Gavin Maxwell

“He has married me with a ring, a ring of bright water
Whose ripples travel from the heart of the sea"
Kathleen Raine. The Marriage of Psyche

Raine recognised that his was not ‘a scientist’s knowledge of nature (though he was a naturalist of some distinction) but a knowledge by participation, the knowledge nature has of itself’.

‘Ring of Bright Water’ remains an iconic book about Highland wildlife and without any doubt inspired a groundswell of international support for otter conservation that has persisted ever since.

Gavin Maxwell’s ashes were buried at Sandaig near his otter, Edal. Above her grave he inscribed ‘Whatever joy she gave you, give back to nature.’ Which reflects his legacy to us – someone who wrote about the West Highlands and its wildlife, and did so with a passion that helped ensure it remains for us all to enjoy.