A new series of books will explore the history and nature hidden in plain sight across West Dunbartonshire.
Alexandria author Paul Murdoch launches The Nature of West Dunbartonshire series next month, with four books covering walks in each season.
It marks a change from Paul’s usual work, which has seen him pen a collection of popular fiction novels – as well as the hilarious Old Bloke Goes Running and Old Bloke Goes Swimming, which explored his attempts to keep fit in later life.
However, Paul said that the nature series is one which combines two of his passions in life – the natural world and the local area.
He told the Lennox: “During lockdown, I took up my old hobby of birdwatching.
“I started doing these walks I used to do as a kid. Over the last two-and-a-half years I gathered a lot of photographs of birds and insects.
“For ages, my agent was asking me to use my photographs in a book about Scotland and nature.
“But I felt like there was loads of stuff like that out there already. I didn’t really want to do that.
“I thought some of my shots were quite good. But I’d be up against people working for the BBC and being in hides and all that.
“I wouldn’t go in a hide, I like to capture things as I’m walking.
“I thought it seemed like a good idea to combine a walk and a nature safari at the same time.
“Ian Miller said it felt as if I was taking the reader on a walk. I wanted to keep it informal but informative.
“I tried to make it fun but also wanted people to be tempted into trying the walks. If people can’t do it themselves then they can dip in and imagine doing it, but also look at what can be seen there.”
Paul admits the book helped him to learn more about an area he’s lived in all his life, and believes that many locals don’t appreciate what they have on their doorstep.
He continued: “I think we’re all guilty of thinking ‘it’s just the Vale’ or wherever we’re from. But there’s actually loads to see here.
“If I was a tourist and didn’t have all the baggage then I’d realise how much there was.
“I’m hopeful the books will end up in visitor centres and we can explore the value in the area – beyond just Balloch.
“There’s a lot that is important historically and naturally. I used to pass the two monuments in Renton, and I didn’t even know what they were until fairly recently.
“I translated the Latin on the Smollett monument and then, before I knew it, I was trying to work out coats of arms on Strathleven House and things like that because I’m nosey.
“I’ve been here all my life, and only through the book did I find out half the stuff.”
And despite being a far cry from his fiction work – and not involving sweaty mornings out jogging or freezing cold swimming pools – Paul said the series was a challenge to complete.
He added: “I actually found it harder than I thought to write. I had two-and-a-half years of photographs to go through. I had to organise where I had seen the birds and what time of year it was.
“It was a longer job than I expected. You had to check all the historical facts. I’m not a historian, I’m just writing about the area and finding things out about it from websites, libraries, plaques and whatever.
“When you’re doing fiction you can do what you like and get away with murder. But when it’s non-fiction it can be more of a challenge.
“It should be a fun thing as well though.
“A walk shouldn’t be an endurance test, it should be something you enjoy and learn from along the way.”
The Nature of West Dunbartonshire - Four Summer Walks launches at Balloch Library on September 5 at 7.30pm.
Copies are available to pre-order on www.paulmurdoch.co.uk.
