An Innocent in Scotland: More Curious Rambles and Singular Encounters

By David W. McFadden

In 1995, David W. McFadden published An Innocent in Ireland: Curious Rambles and Singular Encounters , a quirky and affectionate account of his travels around Ireland. In undertaking the trip, he chose as his guide H. V. Morton, the prolific travel writer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose In Search of Ireland (part of Morton's famous In Search of ... series) had been familiar to him since childhood. Now, setting out to explore Scotland, his family's ancestral home, McFadden plans to use the same technique: to follow Morton's route around the country, observing how things have changed and in what ways they remain the same. As in An Innocent in Ireland , however, his own inquiring mind and engaging personality take over, and Morton appears less and less as McFadden becomes increasingly absorbed by the landscape - and particularly by the people. Starting in the Lowlands, he travels through Burns country (examining verses that Burns is alleged to have inscribed on a Dumfries window with his diamond ring) and up the east coast to the Highlands. There he lingers by Loch Ness (spotting nothing but tourists), before heading over to the west coast and falling in love with it - particularly with the islands of Mull and Iona. Through the entire trip, McFadden charts an erratic course, led only by H. V. Morton and his own acute eye and very lively curiosity. As he does so, he records his extremely personal impressions, which are wry, amused - and often more astute than he lets on. The reader won't find many of the traditional Scottish tourist sites in this account. Rather, as in An Innocent in Ireland , McFadden loves a good chat, and he wisely lets the many characters he meets speak for themselves. He gives generous attention to a variety of talkative barmen, hoteliers, shopkeepers, as well as to passersby that he encounters in the course of his travels. Their conversations, ranging from the instructive or humorous to the eccentric and even surreal, give a thoroughly entertaining view of a Scotland the guidebooks never reveal. Still quirky, affectionate, always ready to be intrigued or amused, David McFadden makes an ideal companion for any armchair traveller.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0771055285
• ISBN13: 9780771055287
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable and quirky

I became much more engaged with this book when Davy reached the Highlands.Prior to that, I was finding his repetition of B & B conversations a little tedious.In the Highlands and Mull , Davy seemed more enthusiastic about what he was seeing (and it helped that we share an interest and wonderment in prehistoric sites!)Davy highlighted the issue of negative attitudes towards "incomers" in the Highlands,something which most visitors would be unaware of.Good for you Davy, these things need to be aired . On the whole , I suspect that Davy's view of the Scots may be rather skewed , given that he only seemed to meet people in B & Bs and late night in pubs, thus missing out on whole sections of this fascinating, charming and intelligent population!By the way,Davy,in case you're reading this : visit Arbroath next time and try the local delicacy -Arbroath SMOKIES.Delicious smoked haddock.I doubt that anyone in Arbroath has heard of Arbroath stovies , unless they,ve read your book !Overall, an enjoyable ,quirky and gently humorous book.For Scots, it gives us the chance "To see oursels as ithers see us "

A fine travelling companion

David McFaddden would be an interesting fellow to with whom to travel. Whether making circle tours of the Great Lakes or searching for Pictish earthworks in Scotland, his poet's eye, wonderful listening skills and knack for encountering strange persons and situations makes just reading about his travels an experience. I laughed aloud, I shook my head in confusion and/or disgust, and I got a map of Scotland to trace his travels. What I would really like is to buy him dinner at Harbor Haus on the Lake Superior shore in Copper Harbor to ask why he thinks "Scots Wha' Hae' is a sad song and when he's going to write the Lake Superior book.

Hilarious, quirky, and good natured

I found this gem of a book while visiting McFadden's homeland of Canada. Being someone who has an enormous interest in Scottish heritage, the title caught my interest. I read the first four chapters while standing in the bookstore while other customers looked in my direction for laughing out loud. McFaddens view on the land of the Scots had me smiling through the entire book. And his attitude is genuine (we became email friends). The people he came in contact with were to the average person a bit out of the ordinary. He brought out the wanderlust in me enough to want to experience the same route that both he and H.V. Morton took. His descriptions were so top notch, it brings you right in the very circle of friends he meets. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the quirkiness and fun that should always be a part of our travels.

Great for Reading Aloud

I received a copy of McFadden's book "An Innocent in Scotland" as a Christmas gift from my son. I'm writing to say how much my wife and I are enjoying it. On an evening I like to read aloud while my wife does some handwork. It's surprising how few books are really good for this sort of reading. We have found some of the essentials to be that each chapter must stand alone, while being part of a greater whole; that it should be generally humorous as well as interesting; and that it should contain a lot of dialogue - if it is set in or is about Scotland, that's just an added bonus. We rate this book at the top of our all-time list, along with Alistair Phillips' "My Uncle George". Each chapter needs to stand alone because several days or even weeks may pass between readings; it should be humorous and interesting because we are looking for entertainment, not heavy social commentary or an education in incest or the other subjects that modern authors seem to favour; and it should have lots of dialogue because it's fun to act out the different voices and accents. If the speakers are Scottish, then I am surer of my ground, having lived in Edinburgh until immigrating to Canada thirty or so years ago.When we have read this delightful book about Scotland I shall buy the one about Ireland. I can hardly wait to try the Irish accents."An Innocent in Scotland" has provided us with much enjoyment, hilarity, and insight into the lives of ordinary folk. The author has a talent for asking the questions most of us are too timid, self-conscious or otherwise unwilling to ask.

Lively, entertaining, and revealing

McFadden writes with wit and charm about the witty, charming, and amusing conversations he had along the way while touring Scotland. His purpose is to follow an old guidebook from 1929, as he did in his previous book about Ireland, but somehow he is touring the lives of the people he encounters more than the country itself, although there is a lot about the sites he visits along the way. The author does not limit himself -- you hear about the foods, the politics, the English/Scottish rivalries, history, and the quaint day-to-day lives of individuals who often seem to just walk up to McFadden and start talking. This is a funny book, more fun than most books labeled as comedic, and following McFadden around on his journey (map included) is entertaining. This is a great book for becoming familiar with the culture in Scotland or getting an idea on how a nation with a wealth of tragic history is approaching its steps towards independence from England. It reads nearly like a novel, the narrative being so lively, and McFadden is the main character, interjecting wise or fun-loving comments. Well done and a very good read.