In the autumn of 1939 a young English woman faced a difficult choice. Margaret Leigh had just sold her farm in Cornwall and wanted to return to her ancestral home in the Highlands of Scotland. Yet how to get there? The obvious choice would have included either a train or automobile. However Leigh had a strong streak of adventure running through her. She opted for that altar of travel, the saddle, dismissing those nay-sayers who said the deed couldn't be done in such a modern age. What followed can only be described as one of the most delightful equestrian journeys of the early twentieth century, neither too hot, nor too cold, not too long, nor too short. It was in fact, just right! Though England was rushing headlong into the disaster of the Second World War, Leigh and her mare Ladybird, passed through the countryside unscathed, observing the twilight of a rural lifestyle that had lasted for centuries. "My Kingdom for a Horse" is thus poetic and practical, alternately full of first-hand advice for travelers and keen observations of a rural England that no longer exists.

My Kingdom for a Horse

Biographies & Memoirs

Leigh, Margaret

Community & Culture

Long Riders Guild Pr

In May 1933 Margaret Leigh took over the tenancy of Achnabo farm, in a beautiful corner of the West Highlands overlooking the isle of Skye. In this unsentimental yet exquisitely written book, she recounts a year of farming life there, from the burning of the land and ploughing in March, through planting and sowing in April to haymaking and harvesting in September. Incidental details - such as a visit to the smithy, the arrival of some new bulls and the annual journey of the cows to the summer shielings - provide fascinating insights into farming life. Local characters and customs feature too, adding another rich dimension to this reflective and poignant memoir of a world now vanished forever.

Highland Homespun

History

Europe

Birlinn

Margaret Leigh recounts the years she spent in Wester Ross, Moidart, Coigeach and Barra as a crofter, an activity which enabled her to experience the land in all its moods and capture the essence of this remote and beautiful part of Scotland in finely crafted prose. In addition to her evocative description of the land itself, she also has much to say about the people who live there – their traditions and way of life which, at the time of writing, were under threat not only because of the inevitable march of 'progress' but also because of a war likely to engulf even this remote corner of Europe.

Driftwood and Tangle

Historical

Birlinn Ltd.

This lucid account of crofting life during the second World War has been a popular classic since its first publication in 1949. One of very few books available on Moidart in the north-west of Scotland, it evokes the enchanted, magical beauty of this much-loved area of the country. Margaret Leigh was already a successful author when her longing for freedom and independence led to her decision to become a crofter in the West Highlands. These memoirs describe her attempts to transform a deserted croft into a home, and her struggles to snatch land back from the wilderness. Although far from the Blitz, the effects of the war are 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 frustrate Margaret Leigh's efforts. But despite the hardships, the land and the people of the Highlands gave her a contentment and happiness she had never known before.

Spade Among the Rushes

Origin

In May 1933 Margaret Leigh took over the tenancy of Achnabo farm, in a beautiful corner of the West Highlands overlooking the isle of Skye. In this unsentimental yet exquisitely written book, she recounts a year of farming life there, from the burning of the land and ploughing in March, through planting and sowing in April to haymaking and harvesting in September. Incidental details - such as a visit to the smithy, the arrival of some new bulls and the annual journey of the cows to the summer shielings - provide fascinating insights into farming life. Local characters and customs feature too, adding another rich dimension to this reflective and poignant memoir of a world now vanished forever.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Leigh, Margaret. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Leigh, Margaret

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Leigh, Margaret. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

My Kingdom for a Horse

Highland Homespun

Driftwood and Tangle

Spade Among the Rushes

Driftwood and Tangle

Highland Homespun