Tarbert Books

Tarbert has a well documented history, there are some fantastic books that tell its tale.

Gillespie, one of my favourite novels of all time, gives a really good idea of what life was like in Tarbert, from the customs and superstitions of the local folk, to the big changes that were going on in Scotland in 1914. There is a lot of “Gillespie” still in Tarbert today. It just has a modern veneer. From a more sentimental, personal point of view, my gg grandmother’s sister, Janet, was married to the author. Maybe, I’ll have to check that….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My grandmother loved her little book,”Tarbert in Picture and Story”, mostly because it had pictures of her grandmother’s croft. But also because she loved Tarbert. When I tried to find a copy for myself, I discovered they were pretty much non-existent, but another similar book by the same author could be found. I was lucky to find the most beautiful 1886 first edition copy on Abebooks. “Tarbert Past and Present ” has been reprinted and is much easier to find.

 

This book is a collection of essays covering many of the historical, cultural , geographical and contemporary aspects of the Argyll district. I love the chapters on folklore and traditions, Gaelic language and literature of Argyll.