THE BOOK SHELF The Coffin Roads: Journeys to the West

By Ian Bradley

Winding throughout the Scottish Highlands and Islands, several popular walking and cycling paths are actually the remnants of coffin roads – trails along which bodies were carried for burial in the West Highland and Hebridean tradition. Just as it was believed the soul would depart, coffins were carried from east to west, sometimes on journeys which would take days, in the direction of the setting sun.

In his new book, Ian Bradley explores eight specific coffin roads– their history, significance, and cultural ties to beliefs surrounding dying, death, and mourning in their respective communities. Bradley uses the locations and landmarks around Scotland as the backdrop for a larger discussion about what these earlier traditions around death can teach us today, when open conversation about end of life can be considered taboo.

As a respected academic and Church of Scotland minister, Bradley’s account of this ancient and sacred Highland history is both accurate and considerate. His introduction is thoroughlyresearched, offering valuable commentary and accessible analysis on the role of coffin roads in early Highland culture, as well as illuminating which practices may have persisted in how funeral arrangements take place today.

Bradley delves deep into the practices associated with traversing the coffin roads, such as singing laments, also known as death croons, resting the coffin upon large cairns which can still be seen today, and even the occurrence of a mystical second sight. Known in Gaelic as manadh air bàs, those said to be gifted with the second sight would report seeing spectral funeral processions moving along a coffin road, which might help them to predict an impending death. The rich and fascinating history of the coffin roads is beautifully depicted in this book.

Perhaps the best-known coffin road in Scotland is the Street of the Dead on Iona. Covered at length in the second chapter of this book, it is through this famous location that Bradley explores the history of Celtic Christian spirituality and beliefs about the afterlife. The Coffin Roads also includes other key locations, such as Kilmartin Valley, the archetypal coffin road, The Green Isle in Loch Sheil, the oldest continuously used burial place anywhere in Europe, and Kilearnadil Graveyard on Jura, a quintessential Highland graveyard. According to Bradley, our current culture around death, which is usually sterile and detached, can make the grieving process more sudden and painful. By contrast, early Highlanders marked the departure from life gradually, with ritual and tradition, which helped the mourners process and heal. Though the subject matter may seem bleak, this book is an informative, entertaining read, peppered with intriguing anecdotes which offer incredible insight into how early Highlanders lived and what we can now learn from their way of life and death.

The Coffin Roads: Journeys to the West by Ian Bradley, published by Birlinn in July 2022 (£8.99, paperback) www.birlinn.co.uk