Lyrical and profound, this riveting memoir from the Hermit of Loch Treig explains why Ken Smith chose to turn his back on society four decades ago to live off the land in the Scottish Highlands.
Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month for June 2024
Could you leave behind the bustle of modern society and spend your days immersed in nature? In The Way of the Hermit, seventy-four-year-old Ken Smith recounts a life he has chosen to spend alone with the wilderness.
Ken Smith has spent the past four decades in the Scottish Highlands. He lives alone, with no electricity or running water. His home is a log cabin nestled near Loch Treig, known as 'the lonely loch', where he lives off the land: he fishes for his supper, chops his own wood, and even brews his own tipple. He is, in the truest sense of the word, a hermit.
For the first time, Ken shares the story of his life. From his working-class origins in Derbyshire, to the formative years he spent travelling in the Yukon and finally how he came to be the Hermit of Loch Treig. Looking back through decades of diary entries, Ken reflects upon the reasons he turned his back on society, the vulnerability of old age and the awe and wonder of a life lived in nature. The Way of the Hermit is a humorous, transcendent and life-affirming memoir.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781035009824
Number of pages: 256
Weight: 208 g
Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 20 mm
Ken Smith’s advice for staying alive in inclement conditions could equally be applied to achieving hard-won dreams - Geographical
A most peculiar book - Scotsman
Ken Smith comes across as a thoughtful, resourceful and above all humane man, one who has faced down his unpromising prospects and boldly lived life. For anyone who feels they are merely going through the motions, this book will make an inspiring read - BBC Countryfile Magazine
A Thoreauvian account of solitary life in the Scottish Highlands . . . delightful - Kirkus Reviews
A love story to the mountains in the mist, the pulsating northern lights and the red deer at dawn. And to independence - The Washington Post
This book was a breath of fresh air to read. Ken Smith is authentic, honest, funny and has led a fascinating life living ‘off-grid’ in the Scottish Highlands. Now in his 70s this book explores his life so far (he... More
I was blown away by this book… by the beauty of the words amidst the landscape of Ken’s life, and the essence of his story that he, thankfully, chooses to share with us. I think there is a need in all of us to escape... More
Loved this book well told by Ken and will strongly recommend
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