description: The Summer Walkers is the name the crofters of Scotland's north-west Highlands gave the Travelling People - the itinerant tinsmiths, horse-dealers, hawkers and pearl-fishers who made their living 'on the road'. These Scottish nomads are not gypsies. They are indigenous Gaelic-speaking Scots, who, to this day, remain heirs of a vital and ancient culture.The Summer Walkers documents an archetypal and vanishing way of life. It is a book of vivid stories, poetry, song and factual record. It explores the Travellers' ethnic origins, customs, superstitions, craftwork, the secret 'cover-tongue', and their traditional work as pearl-fishers.Many of today's Travellers have moved into houses and live lives almost indistinguishable from the settled population. This book documents aspects of the old way of life while it is still remembered. By combining their stories with a unique collection of photographs and memoirs from the great folklorist Hamish Henderson, Timothy Neat has produced a fascinating and deeply moving book.
language: English
title: The Summer Walkers: Travelling People and Pearl-Fishers in the Highlands of Scotland
titlecomplete: The Summer Walkers: Travelling People and Pearl-Fishers in the Highlands of Scotland (Canongate Classic)
genres: Folklore, History, Scotland
ratings_count: 19
places: Highlands, Scotland
publisher: Interlink Pub Group Inc