The story of generations of a Scottish fishing community

The new novel from one of Scotland's best loved writers takes us from the last century, when fishermen went off to sea in rowing boats, through to the present day, where fishing vessels are now electronic masterpieces.

Echo sounders have now taken over from instinct, but the old traditions and superstitions still apply, and family links are still strong; the same fishermens' names appearing generation after generation. And the women still play their part, but no longer follow the boats from harbour to harbour to gut the fish; instead they stay at home, listening to the weather forecast on the radio, anxious about the terrors of crowded shipping lanes and the dangers of iced-up fishing gear.