Ken Smith has lived for four decades off the grid in the Scottish Highlands. As much as this book is the story of the ins and outs of what it takes to live in the rugged wilderness of Scotland, it lays bare and celebrates the humble dignity of a man who has lived life on his own terms with complete integrity. Life experiences and circumstances and a deep abiding love and understanding of nature led to Ken Smith’s unique way of living. His message is not to romanticize his way of life or to suggest that it is everyone’s path: “I can understand very well why people might look at the way I live and shudder a little………There are times when it is hard work out here, and it can be uncomfortable, but it is an insignificant price to pay for peace.” His book details the extraordinary, courageous and bold life of a man who pursued his own dreams on his own terms:
“Life is a gift, but it is so fleeting and fragile too. If you’ve got a dream, something you really want to do, and you have the means to do it, then you need to get out there and do it while you still can.
Don’t let life pass you by while you wait for some imagined ‘best time’ in a future filled with so many unknowns.
Go and do it now.”
“Don’t be afraid of putting that voice first, from the very moment you hear it calling out to you. The true happiness to be had from a real life lived in the real, raw world is already out there. It’s just waiting for you to pick it up and pull it deep into your own life’s story.
I’ve told you once, but I’ll tell you again:
Go and do it now.”
-Ken Smith
