A Drop in the Ocean: The Story of the Isle of Muck

Polly Pullar tells the fascinating tale of one of the Hebrides unique thriving small communities through the colourful anecdotes of Lawrence MacEwen, whose family have owned the island since 1896. A wonderfully benevolent, and eccentric character, his passion and love for the island and its continuing success, has always been of the utmost importance. He has kept diaries all his life and delves deep into them, unveiling a uniquely human story, punctuated with liberal amounts of humour, as well as heart-rending tragedy, always dominated by the vagaries of the sea. Filled with fascinating and extraordinary tales and priceless observations, this is not only a highly entertaining read but is also an important part of Scottish social history. Beginning with the amusing debut of Lawrence as a new baby when his mother returned from the hospital on the mainland, on through his colourful island childhood, and up to present day. Here are tales of coal puffers and livestock transportation on steamers and small boats, extraordinary chance meetings and adventures that eventually led him to finding his wife Jenny, on the island of Soay.It’s a book about the small hard-grafting community of 30 souls on this fertile island of just 1500 acres.Residents work closely with the MacEwen family, in business interests: the thriving farm, market garden, a modern school, a busy tearoom, craft shop, and a winter shoot. A new village hall was opened in 2012, and a guesthouse in May 2013. Until March 2013, Muck depended on an unreliable generator for electricity that only came on twice daily, but now has finally been electrified with solar panels and wind turbines. It was one of the last places in the UK to receive 24-hour power.

Reviews of A Drop in the Ocean: The Story of the Isle of Muck

'Unique and often amusing … one of the greatest things about this book is that Pullar lets MacEwan talk openly and freely about the island and what he does, giving the book an informal and friendly tone … a lively and entertaining account of the highs and lows of life on this small windswept island … A must read for people interested in Scottish history' – Scottish Field