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Monty Hall's Great Escape: Beechcomber
Former Royal Marine Monty Halls recreates the simple life of a crofter on the west coast of Scotland, living off the land, raising sheep, pigs and cattle, and growing his own vegetables. It’s a life-changing, survival story set against the most dramatic landscape in Europe.
- GenresNonfictionTravel
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 30, 2009
A great book for me as we love Scotland and the principals behind his project. I could relate to many of the issues he had to deal with and am familiar with many of the places he visited, even the Inn Pin, which I climbed in very similar weather. The project was inspired by Gavin Maxwell’s book Ring of Bright Water which was based at Sandaig a little south of Applecross on west coast mainland Scotland. A book of which I am a recent fan. My wife went to a talk Monty gave this summer in which she thoroughly enjoyed, which is where she bought the book for me as I was on expedition in Scotland not for from Applecross. I cant wait for the next TV series which he is making believed to be set on a Scottish island. I found the book to be as much about personal challege as it was about crofting, and provoked a few personal challenges of my own.
March 10, 2016
2.5
I've seen and enjoyed some of Monty Halls' TV programmes. Easy on the eye and with a huge sense of adventure, he's solid BBC material.
However, this book was just far too 'nice'. Everyone and everything was pleasant and co-operative. Everyone was rosy cheeked, or majestically tanned and weather beaten. Everyone just couldn't do enough to help.
Call me an old cynic but I just don't believe it! I guess if you are writing about and filming in a tiny Scottish village you do need to be careful about what you say. Things can turn around and bite you! But I felt I was drowning in treacle. And I definitely felt Halls was being very mealy mouthed.
I've recently read Island of Dreams by Dan Boothby, another book about someone settling in a small Scottish village. Boothby steers clear of the sickly puff that Halls' book drips with.
Overall, very disappointing.
I've seen and enjoyed some of Monty Halls' TV programmes. Easy on the eye and with a huge sense of adventure, he's solid BBC material.
However, this book was just far too 'nice'. Everyone and everything was pleasant and co-operative. Everyone was rosy cheeked, or majestically tanned and weather beaten. Everyone just couldn't do enough to help.
Call me an old cynic but I just don't believe it! I guess if you are writing about and filming in a tiny Scottish village you do need to be careful about what you say. Things can turn around and bite you! But I felt I was drowning in treacle. And I definitely felt Halls was being very mealy mouthed.
I've recently read Island of Dreams by Dan Boothby, another book about someone settling in a small Scottish village. Boothby steers clear of the sickly puff that Halls' book drips with.
Overall, very disappointing.
April 23, 2025
Halls' account of six months renovating and living in an abandoned croft house near Applecross.
I enjoyed his descriptions of the surrounding area, wildlife and the local community. I appreciated his willingness to admit his own mistakes, laugh at himself and respect the knowledge of local people. And I loved reading about the antics of Reuben, his adorable but very large rescue dog.
It did seem strange that, right from the start, he only planned on living on the croft for six months. I would have been far more interested if he had been living there through at least one complete year, experiencing all the seasons instead of just the summer. According to the blurb on the back, the book was to accompany a tv series, so perhaps that explains it. But the briefness of his time there made the book feel a little unsatisfying, so it doesn't quite reach the 5 star mark. Still worth reading for those who enjoy tales of life in sparsely populated areas.
I enjoyed his descriptions of the surrounding area, wildlife and the local community. I appreciated his willingness to admit his own mistakes, laugh at himself and respect the knowledge of local people. And I loved reading about the antics of Reuben, his adorable but very large rescue dog.
It did seem strange that, right from the start, he only planned on living on the croft for six months. I would have been far more interested if he had been living there through at least one complete year, experiencing all the seasons instead of just the summer. According to the blurb on the back, the book was to accompany a tv series, so perhaps that explains it. But the briefness of his time there made the book feel a little unsatisfying, so it doesn't quite reach the 5 star mark. Still worth reading for those who enjoy tales of life in sparsely populated areas.
August 30, 2022
Whilst I loved reading this book, it only has three stars as I was so aware that the whole thing was a staged exercise by the BBC as Monty had everything he needed supplied and everyone was just so nice to him that I wondered how much each got paid to be a part of the story. Also, before he even began, he knew he was only going to be there for six months before going off on his next trip so each day was just another day in the office so to speak. Setting my elephantine cynicism aside, I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole narrative as I have lived in the West of Scotland for many years, on and off, in my life and I just love reading about the place, the wildlife and the people. Scotland gets under your skin, it's magnetism is undeniable and that is something Monty certainly gets across to his readers.
July 30, 2024
Watched the tv program years ago and lived in the area 30 years ago. A good read.
May 2, 2011
Having watched Monty's series on BBC I was keen to read the book which didn't disappoint. Monty's style of writing is nice and easy to read and he conveys the wonderful feeling of that part of Scotland very well in the book.
Having been to Applecross and even visited his Bothy at Sand Bay, it was great to read the book and be able to picture the scenes as he describes them.
If you want a nice `feel-good' read, this is a great book.... I guarantee you'll want to visit Applecross & Skye once you've finished!
Having been to Applecross and even visited his Bothy at Sand Bay, it was great to read the book and be able to picture the scenes as he describes them.
If you want a nice `feel-good' read, this is a great book.... I guarantee you'll want to visit Applecross & Skye once you've finished!
February 11, 2010
An engaging account of the writer's stay in a renovated crofter's barn near Applecross on the Scottish west coast. Having seen the TV series and visited the place gave special meaning to the book, but it did grate that he used the word span as the past tense of spin and one of his statistics was so amusingly wrong I intend to send it to New Scientist for their back page!
January 31, 2016
Upper class former Marine, backed by the BBC, restores a remote bothy to live the life of a west coast crofter.
No real detail of him living independently off the land, more focused on the community, people he meets and wildlife he encounters diving off his boat. Whilst some if these accounts are quite engaging, it kind of reads more like a six month jolly rather than a challenging adventure.
No real detail of him living independently off the land, more focused on the community, people he meets and wildlife he encounters diving off his boat. Whilst some if these accounts are quite engaging, it kind of reads more like a six month jolly rather than a challenging adventure.
April 21, 2020
I read this while settling into my own island community in the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York, and found much to relate with regarding helpful neighbors, difficult weather, and magnificent nature. The book is a fun read, often amusing, though anyone hoping for profound insights about 'the simple life' might feel short-changed. Halls' tales offer entertainment more than enlightenment.
August 12, 2009
An interesting tale of adventures while crofting on the Isle of skye in Scotland. Animals figure laarge in his tales as well as his personal challenges.
April 30, 2010
a shame it was only six months, would have been interesting to see how he coped with a winter.
January 12, 2011
lovely story lovely man
April 14, 2013
excellent escapism enjoyed this well written book. it would have been interesting to see how he would have coped in the winter
March 14, 2015
interesting and funny read
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews