The House of Elrig

London: Longmans, 1965. First edition, first impression. Very Good. No DW. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" with tall. original red textured paper boards, Excellent gilt lettering on spine. Inscription of previous owner on front end page. Some mottling to top edge. Internally clean tight and square, overall a good copy for its age. 185pp. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs and line drawings. Gavin Maxwell (1914-69), was a Scottish naturalist, traveller and author, best known for his work with otters. This is the personal story of Gavin Maxwell's boyhood, most of which he spent, in fact or in fancy, at the House of Elrig, a lonely, windswept house on the moorlands of Galloway. This is the house which, together with the influence of his relations, shaped his interest in living creatures and his love of wild country and wilderness, and led the way to the life he describes in his classic 'Ring of Bright Water'. It covers his boyhood, public school education in England, and return to Scotland. Ring of Bright Water sold more than a million copies and was made into a movie starring Bill Travers and Virginia.McKenna in 1969. Maxwell describes his family history and his passion for the calf-country, Galloway, where he was born.. .