Spade Among the Rushes

This is an account of crofting life in Moidart in the north-west of Scotland, during World War II. The book describes the author’s attempts to transform a deserted croft into a home. Although far from the Blitz, the effects of war were 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 frustrated Margaret Leigh’s efforts. Before moving to Moidart, Leigh also published “Driftwood and Tangle” and “Harvest of the Moor”.