A review of the role of the puffer in Scottish maritime history, especially that of the West Coast. The study describes the evolution of the puffer from its early roots as a timber built, horse-drawn barge into the vessel which inspired Neil Munro's Para Handy tales. Through details from the records of the early companies that eventually joined forces to become Glenlight Shipping, the book tells how the puffers served the communities of Scotland's western seaboard, bringing them essential supplies, shipped mostly from the Clyde. It also tells how this trade suffered and declined as a result of declining populations, improved road transport and the advent of Ro-Ro ferries.