Spade Among the Rushes

Spade Among the Rushes

by Margaret Leigh (Author), Margaret Leigh (Author)

Synopsis

One of very few books available on Moidart in the north-west of Scotland, it evokes the enchanted, magical beauty of this much-loved area of
the country. Margaret Leigh was already a successful author when her longing for freedom and independence led to her decision to become
a crofter in the West Highlands. These memoirs describe her attempts to transform a deserted croft into a home, and her struggles to snatch
land back from the wilderness. Although far from the Blitz, the effects of the war are felt throughout the Highlands, and the rationing of food
and vital materials, the battles with bureaucrats who had no understanding of a crofter's needs, and even the appearance of a Nazi mine off the
coast, all frustrate Margaret Leigh's efforts. But despite the hardships, the land and the people of the Highlands gave her a contentment and
happiness she had never known before.
This edition features an Introduction by Katie Maclean, who knew Margaret Leigh during her time in Moidart.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Publisher: Birlinn Origin
Published: 12 Apr 2018

ISBN 10: 1912476169
ISBN 13: 9781912476169

Author Bio

Margaret Leigh was the author of Driftwood and Tangle, Spade Among the Rushes, Highland Homespun, Harvest of the Moor and My
Kingdom for a Horse. She was born in London in 1894, the cousin of novelist Dorothy L. Sayers and the daughter of an Oxford don. Her
childhood was spent wandering Europe and beyond for her father's health, and following his death she became a governess, teacher and
university lecturer. In what would become a life-long habit, Margaret changed tack dramatically and turned to agriculture to support herself and
her mother, studying the subject and working farms and crofts, most notably in the north west of Scotland. She died in 1973.