Michael Robson (1933-2017) is a Lewis-based historian who has published widely on the Western Isles through various publishers, including the Islands Book Trust and Acair Ltd.
His book, “Rona: The Distant Island” was first published by Acair Ltd of Stornoway in 1991. The book focuses of the small island of North Rona of the coast of Ness in the north of the Isle of Lewis. Although now uninhabited, the book explored the social history of the island from the perspective of the islands people. It draws upon oral history and interviews from people related to the island as well as sources from the National Archives of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and the School of Scottish Studies, the Admiralty, local newspapers and Comainn Eachdraidh Nis.
The original manuscript is entitled “Rona of the Ocean” but he title was altered for publication.
Amongst his other works include:
”Surnames and Clansmen: Border family history in the early days” (1998), “Cornelius Con: An Island Priest in the Hebrides” (2002), “Forts and Fallen Walls: the Duns of North Lewis” (2004), “The Angus Macleod Archives: An Introduction to the Collection” (2004), “St Kilda: Church, Visitors and ‘Natives’“ (2005), “A Sad Tale of the Sea: the Story of Malcolm MacDonald and Murdo MacKay on the Island of Rona” (2006), “St Kilda: Myth and Reality” (2007), and “People of Ness: Some Early Records” (2008).