At the Loch of the Green Corrie by Andrew Greig

 

Norman MacCaig’s request to Andrew Greig at their last meeting was a simple one: catch a fish for him at his favourite spot; the Loch of the Green Corrie. It is a fitting tribute to one of Scotland’s greatest poets that his concise words lead Greig to examine fishing, the Scottish landscape, history, friendship, poetry, whisky, geology, the concept of living in the moment, the memory of friends and friend’s memories. Greig is neither condescending or excluding in his explanation of practices, language or ideas the reader may not be familiar with and the journey he invites us on is beautifully and welcomingly set out. The book works at its best when the many different ideas and voices ebb and flow into each other ; there are some of MacCaig’s poems and conversations and interviews with various people who knew him and his friends. Greig’s personal musings and memories are never allowed to run on too long without being brought back to the here and now; at one point one of the men fishing says: ‘Enough blethering, we’ve got fish to catch!’ This is an engaging, well balanced look at a poet and the country that could allow people like him to flourish. [Anna Howatt]