Now in his mid-70s, Ken Smith’s life has been an extraordinary one. And the odds of that ever happening once seemed very slight. He endured an impoverished childhood, poorly paid dead-end jobs, and two horrible experiences as a young man that nearly killed him.
It was his dogged and fearless pursuit of his one great love – that of being out in the natural world – that was the making of him. Given permission to build himself a cabin in lochside woods in the Scottish Highlands, Ken embarked on a largely solitary and mostly self-sufficient life outside the mainstream.
However, his has not been the imagined quiet life of the hermit. His tale is littered with remarkable events, terrible setbacks, one hair-raising brush with a poltergeist, terrifying storms, and a touching relationship with a wounded crow. It’s all told with a down-to-earth honesty: his thoughts on midges, slugs and ticks, and his later life cancers and strokes, are refreshingly candid and humorous – while his practical observations on living off the land and keeping going when things get tough are shot through with wisdom.
But the lasting impression is of the author’s character. 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.
