Skirly Crag

About the Book: 

Skirly Crag: a hill in the Scottish highlands, in the heart of which nestles a very special lochan.

Helen Percy’s working life as a shepherd takes her away from her home in the lee of her beloved Skirly Crag for many months of the year.

Forget beribboned Bo-Peep dresses. Think instead of unbecoming waterproofs, the same shirt worn for a week, jeans smeared with gobs of birth-fluid and mustard-coloured lamb-skitter. Calf-length crinoline gowns are so out of fashion for the modern shepherdess!

Why do I do this job, I ask myself? Why am I up at sparrow’s fart each day, with no days off, a pitiful rate of pay and bosses who are variously cantankerous, cussed or crazy?

Then there is a rare day on the hill when the lark rises into the clear air above Skirly Crag, thrilling the glen with its reedy melody, and all is well with the world.

Reviews: 

“Cold Comfort Farm” with bells on. ALAN TAYLOR

Helen Percy's description of farming life is so brilliantly accurate, it will make even the most city dwelling reader feel the wind on their face or smell the mud on their boots. JAMES SMITH

I enjoyed this book immensely. JANE SMALL

Praise for Scandalous Immoral and Improper

More complex, more shocking, more fascinating by far than the story the church and media made up. The truth usually is. SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

. . . an astonishing story and told without self-pity and even with a glimmer of humour. Remarkable. BRIAN MORTON

Helen’s book is a modern version of an old song. Read it and weep. RICHARD HOLLOWAY

About the Author:

HELEN PERCY, a former minister with the Church of Scotland, has embraced a life of transformation and resilience. After facing wrongful condemnation from her community, Helen sought refuge in the Scottish Highlands, where she found solace amidst nature. Her memoirs capture her journey from the pulpit to the rugged beauty of rural farming. Through her writing, Helen offers readers a heartfelt and inspiring exploration of courage, authenticity, and the power of hope, wrapped in the charm of Highland life.