The Loch of the Green Corrie

I’ve just finished reading Andrew Greig’s “ At the Loch of the Green Corrie”. This book was brought to my attention after reading about it on the Wild Fishing Scotland discussion forum. I thought it would be a good idea to write down my thoughts about it on my Blog in the hope that some of my readers might be tempted to read and enjoy it too as I feel it will appeal to anyone with a passion for wild places.
First of all I would just like to say that this is not really a fishing book even though there is a fair bit of fishing included within its pages.
The main thrust of the book is a journey assigned to Greig by his friend the poet Norman McCaig. McCaig was in the last few months of his life and was no longer able to be among the Hills and lochans of Assynt he so loved and committed to verse. He asked Greig to go to his favourite place on Earth, The Loch of the Green Corrie, If he caught a fish he would be delighted but if he failed he would look down from a place he did not believe in and be most amused.
I too, like the writer have a love for the wild mountains, glens and lochs of Assynt and of course fly-fishing. Greig described Assynt as being set in deep time. Which is such a beautifully poetic way to define this North West Corner of Scotland. He describes the thoughts and feelings I have for Assynt in words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters that I have had in my conscious but could never express to others.
As the pages turned one by one I began to realise that this story was not only a tribute to a great poet and friend but also a personal journey of Greig’s into the deep time of memory where he was subconsciously looking for his true self and his people.