Lawson Wood is probably best known for his fantastic underwater photography but he has also played an important role in protecting the Berwickshire coast as the chairman of St Abbs and Eyemouth Marine Reserve.

So it made perfect sense for him, after previous books such as 'The Berwickshire Coast' and 'Eyemouth Lifeboat Steadfast and Sure' to delve into the archives once again to find out more about an area that means so much to him.

'Old Eyemouth and Burnmouth' does exactly what it says on the cover.
There are images of a thriving Eyemouth harbour with boats josling for space, holiday makers on Eyemouth beach and commuters waiting at Burnmouth railway station.

Berwickshire born and bred, Lawson said he is always fascinated to find out more about local history and uncover things that have been largely ignored by others.

"I've got a good collection of photos that I've amassed over the years and with so much local history it felt that the time was right to do another book.

"Burnmouth tends to be neglected a bit when people think about the Berwickshire coast but at its peak, Burnmouth harbour was just as important as Eyemouth's when it came to fishing and herring.

"Everyone likes to hark back to the old days and after working closely with local people and their relatives I was fascinated to see how much the area has changed.

"Each photo is a bit of history in itself and as trustee of Eyemouth Museum, I was able to have a good look through the archives to find out more."

Lawson has written 45 books in his career on all manner of subjects from diving in the Seychelles and the Bahamas, to the Shipwrecks of the Cayman Islands, right through to Eyemouth railway line, but amazingly he said he finds it easy to switch from project to project.

He continued: "You've just got to apply yourself accordingly to each project. For example, I've recently completed a book on creatures in the North Sea and another on shipwrecks in Orkney and both of these allowed me to induldge in two of my great passions- marine life and photography.

"I love researching different subjects and finding out new things, whether it be a piece of local history that I wasn't aware of or a fish I'd never seen before.

"I don't find the writing side of things too difficult. People tell me that my style is quite informal and easy to read and I try and be as descriptive as possible."

Living in the area all his life and writing seven books on Berwickshire's past and present, Lawson has seen for himself just how much things can change over time, and not always for the better.

"The whole area is steeped in history and the hardest bit of the whole project was deciding what to leave out, there was so many things worthy of inclusion.

"Some of the best pictures are the ones of Eyemouth and Burnmouth railway stations; it's such a shame that all traces of theses have now gone.

"The stations were a life-line for many people and hugely for the area, not just in terms of tourism but for industry too, as the rail link was vital for fishing exports.

"Sadly they closed down and it would have been nice for one of them to be turned into a railway museum, like others in the Borders, but unfortunately that wasn't to be."

Through both his role as chair of St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve and the author of a selection of books on local history, Lawson has definitely done his bit to promote Berwickshire further afield, but he said that unfortunately it is an area that remains undiscovered by many.

He added: "When it comes to promoting the Borders to tourists outside of the region the emphasis still tends to be on abbeys and castles and the coastline is pushed to one side. I think people sometimes forget that families still enjoy going to the seaside.

"The Berwickshire coast boasts good beaches and bathing water of a high standard but once people have got past Newcastle they commonly set their sights on Edinburgh and forget what's in between."

With his work with the Marine Conservation Society, his photography and running Churches Hotel in Eyemouth with his wife, Lawson is kept extremely busy but is throwing himself into two new projects with a guide on 'Digital Photography' and a book on the 'History of Herring' currently in the offing.

But for now you can enjoy 'Old Eyemouth and Burnmouth', published by Stenlake publishing. It is available both in shops and on the internet and has a RRP of £7.99.