A man in his sixties has gone on a journey to explore all 233 islands the British Isles have to offer.
John Brant Chatterton is releasing his latest book, 'Treasured Islands', on April 28 which follows a journey across the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.
Featured in the accounts are Barrow, Holme, Piel, Roa and Walney, as John explores the very periphery of the Isles.
He said: "After completing my 5,003 mile coast walk around Great Britain from Lands End to John O’Groats and back to Lands End, I needed a new challenge which would not be too taxing on a man in his mid 60s.
"The walk had been without use of ferries so it seemed appropriate to visit the rest of the British Isles using only ferries and other appropriate transport, including on one occasion a two-man dinghy."
John has been an independent consultant in natural hazard risk management for over 30 years, travelling with his work to over 15 countries worldwide.
His obsession with islands and the coastal environment started with his walk across Great Britain, chronicled in his book 'A Walk by the Sea'.
Now, his latest offering takes him to some of the most remote and harsh environments this part of the world boasts.
"To my knowledge this is a unique journey and includes diverse trips such as those to the island of Foula with around 30 inhabitants some 25 miles into the Atlantic from Mainland Shetland, and the death-defying march across the Thames estuary to Foulness, which has seen hundreds of casualties overcome by tides and quicksand," he said.
"The journey also includes the trip by a scheduled commercial flight between Papa Westray and Westray in the Orkney islands, which takes all of 90 seconds."
The journey starts in the Scilly Isles and slowly weaves its way through the Hebrides and the Northern Isles, whilst taking in the more obscure islands off the west coast of Ireland from County Cork to County Donegal.
Starting out with no preconceptions the author fell under the spell of the islanders, their culture and history, many clinging on resolutely to their homes despite the changing worlds in which they live.
'Treasured Islands' is due to be published on April 28.
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