Written before the Jacobite rebellions irrevocably changed the face of Highland society, Martin Martin's A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland and A Late Voyage to St Kilda paint a fascinating picture of the Hebrides at a crucial point in their history. Long recognised as some of the most significant pieces of travel writing ever produced about Scotland (Boswell and Johnson found them indispensable on their famous tour of 1773), these texts offer a mine of information on the customs, traditions and way of life in the country's remote island communities.

Sir Donald Monro, High Dean of the Isles, wrote his Description of the Western Islands of Scotland in 1549. He presents a fascinating record of a pastoral visit to islands still coping with the turbulent period after the fall of the Lord of the Isles.