The Sound of Many Waters

A Journey Along the River Tay

Robin A Crawford author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Birlinn General

Published:3rd Jul '25

Should be back in stock very soon

The Sound of Many Waters cover

With the widest catchment area of any river in Britain, the Tay drains much of the lower Highlands of Scotland. A vast network of lochs and smaller bodies of water feed the Isla, Garry, Tummel, Almond and Earn, which all flow into this mighty river.

As Robin Crawford walks along the banks of the Tay, we delve into the history of this landscape and his personal connection with it, from hill walks with friends into the mountains of the Tay’s source to his student days in Dundee, where the Tay eventually spills out into the North Sea.

Along the route we dip into the river’s story: the gold-panners on the river Cononish, the Earthquake House outside Comrie, Beatrix Potter’s holiday home near Dunkeld. Throughout, the river is our constant companion, connecting the small moments on which events turn and lives are changed forever.

'Crawford's mesmerising book charts his wanderings over the years over the Tay's banks from hill to sea, weaving together, as he goes, the history of the landscape and his personal connections to the river'

* Sunday Post *

'an impressively researched book, part-personal memoir, part guide-book'

* Country Life *

'The history comes interspersed with evocative passages of nature writing... Crawford has various personal connections with the Tay, to the extent that this feels less like a voyage of exploration and more like having a local show you around their home'

-- Roger Cox * The Scotsman *

'Never less than captivating. In all, this is a charming, meandering journey'

* Scottish Fie

ISBN: 9781780279114

Dimensions: 216mm x 138mm x 25mm

Weight: 469g

368 pages