Spade Among the Rushes

By Margaret Leigh

Book Overview

Moidart's Highlands frame a crofter's stubborn quest, revealing resilience against droughts, rationing, and bureaucracy.

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1839830980
• ISBN13: 9781839830983
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Origin
• Length: 192 Pages

Customer Reviews

If you loved "Ring of Bright Water", you'll love this book.

Margaret Leigh's delightful book decribes crofting life in thecoastal Scottish highlands during WWII. Amid great privation and bone wearying effort, she transports you to a landscape and a life so magical you will ache to be there with her. An anthem of courage and fortitude from a single middle-aged woman with poetry in her soul. My 88 year old neighbor is having me order several copies for friends.