The Viking Trail: Stories of the Great Northern Peninsula by Adrian Payne

This is not a book about Vikings. Not really. It’s a memoir plus a medieval story, penned by a native of Newfoundland with a knowledge and passion for his birthplace. As a forester, fisherman, hunter and guide, author Adrian Payne knows the land well. His storytelling and writing reflect this. In fact, The Viking Trail reads more like an excursion. A ramble. Our guide a no-nonsense, down-to-earth bard. Not merely spinning yarns but recounting adventures he’s lived through, some mild and others extreme. I enjoyed the read, being transported through time to a place, a part of the country I love as well. Scenic, historic, and often physically demanding.

Bill Arnott is reading the book The Viking Trail wearing his Viking touque.
Bill Arnott, the Gone Viking guy, casts a critical eye on The Viking Trail.

Along with his narrative memoir, the book includes a form of novella, a tale of Viking Age settlers, exploring the Atlantic, encountering Spanish and seafaring Indigenous Peoples. Along with the writer’s research comes a great deal of speculation, weaving a tale perhaps some might compare to the Sagas, written through hearsay, belief, and second-hand stories. The result is entertaining and, at times thought-provoking. The Viking Trail is not uncovering archaeological findings, nor does it purport to. It’s a book about Newfoundland, written by someone who loves his island home. The Viking theme that surfaces throughout the book, a kind of stitching to bind the patchwork, is more hopeful thinking than history. Stories shared by a likeable teller of tales.


Adrian Payne was born on the Great Northern Peninsula in 1940. Except for living in Toronto for four years, Adrian has resided in Cow Head, Newfoundland, where he remains today with his wife of fifty-five years, Carol. What began as a few stories for the grandchildren has evolved into a collection of stories of Adrian’s life. His previous books include Life on the Great Northern Peninsula and In the Shadow of the Long Range Mountains.

  • Publisher: Flanker Press, 2023
  • ISBN: 978-1774571590
  • Pages: 226

Bill Arnott is the bestselling author of A Season on Vancouver Island, theGone Viking travelogues, andA Perfect Day for a Walk: The History, Cultures, and Communities of Vancouver, on Foot(Arsenal Pulp Press, Fall 2024). Recipient of a Fellowship at London’s Royal Geographical Society for his expeditions, Bill’s a frequent presenter and contributor to magazines, universities, podcasts, TV and radio. When not trekking with a small pack and journal, Bill can be found on Canada’s west coast, where he lives near the sea on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh land.