Greig's loch tale inspired by city poet's dying wish

At The Loch of the Green Corrie by Andrew Greig is published by Quercus, priced £16.99.

HE must be one of the few people to enthuse about Edinburgh's current transport system. But then acclaimed author Andrew Greig, who returned to live in the city a year and a half ago, insists that the bus service in the Capital now is a huge improvement from what he remembers back in the 1970s.

In fact, the author of In Another Light, who lived here from 1970 to 1985, says the whole city has undergone a remarkable transformation since. "Edinburgh was quite a dreary, rundown, Presbyterian place in the 70s," he laughs. "Now it's an international city but still small, which is one of the things I love about it."

The 58-year-old writer's latest work, to be launched next week, focuses on another part of Scotland close to his heart; Assynt in the far north-west, where he spent childhood holidays. But it also has an Edinburgh connection as it is an account of Andrew's trip to carry out the dying wish of poet Norman MacCaig. It was in his Edinburgh home back in 1995 that he set Andrew the quest that forms the basis of the book: to fish in Assynt's Loch of the Green Corrie – "only it's not called that", as he explained. Four years later, Andrew and two pals set out firstly to see if they can find the loch, then to fish it.

• The book is to be launched at Blackwell Bookshop on Tuesday at 6:30pm. Tickets are free, but must be booked in advance. Call Ann Landmann on 0131 622 8206 or go to: events.edinburgh@blackwell. co.uk