
I read the Kindle edition. I would love to see the hard cover edition. This enriched my appreciation of The Lewis Trilogy.
November 7, 2018
Rating this 4.5 for the photographs. The text is largely a discussion of Peter May’s trilogy,which takes place on the islands of the outer Hebrides. Since I read those books, I hoped for more than I got in the text. I want to see this place!
March 31, 2020
Superb book, really captures the Hebrides in all their moods. Fascinating to see where Peter May's trilogy was set scene by scene. David Wilson's photographs are brilliant and show his dedication to go the extra mile to capture the mood at some pretty ungodly hours.
April 5, 2018
Worth it for the story of the Lewis chessmen alone.
April 22, 2018
Great coffee table book. Lots of pictures to give great insights into area
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews