The Sea All Around : A passion for Scottish islands

In fact, it's his mission to spread the love through writing about all the islands he has visited. "I'm not the only one with islomania – lots of people have the same affliction, for which there is no known cure, thank goodness," he says. "I have a similar affinity for boats and I think the similarity is that they are both tiny worlds, bounded by water." The Sea All Around is a very personal appreciation of these places – 'remote' to some, but the centre of the world for those who live there. Richard gets to the heart of island life, picking up on the particular character of each island he visits by making friends and learning about local history and lore, such as the story of the exploding float on Lunga, the ingenious defence of the garrison at Cairn-na-Burgh on the Treshnish Isles and the Battle of Bloody Bay on Mull. "I still love a blank sheet of paper and the first sentence of a new island story" – a passion for Scottish islands that shines through every page.