Highland River
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 Kenn and the Salmon, a statue in memory of Neil Gunn at Dunbeath harbour | |
| Author | Neil M. Gunn |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Canongate |
Publication date | 1937 |
| Publication place | Scotland |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | 0-86241-358-3 (1997 new edition, paperback) |
| Preceded by | Butcher's Broom |
| Followed by | Wild Geese Overhead |
Highland River is a novel by Neil M. Gunn. Its plot revolves around a young boy called Kenn who grows up next to the Dunbeath river, then going on to experience the horrors of the First World War and his attempts to rediscover inner peace and satisfaction on his return to his village.
The plot is episodic and moves between Kenn's childhood and adult life.[1] It begins with a young Kenn poaching his first salmon from the Dunbeath river. He encounters a sadistic beating from a schoolmaster, adventures in the trenches which result in his brother Angus suffering from shellshock and he meets Radzyn, an intellectual, scientific European who does not share Kenn's belief in the mystery of existence.
Kenn's ultimate goal is to 'get back to the source of...life... the source of the river and the source of himself'.[2]
Gunn's description of his 'Highland River' (aka Dunbeath River) is wholly accurate, avoiding literary licence in capturing the very essence of its pools and surrounding environment.