In this book Alan McKirdy explains how much of the ancient bedrock of the area was created from a once-towering mountain; how granites were formed deep in the Earth's crust as a result of the white heat of collision; how volcanoes left an indelible print on the landscape; how coal swamps briefly covered the land, only to be succeeded by desert sands; and how glaciers shaped the landscape into the familiar mountains and glens we see today.
Islands included are: Islay, Colonsay, Oronsay, Lismore, Jura, Scarba, Kerrera, Lunga, Garvellachs.