Gavin Maxwell
|
|
Gavin Maxwell (July 15, 1914 - September 6, 1969) was a British naturalist and author, best known for his work with otters. He wrote the book Ring of Bright Water (1960) about his adventures returning an otter from a pet store to the wild in Scotland. The book went on to sell over 1 million copies and the tale was made into a movie starring Virginia McKenna in 1969. The title Ring of Bright Water was taken from a poem by Kathleen Raine (1908-2003).
Maxwell was raised in the tiny village of Elrig, near Port William, in Wigtownshire, near the south west corner of Scotland, and Maxwell's relatives still reside in the Port William area; owning the family's ancient estate and grounds in nearby Monreith.
After touring the reed marshes of Southern Iraq in 1956 with Wilfred Thesiger; an account of their trip appears in A Reed Shaken By The Wind, later published under the title People of the Reeds.
A museum dedicated to Maxwell can be visited on Eilean Bàn (http://www.eileanban.org), which is also the site of his last home. A stone otter was also erected in the grounds of Port William Golf Course as a memorial to Maxwell.
Biography
Gavin Maxwell, A Life (1993; Harper Collins) by Douglas Botting.
The White Island (1972; Longman) by John Lister-Kaye is about the author's time working with Maxwell.
External Link
Eilean Bàn (http://www.eileanban.org) (White Island) - the last home of Gavin Maxwell which houses the Maxwell museum.