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Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape

Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape

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  • Create Date：2021-11-20 16:21:11
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Patrick Laurie
  • ISBN：1640095004
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Summary

On the land of his ancestors in Scotland， a young farmer struggles to find a balance between farming， the conservation of wild， and human culture as he establishes a herd of heritage cattle。

How does it feel to belong to a landscape that is fading right before your eyes？

Galloway， an ancient region of Scotland， has a proud and unique heritage based on hardy cattle and wide moors。 But as the twentieth century progressed， the people of Galloway deserted the land and the moors have been transformed into commercial forest。 Born and brought up in Dumfries and Galloway， author Patrick Laurie wonders whether or not the land of his ancestors is fated to fade away entirely。

Desperate to connect with his native lands， Laurie plunges into work on his family farm in the hills of southwest Scotland。 Investing in the oldest and most traditional breeds of Galloway cattle， he begins to discover how cows once shaped people， places and nature in this remote and half-hidden place。 This traditional breed requires different methods of care from modern farming on an industrial， totally unnatural scale。 As the cattle begin to dictate the pattern of his life， Laurie stumbles upon the passing of an ancient rural heritage。 The new forests have driven the catastrophic decline of the much-loved curlew， a bird which features strongly in Galloway's consciousness。 These deteriorating links between people， cattle， and wild birds become a central theme as Laurie begins to face the reality of life in a vanishing landscape。

Exploring the delicate balance between farming and conservation while recounting an extraordinarily powerful personal story， Galloway delves into the relationship between people and places under pressure in the modern world。

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Reviews

Brenda ，

Aaahhhh。。。Bonnie Galloway！ Young farmer and conservationist Patrick Laurie writes about his life on a working farm。 He and his wife saved up to buy a family farm and couldn't wait to purchase their first Galloway heifer followed by pigs。 Thanks to farmers like him heritage livestock breeds are making a resurgence！ He realistically details the tremendous positives and pitfalls of farm life from freedom， great health and beautiful scenery to sad animal deaths and isolation。 We all have personal is Aaahhhh。。。Bonnie Galloway！ Young farmer and conservationist Patrick Laurie writes about his life on a working farm。 He and his wife saved up to buy a family farm and couldn't wait to purchase their first Galloway heifer followed by pigs。 Thanks to farmers like him heritage livestock breeds are making a resurgence！ He realistically details the tremendous positives and pitfalls of farm life from freedom， great health and beautiful scenery to sad animal deaths and isolation。 We all have personal issues no matter where we live and Laurie details his challenges。 His book is divided into seasonal/monthly sections。Amongst the things I like best about Laurie's writing are his frankness and gorgeous descriptions。 His conversational style is truly lovely and his passion sings in his words。 Though not all the anecdotes are joyful， they are hopeful and inspirational。 I have always respected farmers， especially those who choose to make a difference for their families on smaller sustainable farms。 Along with grain and livestock farming， Laurie writes about weather， farm dangers， Dalbeattie granite， （de）forestation， foxes， yorlins， wild Galloway cattle herds and haying。 His passion is observing curlews。 As I grew up on a farm so much is relatable。 Our weather is extreme （from -40 to +35C） with snow on the ground for six months a year。 so I understand weather challenges。 I am also familiar with Galloway including Dalbeattie so can easily picture the topography and immerse myself in the words。Those who have lived off the land and/or on a farm or simply enjoy dreaming about it， this book should not be missed。My sincere thank you to Catapult and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fascinating and enriching book。 。。。more

Michael Bishop ，

A brilliant read。 Laurie lives what he writes。 A farmer and native of Galloway who understands and values the old ways。 Rhythm and practice developed over centuries that meld landscape， beast， and man in common purpose。 The old ways did the job。 Hard work of course。 But life， death and renewal weren't driven by harmful practices that ultimately rip up the emotional connection that we have with the land and those who lived and worked on it。 A brilliant read。 Laurie lives what he writes。 A farmer and native of Galloway who understands and values the old ways。 Rhythm and practice developed over centuries that meld landscape， beast， and man in common purpose。 The old ways did the job。 Hard work of course。 But life， death and renewal weren't driven by harmful practices that ultimately rip up the emotional connection that we have with the land and those who lived and worked on it。 。。。more

Sophy H ，

Eugh I don't even know where to begin with this book。 How it won awards is beyond me！ Ok， so the premise is the son of a farming family returns to his home ground， buys some land and takes up the farming torch。 If only it were that simple！ This book repeatedly details fox hunting and the ripping apart of their bodies by dogs， there is reverence of "old-school" farmers who hate foxes， hate snakes and kill adders when they come across one！ Or they pour environmentally destructive diesel over every Eugh I don't even know where to begin with this book。 How it won awards is beyond me！ Ok， so the premise is the son of a farming family returns to his home ground， buys some land and takes up the farming torch。 If only it were that simple！ This book repeatedly details fox hunting and the ripping apart of their bodies by dogs， there is reverence of "old-school" farmers who hate foxes， hate snakes and kill adders when they come across one！ Or they pour environmentally destructive diesel over everything and burn it！！！ Every other page is full of bloodshed， violence and seeming torture of nature， except curlews， which Laurie seems to have a particular hard-on for！ Laurie is full of contradiction。 He wants biodiversity but appears nonplussed at the murder of natural predators， he lambasts the planting of pine forests for money but then uses his land for cattle which is equally as climate intensive。 He bemoans misuse of the landscape but then states how he worked for a grouse farmer （biggest misuse of moorlands this country has allowed to perpetuate） killing up to 100 foxes a time （with regret！！！） Just do one Laurie！ Farming is tough。 Yes， some old style farming is good for the land and should be encouraged。 But decimation of wildlife， no。 Hunting， no。 Cruelty， no。 Literary masturbation over where you live whilst moaning about how everyone else has it easier， just f**k off！！ Not one for me。 。。。more

Ape ，

I am not the greatest fan of taglines and quotes littering book covers （in consideration how odd Robert MacFarlane isn't on here as he seems to be quoted on everything these days） and I did think Lordy， James Rebanks "I love this book"， was that the best you could come up with， before I started reading this。 And now I've finished it， all Ive got to say is: I just loved this book =）Interesting that Laurie says Galloway isn't on the Scottish tourist trail （I'd agree） but that no one goes there and I am not the greatest fan of taglines and quotes littering book covers （in consideration how odd Robert MacFarlane isn't on here as he seems to be quoted on everything these days） and I did think Lordy， James Rebanks "I love this book"， was that the best you could come up with， before I started reading this。 And now I've finished it， all Ive got to say is: I just loved this book =）Interesting that Laurie says Galloway isn't on the Scottish tourist trail （I'd agree） but that no one goes there and the land isn't for the photos。。。 well， it's certainly different to the Highlands， which is what everyone thinks of first when you say Scotland， but I love Galloway。 Some of it is that it's not on the tourist trail， so it's wonderfully peaceful there， but it is beautiful。 I've been up that way twice in recent years and intend to return。 Of course， Wigtown， Scotland's book town being there helps - incidentally where I bought this book on an impulse， having never heard of it before。Laurie grew up on a farm in Galloway， went away to uni， got a white collar job and after some time， he and his wife moved back down this way to start out on a farm， using their jobs to prop up the farm finances for the first few years。 His aim was to get a Galloway herd going， and to try and farm in a kinder way to the environment， which as it turns out seems to involve not obsessing about high yield and getting everything done really quickly， but looking at the old methods。 He also has a thing about curlews （I get that） and worries about how they are disappearing from Galloway。 I hadn't realised the forestry was such a problem - there's me loving the Galloway forest park and thinking it had always been like that when I visit。 So I've learned a lot about the land history of the place， and the history of the curlews， including a bit of local folklore connected to the birds。He's not sugar coating anything here。 Farming life is tough， especially in the winter months， and some of it is fighting a loosing battle。 But this joy of the natural world is infectious。 And there's also some great characters in the old timers he meets。 Just loved old Sanny， their closest neighbour who bobs round regularly to help out with advice or heckling。 And how he catches the curlew bug and parks off every morning on the way for the paper to watch the curlew chicks。 Just a warm and fuzzy feeling。 So sad at the end。I could rattle on about everything I read in the book that I loved， but that would defeat the object of anyone reading this and wondering if they should read it - yes you should！ 。。。more

Chad Guarino ，

An extremely moving and lyrical memoir of working the land and being worked by it in return。 Patrick Laurie details his trials of starting up a farm with a back-to-basics approach and his thoughts on Galloway's rapidly diminishing wildlife diversity amidst the push for commercial forests in Scotland。 Laurie focuses on the curlew throughout， a bird ubiquitous during his childhood but in whose dwindling numbers he finds symbolism for the entire region。 Amidst the hard work and despair for the land An extremely moving and lyrical memoir of working the land and being worked by it in return。 Patrick Laurie details his trials of starting up a farm with a back-to-basics approach and his thoughts on Galloway's rapidly diminishing wildlife diversity amidst the push for commercial forests in Scotland。 Laurie focuses on the curlew throughout， a bird ubiquitous during his childhood but in whose dwindling numbers he finds symbolism for the entire region。 Amidst the hard work and despair for the land， Laurie's ability to see and detail small wonders in his nature writing is a gift: fog over the moors， little rain showers， and the simple joys of working with his hands。 Features an introduction from Nick Offerman as well， which as always is its own treat。 **I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 My thanks to Catapult， Counterpoint Press， and Soft Skull Press** 。。。more

Sebastian ，

Genoten van dit boek。 Een categorie waar je wel van moet houden。 Maar ik vind het heerlijk om het leven van boer （was daarvoor media man maar verlangde naar het zijn van een ouderwetse boer） te mogen volgen in een gebied in Schotland dat onbekend en onbegrepen is。 Ook mooi om te zien hoe echt boeren zou moeten zijn maar wie vind daar in nog plezier in deze moderne tijd。 Al waren er momenten dat het ook mij trok terwijl is een echt stadsmens ben。 Spreek je dit aan dan moet je het zeker lezen。

Elda ，

Excellent writing。 Loved this book。 Like it when people are aware of every moment。

Snorki ，

A well-written account of Galloway and the author's attempts to start a farm there， bringing back some of the older ways of farming， mourning the loss of diversity that's been a result of extensive forest-planting across the regions， and specifically focusing on curlews， and the fact that they are gradually disappearing。 It's interesting and thought-provoking。 A well-written account of Galloway and the author's attempts to start a farm there， bringing back some of the older ways of farming， mourning the loss of diversity that's been a result of extensive forest-planting across the regions， and specifically focusing on curlews， and the fact that they are gradually disappearing。 It's interesting and thought-provoking。 。。。more

Rachel ，

Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape by Patrick Laurie is a stunning book that is part memoir part nature journal that really took me， and enveloped me， to a stunning location in Southwest area of Scotland。This was such a unique， memorable， and wonderful journey that I feel so fortunate to have been able to be a part of。 The author’s ability to transcend time and location and deposit me directly into the rustic and rural landscapes of his farm and life is beyond impressive。 His descriptions o Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape by Patrick Laurie is a stunning book that is part memoir part nature journal that really took me， and enveloped me， to a stunning location in Southwest area of Scotland。This was such a unique， memorable， and wonderful journey that I feel so fortunate to have been able to be a part of。 The author’s ability to transcend time and location and deposit me directly into the rustic and rural landscapes of his farm and life is beyond impressive。 His descriptions of his professional and personal life， struggles， history， hopes， dreams， fears and day to day happenings was so beautiful。 Not only did I learn so much more about the Galloway cattle， but also what it takes to survive and thrive in this challenging profession。 I was also able to see the rewards that are so duly given with all the effort and work involved。 The author balanced that nicely with natural observations， personal reflections and inclusions， so that I really felt as if I was there and included。 He has a real talent， and quite a way with words。 I highly recommend this to anyone that loves to read about nature， history， farming， and memoirs and Scotland in general。 A truly stunning read。 5/5 stars Thank you NG and Counterpoint for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication on 11/16/21。 。。。more

Jeni Wildbird Grover ，

A stirring， emotional requiem for the love of the landBeautiful。 An honest depiction of a lonely attempt to work the land in sympathy with the wildlife that occupies it。 It's not a crusade of a misguided do-gooder， or the rallying cry of a rampant conservationist， but a yearning need to be a part of the soul of a rugged and beautiful world。 Turning away from the notion that only speed and profit margins matter， accepting the deficiencies of the land goes hand in hand with a personal struggle to A stirring， emotional requiem for the love of the landBeautiful。 An honest depiction of a lonely attempt to work the land in sympathy with the wildlife that occupies it。 It's not a crusade of a misguided do-gooder， or the rallying cry of a rampant conservationist， but a yearning need to be a part of the soul of a rugged and beautiful world。 Turning away from the notion that only speed and profit margins matter， accepting the deficiencies of the land goes hand in hand with a personal struggle to cope with the life path we are given。 He takes joy in the smallest atoms of beauty drawn from the natural world slowly encouraged to return to its former diversity。 And all crafted in a swirling ballad of expressive writing that exquisitely draws you into the glorious countryside of Bonny Gallowa'。 I shall read it again and again。 。。。more

Karen Clements ，

I read this for an assignment and enjoyed it。 Laurie grew up in the southwest corner of Scotland， an area called Galloway， which is apparently nothing like the highlands many of us associate with that country。 Instead it is open and desolate， perfect for the breed of cattle that they are known for as well as the shorebirds called curlews; however， in recent decades， the open grasslands have been forested in an attempt to improve finances， and modern techniques of planting and harvesting crops ar I read this for an assignment and enjoyed it。 Laurie grew up in the southwest corner of Scotland， an area called Galloway， which is apparently nothing like the highlands many of us associate with that country。 Instead it is open and desolate， perfect for the breed of cattle that they are known for as well as the shorebirds called curlews; however， in recent decades， the open grasslands have been forested in an attempt to improve finances， and modern techniques of planting and harvesting crops are changing the native habitats。 These changes are creating a less friendly environment for the curlews， which are beginning to fade away， and while the new ways are faster and better for the bottom line， they are yielding inferior results in terms of crop and beef quality。This may not sound appealing， but Laurie writes beautifully and compellingly of his homeland。 （Though I did find myself looking up many the Scottish words I am not familiar with。） He and his wife bought a small farm near his ancestral home， and their struggles with infertility contrast with the successes they experience as farmers。 If you like the writings of James Herriot， you may enjoy this one， too。 。。。more

5greenway ，

High four， verging on top marks。 Conservation-farming-memoir written in a direct and stylish way。 Moving and searching questions about what's been lost， doesn't offer any pat solutions but finds its hope in attention and being。 High four， verging on top marks。 Conservation-farming-memoir written in a direct and stylish way。 Moving and searching questions about what's been lost， doesn't offer any pat solutions but finds its hope in attention and being。 。。。more

David Glover ，

Lovely book， very thoughtfully written。 Thank you。

Adeptus Fringilla ，

Brilliant read。 Absolutely enjoyed it。 Very well written and at times quite poetic。 He writes about the farming/nature year in 12 separate chapters， one for each month。 I didn't want it to stop。 It's certainly right up there with the best of nature writing。 Brilliant read。 Absolutely enjoyed it。 Very well written and at times quite poetic。 He writes about the farming/nature year in 12 separate chapters， one for each month。 I didn't want it to stop。 It's certainly right up there with the best of nature writing。 。。。more

Doug Beagrie ，

Loved it！

Harriet ，

Just brilliant， an honest， humble， informative account of life in Galloway。 Beautifully written。 I loved every page。

Sheena ，

Another farmer telling it as it is with no cushioning the hard life and raw unsentimental forces of nature。 However the upside is the sense of belonging， the satisfaction of creating something from nothing and the austere beauty of his surroundings and the life he is living。 Written in a poetic and lyrical way。 I was attracted to this book as according to 'My Living DNA" 34% of my genetics are from Northern Ireland and Southwest Scotland and though the author dismisses it as a holiday destinatio Another farmer telling it as it is with no cushioning the hard life and raw unsentimental forces of nature。 However the upside is the sense of belonging， the satisfaction of creating something from nothing and the austere beauty of his surroundings and the life he is living。 Written in a poetic and lyrical way。 I was attracted to this book as according to 'My Living DNA" 34% of my genetics are from Northern Ireland and Southwest Scotland and though the author dismisses it as a holiday destination I did enjoy a holiday in this area a few years ago。 。。。more

Andy Weston ，

I read this while in Galloway， and while travelling in the Forest Park intentionally took the slow route to see farms and cattle like Laurie describes。 I had originally come across the book when it was shortlisted for the Wainwright Nature Prize in 2020。 It is at its strength when dealing with farm life， and certainly recommended if you intend to visit the area and be aware of its cultural history。 Personally though I wanted more than cows。。I’m aware how my criticism may sound， it is after all a I read this while in Galloway， and while travelling in the Forest Park intentionally took the slow route to see farms and cattle like Laurie describes。 I had originally come across the book when it was shortlisted for the Wainwright Nature Prize in 2020。 It is at its strength when dealing with farm life， and certainly recommended if you intend to visit the area and be aware of its cultural history。 Personally though I wanted more than cows。。I’m aware how my criticism may sound， it is after all a book about cows。 But I wanted other nature， if which there isn’t much。 For example， I’ve only recently read what May go on to be my favourite book of the year， Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl， which is comprehensive about all of the nature in the area， as well as its characters and history， but the star of course， is the owl。 From that Wainwright shortlist last year， my favourite was The Frayed Atlantic Edge: A Historian's Journey from Shetland to the Channel， should anyone be interested。。 。。。more

Ann ，

This is a beautifully written book which I intend to read again and have already recommended to friends。Without creating spoilers I read the bit about the gorgeous calf who was not a good-dooer with sadness and understanding and the part about the super-functional square bailer with mirth and recognition。I hope Patrick will keep on writing and keep us all up to date。

Chantal Lyons ，

'Native' is a book of breathtaking beauty。 I was initially wary of reading it， as so much of it seemed to be about raising cattle， which didn't quite chime with my usual nature-writing interests。 I'm so glad I didn't listen to myself - there is nature aplenty in this book， and the love the author has for his animals is a thing to behold （anyone who eats meat should think like Laurie does）。 Neither could I get enough of the prose。 I honestly think I'd read anything the author might decide to writ 'Native' is a book of breathtaking beauty。 I was initially wary of reading it， as so much of it seemed to be about raising cattle， which didn't quite chime with my usual nature-writing interests。 I'm so glad I didn't listen to myself - there is nature aplenty in this book， and the love the author has for his animals is a thing to behold （anyone who eats meat should think like Laurie does）。 Neither could I get enough of the prose。 I honestly think I'd read anything the author might decide to write about， just to get more of that prose。 'The Black Grouse' is now on my TBR list， and I very much hope there are more books to come from Laurie。 。。。more

Cathie ，

Wonderful and thought provoking escape， I was completely transported to wild places， with the smells， sounds and even the wind battering my face。 The sadness of the loss of Curlews is very real， and to top it off the cover is gorgeous。

Alastair Gooderham ，

Absolutely loved this book and one mans return to his farming roots exploring what the older slower rhythms teach us and the wisdom and handed down generations。 Beautifully written to capture the beauty and struggle， loss and joy。 Made my heart long for older simpler days connected to the land。

Fern Adams ，

This in many ways is a book about what we miss right under our noses。 Galloway is an often overlooked part of Scotland。 Traditional methods are often an overlooked part of farming。 Birds are an often over looked part of our landscape。 Folklore and tales are often overlooked until they are gone and there is no one left to remember them。 All of this is explored within Laurie’s book and his work over a year on the land。 He shows the sheer determination， hard work and at times plain stubbornness nee This in many ways is a book about what we miss right under our noses。 Galloway is an often overlooked part of Scotland。 Traditional methods are often an overlooked part of farming。 Birds are an often over looked part of our landscape。 Folklore and tales are often overlooked until they are gone and there is no one left to remember them。 All of this is explored within Laurie’s book and his work over a year on the land。 He shows the sheer determination， hard work and at times plain stubbornness needed。 Really enjoyed reading this one。 。。。more

David Rudin ，

What a stunning book！ There are few books that can dive into the minutiae of raising a heritage breed of cattle while writing a requiem for a dying culture。 Somehow Patrick Laurie manages to do both simultaneously and engagingly while also weaving in storylines of local characters， conserving a bird called the curlew and he and his wife’s struggles to conceive a child。 Brutally honest， yet sweet and affectionate， this story of a conservationist cum cattle rancher celebrates the land and culture What a stunning book！ There are few books that can dive into the minutiae of raising a heritage breed of cattle while writing a requiem for a dying culture。 Somehow Patrick Laurie manages to do both simultaneously and engagingly while also weaving in storylines of local characters， conserving a bird called the curlew and he and his wife’s struggles to conceive a child。 Brutally honest， yet sweet and affectionate， this story of a conservationist cum cattle rancher celebrates the land and culture of Galloway， Scotland and this native son’s efforts to bring back some of the traditions via cattle and agricultural traditions。 。。。more

Kirsty ，

3。5

Paul ，

Farming is hard and relentless work even with modern machinery and techniques， to do it takes a certain amount of tenacity and a lot of sheer bloody-mindedness。 It is part of the reason why a lot of people are choosing not to follow it as a career， even those that would be considered farming stock。There are some though that cannot ignore that desire to work on the land。 Patrick Laurie is one of those people。 They pour their money into a small farm in his native Galloway， but rather than acquire Farming is hard and relentless work even with modern machinery and techniques， to do it takes a certain amount of tenacity and a lot of sheer bloody-mindedness。 It is part of the reason why a lot of people are choosing not to follow it as a career， even those that would be considered farming stock。There are some though that cannot ignore that desire to work on the land。 Patrick Laurie is one of those people。 They pour their money into a small farm in his native Galloway， but rather than acquire modern breeds and the latest expensive equipment， he decides that he would rather get an older tractor and most importantly buy the Riggit Galloway cow， a hardy traditional breed， that is perfectly suited to this landscape。He is one of the rare people wanting to move back onto the land; most deserted it years ago。 The inevitable square plantations of commercial forest have sprung up， the centuries of tradition and sensitive land management have gone and the wildlife has suffered， in particular the curlew。 These new Riggit Galloway’s need a completely different method of care compared to modern stock， and as Laurie learns about what they do and don’t need to survive， he discovers that these techniques could bring life back to the landscape。Taking the land back to the old techniques of rotation and coupled with this and older species of cattle to make the land work as it used to， very quickly bring benefits。 He restores an old mower to make hay as they did in the old days rather than take silage off the fields， this longer cropping help the curlews nest。 He plants barley and rather than get a combine in to harvest it， it is cut and stooked （what a lovely word） in the old way。Pain is a different thing under wide and rushing skies。 Even in the bleakest moments of solitude， I draw a selfish glow from that kind of darkness。 I hoard the prickle of sleet on my face and endure it， telling myself no one else would。 I turn away from the warmth of sharing because now I see this place runs far deeper than play or simple sunshine。It is a brutally honest book， he portrays farming in the cold light of day， the small successes and the brief moments of pleasure are set against the sheer amount of hard work it is just to stand still。 It is a dangerous job too， he is not afraid to tell of near misses and the almost callous attitude you must have at times。 What is very evident in this though is his deep， deep love of the landscape that he lives in。 He is obsessed by curlews， those magical birds that have been disappearing for far to long and are now seriously threatened。 I really liked his writing style， he is not nostalgic in any way， though he respects the old ways of working with not against the land。 It is a book very much about the place， about Galloway， an often-ignored part of Scotland that has a beauty of its own without the dramatic hills of the highlands。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Claire O'Sullivan ，

JoyousWhen you are struggling to concentrate and you have a ‘busy brain’ pick up something gentle and kind that transports you to a place you love - Native did this for me 。 A few days in Galloway。 Beautiful。

Rebecca ，

Galloway may be the forgotten corner of Scotland， but third-generation cattle farmer Patrick Laurie can’t imagine living anywhere else。 Yet his eyes are open to the contradictions of this landscape and how he makes a living from it。 Modern farming practices， like cutting hay while ground-nesting birds are active， are incompatible with conservation。 In this year-long nature diary， each month brings rewards as well as challenges as Laurie strives to manage the land in a manner beneficial to wildli Galloway may be the forgotten corner of Scotland， but third-generation cattle farmer Patrick Laurie can’t imagine living anywhere else。 Yet his eyes are open to the contradictions of this landscape and how he makes a living from it。 Modern farming practices， like cutting hay while ground-nesting birds are active， are incompatible with conservation。 In this year-long nature diary， each month brings rewards as well as challenges as Laurie strives to manage the land in a manner beneficial to wildlife。 I’ve read many women’s stories of infertility but none， I think， from a male perspective， so I found this aspect of his story refreshing， and sensitively addressed。 I’m lucky enough to have visited Wigtown。 You needn’t have been to Galloway in person， though， to appreciate this pensive account rich with the sense of place and balanced between solastalgia and practicality。See my full review at Shiny New Books。 。。。more

Margherita ，

Superb

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0