Flying off the shelves

The heading on page seven of the Arran Banner of 12 July 2014 was "New guide to Arran bird life will fly off the bookshelves" and that has certainly been the case at the Harbour Shop in Blackwaterfoot where Gillian Ingham and her staff have sold over one hundred copies of the Arran Bird Atlas 2007-2012 in the last two months.

Gillian said, "It is an attractive book that is selling really well".

The Arran Bird Atlas maps all the breeding and wintering birds of Arran over a five year period from 2007 and 2012 for the first time. Under the direction of Dr Jim Cassels, the bird recorder for the Arran Natural History Society, over thirty volunteers conducted fieldwork over five years covering the whole of the island. In addition almost seven hundred people contributed bird sightings during these five breeding seasons and five winters.  The data collected contains over thirty six thousand records on one hundred and seventy-seven species. It is an outstanding effort by residents and visitors, who share a passion for the birds of Arran. Adding to this community effort, at the publication stage over thirty photographers agreed to the use of their images.

Jim Cassels is absolutely delighted by the support from his local shop and from the other outlets round the island.

The book is available from these outlets, Harbour Shop, Blackwaterfoot; Old Byre Showroom, Auchencar; Pirnmill Village Shop; Isle of Arran Distillery, Lochranza; Sandwich Station, Lochranza; Rock Pool, Corrie; Arran Active, Cladach; Arran Heritage Museum, Brodick; Book and Card shop, Brodick; Arran Graphics, Brodick; Auchrannie Hotel, Brodick; Visit Scotland, Tourist Information Office, Brodick; Gordon Bros. Ship House Lamlash; Johnston's Marine Stores, Old Pier, Lamlash; Made in Arran, Lamlash; Bay News, Whiting Bay and Pillar Box, Whiting Bay.