The Last Wilderness

Get in the xigxag app
Already purchased

Click to open directly in the xigxag app.

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book. Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }} Send as a gift

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Neil Ansell's THE LAST WILDERNESS is a mesmerising book on nature and solitude by a writer who has spent his lifetime taking solitary ventures into the wild. For any readers of the author's previous book, DEEP COUNTRY, Robert Macfarlane's THE OLD WAYS or William Atkins THE MOOR.

'A gem of a book, an extraordinary tale. Ansell's rich prose will transport you to a real life Narnian world that C.S.Lewis would have envied. Find your deepest, most comfortable armchair and get away from it all' Countryfile


The experience of being in nature alone is here set within the context of a series of walks that Neil Ansell takes into the most remote parts of Britain, the rough bounds in the Scottish Highlands. He illustrates the impact of being alone as part of nature, rather than outside it.

As a counterpoint, Neil Ansell also writes of the changes in the landscape, and how his hearing loss affects his relationship with nature as the calls of the birds he knows so well become silent to him.

(P)2018 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critics Review

Ansell’s beautiful memoir of his walks through the Scottish wilderness makes the case for being truly a part of nature rather than outside of it

Observer

Ansell has the rare skill of combining vividly the intimacy of detail and the astonishing grandeur of this North West coastline of Scotland. Through his keen eyes we look again at the familiar with a sense of wondrous revelation

Madeleine Bunting

The Last Wilderness is a moving and mesmerising book. Ansell’s quiet, respectful immersion in the landscape rewards with some startling encounters with the natural world. He is a knowledgeable and generous guide to the unique flora and fauna of this beautiful corner of Scotland

James Macdonald Lockhart, author of RAPTOR

Neil Ansell is a genuine creature of the wild. His knowledge of remote places, and his love for them, come from deep and sustained immersion. He writes in prose which is entirely right for its subject – unshowy, level-headed, quietly surprising. The Last Wilderness is a wonderful experience which tingles with all the sensations of being out on the hill, in all weathers, alone

Philip Marsden

A beautifully-written account of the author’s journeys to some of the most remote parts of Britain in search of solitude and solace

Choice

Beautifully charts the challenges and solaces of being alone and part of nature

Bookseller

Lyrical, thought-provoking

Scotsman

A love letter to Scotland . . . how I wish I could go back to Arisaig and the Small Isles. How much I missed, but how glad I am to experience it now with this wonderful writer

My Weekly

Beautiful…a testimony to reticent courage

Daily Mail

[A] captivating memoir…vivid as photographs, yet sketched with something more profound than simple reportage. Beneath the measured, knowledgeable, unfussy voice is a meaningful, and even important record: not just of a changing landscape, but of a man such places have shaped.

The Herald

The Last Wilderness is a beautiful read; rich in descriptive detail… his passion for the environment and his sublime prose make it a book to be savoured.

CultureFly

A hauntingly beautiful memoir on nature, solitude and hearing loss

Waterstones Website, Best books to look out for

He captures the landscape and the sense of adventure exquisitely: enough to make me feel I’ve been there but leaving me longing to make a trek of my own

The Pool

[A] haunting, lyrical memoir

Simple Things

About xigxag

Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required.  Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech.  Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service and a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems.  Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app.  Experience the future of audiobooks today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.