Seton Gordon was a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 naturalist

Natural history

Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...

, photographer and folklorist.

Gordon began exploring the Highlands of Scotland as a boy, particularly the Cairngorms

Cairngorms

The Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain of the same name - Cairn Gorm.-Name:...

. He later became a world famous naturalist, photographer and folklorist, describing the wildlife and scenery of Scotland. His books are still widely available, and a recent anthology has been published. Their appeal is based upon the knowledge of natural history displayed, together with his ability as a writer.

He was born in Aberdeen on the 11th of April 1886, but lived on Deeside and was educated at Oxford. His books were illustrated with photographs taken by himself and his wife, Audrey Gordon, who was for many years his constant companion and helper in the field.

He accompanied the Oxford University Expedition to Spitsbergen in 1921 and took many photographs there, but the birds of the Scottish mountains and glens were always his real passion. From his home in Aviemore (and later the Isle of Skye), he made regular forays into the wilds.

Of all the Scottish birds, the Golden Eagle was his favourite. He is believed to have been the first to photograph both the Snow Bunting and the Whooper Swan at nests in Scotland.

His services to natural history were recognised by the award of the C.B.E. in 1939.

Publications

Here is a listing of his publications:

• 1907 - Birds of the Loch and Mountain (Cassell)
• 1912 - The Charm of the Hills (Cassell)
• 1915 - Hill Birds of Scotland (Edward Arnold)
• 1920 - Land of the Hills and the Glens - Wild Life of Iona
  Iona
  Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
  
   & the Inner Hebrides
  Inner Hebrides
  The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
  
   (Cassell)
• 1921 - Wanderings of a Naturalist (Cassell)
• 1922 - Amid snowy wastes (Cassell)
• 1923 - Hebridean Memories (Cassell)
• 1925 - The Cairngorm Hills of Scotland (Cassell)
• 1926 - The Immortal Isles (Williams & Norgate)
• 1927 - Days With the Golden Eagle
  Golden Eagle
  The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
  
   (Williams & Norgate)
• 1929 - The Charm of Skye
  Skye
  Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
  
  : The Winged Isle (Cassell)
• 1931 - In the Highlands (Cassell)
• 1933 - Islands of the West (Cassell)
• 1935 - Highways and Byways in the West Highlands (Macmillan)
• 1935 - Sea-Gulls in London
  London
  London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
  
   (Cassell)
• 1936 - Thirty Years of Nature Photography: a Personal Record of Two Observers (Cassell)
• 1937 - Afoot in Wild Places (Cassell)
• 1937 - Edward Grey of Fallodon
  Fallodon
   Fallodon is a hamlet situated in Northumberland, England. It is the territorial designation of Viscount Grey of Fallodon. It is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable.- Governance :...
  
   and His Birds (Country Life)
• 1938 - Wild Birds in Britain (Batsford)
• 1941 - In Search of Northern Birds (Eyre & Spottiswoode)
• 1944 - A Highland Year (Eyre & Spottiswoode)
• 1949 - Highways and Byways in the Central Highlands (Macmillan)
• 1950 - Afoot in the Hebrides (Country Life)
• 1951 - Highlands of Scotland (Robert Hale)
• 1955 - The Golden Eagle, King of Birds (Collins)
• 1956 - Colourful Scotland (Oliver & Boyd)
• 1963 - Highland Days (Cassell)
• 1971 - Highland Summer (Cassell)

Co-authored:

• 1933 - Tales Of The Untamed (Collins)
• 1936 – Nature in Britain: an illustrated survey (Batsford)
• 1960 – Scotland’s Splendour (Collins)

External links

• http://www.whittlespublishing.com/scottish/scotanthology.htmReview of autobiography by Hamish Brown
  Hamish Brown
  Hamish Brown M.B.E. is a professional writer, lecturer and photographer specialising in mountain and outdoor topics. He is best known for his walking exploits in the Scottish Highlands, having completed multiple rounds of the Munros and being the first person to walk all the Munros in a single trip...
  
  ]

Further reading

Eagle, Raymond (1991). Seton Gordon - The Life and Times of a Highland Gentleman. Moffat: Lochar Publishing.
ISBN 0-948403-83-7

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