Download or read book Corrour Bothy written by Ralph Storer and published by Luath Press Ltd. This book was released on 2020-12-15 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his newest publication, Ralph concentrates on the history of Corrour Bothy. The book tells the story of the oldest and most famous bothy in the world, celebrating a century of public use in 2020. The book blends visitors' book entries with historical accounts. Through visitors' book entries between the years of 1928 and the present day, Ralph outlines bothy life, the history of the Highlands, of hillwalking and of climbing and thereby provides a portrait of the past 100 years from a unique perspective centred on the Cairngorms.
Download or read book The Scottish Bothy Bible written by Geoff Allan and published by . This book was released on 2017-01-03 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Mountain Days and Bothy Nights written by Dave Brown and published by Luath Press Ltd. This book was released on 2020-04-24 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acknowledged as a classic of mountain writing, this book takes you into the bothies, howffs and dosses on the Scottish hills as Fishgut Mac, Desperate Dan and Stumpy the Big Yin stalk hill and public house, evading gamekeepers and Royalty.
Download or read book Scottish Bothy Walks written by Geoff Allan and published by Wild Things Publishing. This book was released on 2020-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A follow-up to The Scottish Bothy Bible (50,000 copies sold) this photo travel guide this walking companion will share 28 of the best bothy experiences. Using the bothy as the reference point Geoff Allan guides the reader on a mix of day walks and multi-day adventures to his favourite bothies highlighting the incredible wildlife, geography, history and culture that you will find along your walk. Each walk contains an informative description of the route and bothy, a map highlighting the points of interest along the route and detailed route descriptions. Supported by beautiful photographs of the bothy, route and points of interest along the way.
Download or read book It s a Fine Day for the Hill written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adam Watson's interest in snow began at 7, the Cairngorms at 9, mountaineering and ski-mountaineering in later boyhood. His book recounts many fine days on the hill in Scotland, Iceland and northern Scandinavia on foot or ski, often on his own in wonderful places that excited him beyond measure. He tells what it was like to be with four remarkable Scots who greatly influenced him as a young naturalist and mountaineer, Seton Gordon, Bob Scott o the Derry, Tom Weir and Tom Patey. The beauty and variety of the hill, the weather and the wildlife were and are an inspiration to him, and his descriptions touch on this. In these modern times of pervasive regulation and politically correct control, this book is a breath of fresh air as a proclamation of the value and wonder that are the greatest joys of lone exploration on the spur of the moment. Author Adam Watson, BSc, PhD, DSc, DUniv, raised in lowland Aberdeenshire, is a retired research ecologist aged 80. He began lifelong interests on winter snow in 1937, snow patches in 1938, the Cairngorms in 1939. A mountaineer and ski-mountaineer since boyhood, he has experienced Scotland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, mainland Canada, Newfoundland, Baffin Island, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Vancouver Island and Alaska. His main research was and is on population biology, behaviour and habitat of northern birds and mammals. In retirement he has contributed 16 scientific publications on snow patches since 1994. He is a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Royal Meteorological Society, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Society of Biology. Since 1954 he has been a member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and since 1968 author of the Club's District Guide to the Cairngorms. This book is testimony to the idea that Exploring for yourself by your own free will, without formal courses or training, is the best joy the hills can give (my Preface, The Cairngorms, 1975). Now I would add 'without detailed planning', for my best days have been lone trips begun without such planning, indeed on the spur of moment and weather, almost chance events. Four chapters salute Scots to whom I owed much as a young naturalist and mountaineer, Seton Gordon, Bob Scott, Tom Patey and Tom Weir. They held to the above idea. Reading Seton Gordon's Cairngorm Hills of Scotland in 1939 changed my life. I wanted to be in these hills at all seasons. Exploration by one's own free will is best pervaded by humility and wonder. Alien to this are avalanche alerts, 'challenge' walks, 'character-building', courses, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, guided walks, hill-runs, interpretive boards, marker cairns, outdoor centres, qualifications, rangers, route-cards, school outings, signposts, sponsored walks, tests of snowpack stability, text messages sent as avalanche alerts to mobile phones, transceivers, visitor centres, 'walk of the day', wardens, and 'wilderness walks'. Also alien are Munros, Corbetts and other anthropocentric designations, those who 'bag' them as if hills were shot birds, and assault, attack, battle, conquer, conquest, fight, vanquish and victory as if hills were enemies. Many with flashing camera, global positioning, map, compass, mobile phone, and survival equipment are unsafe, as rescue accounts often reveal. Even climbers have been rescued after neglecting navigation on easy ground after completing rock climbs or ice climbs. Those who behave as if alone on an icecap when nobody else knows where they are and no help is possible, have greater inherent safety. They are also more likely to understand and appreciate the hill and its weather, snow, wildlife and indigenous folk.
Download or read book Of Bens Glens and Rambling Auld Men written by Robert Scott and published by Troubador Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2015-05-28 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This starts with the early post WWII years when Robert and Gordon, as young men, were first attracted to the outdoors. They hiked and climbed in the mountains of the Scottish Highlands and often slept in caves, barns, bothies and tents in both summer and winter. They made friends and climbed with many of the emerging group of mainly working class rock climbers who were pioneering ascents of the cliffs and gullies in Glencoe and Ben Nevis at that time. Their week-end adventures had them ranging across the wild moors, glens and mountains in all seasons and in all weathers. As the years passed, their lives changed. One became a youth hostel warden in N.W. Scotland, later becoming a gamekeeper and ghillie on an estate in Assynt. The other went overseas as a teacher, first to Algeria then to Saudi Arabia and finally Brunei S.E. Asia, where he stayed for nearly thirty years. The two men lost touch with each other for over forty years. At that point they met again and, while re-calling their youthful ramblings and catching up on one another’s later adventures, came to realise the uniqueness of their lives. From these two kinds of rambling comes this fascinating book.
Download or read book Mammals in north east Highlands written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2013 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timings of antler-shedding by red deer were noted, as well as deer-beds and winter deaths of red deer. The author recounts some old published statements about sheep, deer and vegetation in the Highlands, and uses old sources to estimate the numbers of red deer in Scotland at low ebb in the 1780s. Next he collates field observations by several colleagues and himself on vertebrate animals in the Cairngorms. He documents the abundance of mountain hares amongst different areas, and changes in their numbers within study areas and across years. This leads to a chapter on recent reductions of mountain hares by heavy killing on grouse-moor estates.
Download or read book More days from a hill diary 1951 80 Scotland Norway Newfoundland written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2014 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scotland, Norway, Newfoundland, 1951–80 In this book the author presents extracts from his hill diary in Scotland, Norway and Newfoundland, including hill-walking, rock and snow climbing, ski-mountaineering, and observing wildlife, from 1951 when he was 20. They continued through a personal exploration of hill country, often solo, until 1980. The book describes many ski-tours in Scotland, mostly alone, during 1951, the snowiest winter of the 1900s, and climbing with Tom Weir and Douglas Scott for weeks in north Norway during summer 1951, returning by trawler to Grimsby. In 1952 his enjoyment of lone ski-mountaineering and snow allowed him to study the winter ecology of ptarmigan in the Cairngorms, and in summer 1952 he led a three-man student expedition to north Norway. During April 1953 he spent a week alone on the Avalon Barrens of Newfoundland, studying willow grouse. Then he presents extracts from diary days in Scotland and Norway up to 1963, and in Scotland climbing and ski-mountaineering in 1963–80. Throughout, he writes of his joy at the beauty of nature.
Download or read book Walking in the Cairngorms written by Ronald Turnbull and published by Cicerone Press Limited. This book was released on 2023-04-25 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guidebook contains over 100 routes for walking in the Cairngorms and Lochnagar, including 18 Munro summits, smaller hills, and trekking options. Walks range in length from 1 to 26 miles and are graded for difficulty. Classic summits include Macdui, Cairn Gorm, Braeriach, Cairn Toul and Lochnagar and this comprehensive guidebook also describes easier sandy trails through pine woodland and riverside walks along the Spey, Nethy and Dee. The routes are split into seven parts, and along with the main Cairngorm range between Speyside and Deeside, cover Lochnagar. Mountain walks are illustrated with sketch maps, while the low-level and mid-level routes have 1:50,000 mapping. Icons at the start of each route indicate type of walk (low level, mid-level or mountain) and ratings of its length and difficulty. Information on snack stops, public transport and accommodation is provided for each area, as well as a route summary table, scrambles summary and grading. A detailed 'Summit Summary' is included for five hills - Macdui, Cairn Gorm, Braeriach, Cairn Toul and Lochnagar - these are the hills you will want to ascend lots of times by many different routes.
Download or read book Beyond the Secret Howff written by Ashie Brebner and published by Luath Press Ltd. This book was released on 2020-04-24 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a young man with a compelling interest in the great outdoors and the natural world Allister ('Ashie') Brebner spent his precious weekends in the 1950s and early '60s as a pioneer of the emerging Scottish bothying and mountaineering scene, and was one of the builders of the famed Secret Howff on Bheinn a' Bhuird in the Cairngorms. At the start of the 1960s he threw in his steady, well-paid job as a factory worker and, with another companion who did the same, started as a pioneer of mountain and nature guiding in the Scottish Highlands. Here is the unique story of a working man whose odyssey took him from the tenements and factory work of Aberdeen to the mountains and islands of the Highlands, their people and their wildlife.
Download or read book Heights of Madness written by Jonny Muir and published by Metro Publishing. This book was released on 2009-08-27 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Swapping the nine-to-five grind for the freedom of the great outdoors, Jonny Muir set off on a 5,000-mile cycling and walking odyssey. His mission? To visit the summit of the United Kingdom's 92 countries - in 92 days. Never mind unexploded shells in Yorkshire, biting bugs in the Cairngorms of the gruelling task of climbing the equivalent of 14 Everests, The Heights of Madness is a celebration of our homeland's high places. If you've ever wondered what the highest point in Norfolk is, or why 500,000 people climb Snowdon every year, this is the book for you.
Download or read book Argonauts of the Scottish Isles written by Robin Lloyd-Jones and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2022-04-07 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robin Lloyd-Jones has been exploring the west coast and islands of Scotland in his sea kayak for more than forty years. In this book he recalls many a memorable expedition to wild and beautiful shores. Amongst magnificent scenery and ever-changing seas, we are transported to Jura, Scarba, the Garvellach Isles, Mull, Staffa, the Treshnish Isles, the Monach Isles, Iona, Lewis and the Uists, Skye, the Orkneys, and the Shetland Isles. Along the way, he explains a great deal about kayaking, about the wildlife and history of the areas he visits. More than that, however, he makes us feel that we are with him in his kayak. Through his vivid and beautifully crafted prose, we experience the terror of a force nine gale, the tranquillity of moonlit trips, and the lure of tiny bays and seal-meadows accessible only to a slim kayak. We encounter dolphins, otters, unidentified monsters and nuclear submarines. This is a book to set the imagination adrift and appeal to the Robinson Crusoe in all of us; a book for those seeking wider horizons, be their vessel an armchair or a kayak.
Download or read book Of Big Hills and Wee Men written by Peter Kemp and published by Luath Press Ltd. This book was released on 2013-11-15 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before us in the bright spring sunshine lay the entire Clyde valley, dominated by the vast sprawling mass of Glasgow, the dear green place. There was a time no too long ago when the old heavy industries would have made this view much less clear. But today we could see the Cowal Hills and Greenock in the west to the Pentlands in the East. 'From the time he bagged his first Munro, Peter Kemp has remained an enthusiastic hillawalker and this book is a testament to his passion for Scotland's outdoors and hillwalking culture. REVIEW: Kemp's narrative is amusing and not without insight into the ludicrous nature of some of the altercations... Kemp is an engaging storyteller and has some good stories to tell... This is a great wee book. THE ANGRY CORRIE
Download or read book A Snow Book Northern Scotland written by Adam Watson and published by Paragon Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book documents long-term studies of snow on high land in the Cairmgorms, including fresh snow lying in summer, the extent of snow on Ben Macdui plateau at the start of June, and dates of the first fresh lying snowfalls at the sites of the main snow-beds. It reviews data on the survival of snow patches through to the following winter, and recounts a decline of snow patches in recent decades. The author describes observations on rock lichens in relation to snow-lie, and lists vantage points on public roads with good views of places with snow patches on alpine land. He describes skiing in and near Aberdeen in the snowy winters of the early 1950s, and an exceptional snowfall in the Cairngorms at the start of September 1976. The author presents some descriptions and photographs of how birds and mammals use snow for shelter and sleeping. It has long been well known that red grouse, ptarmigan and mountain hares use snow hollows, but here the author illustrates how a fox used a snow hole, and how an otter made a snow slide. He presents photographs of snow pillars, snow holes made by human parties practising in winter, and avalanches. Next he draws attention to the observation that the extent and species of lichen and moss on cliffs, boulders and soil signify the extent of snow-lie. These plants are absent on sites where snow lies very late, or where frequent avalanches plunging down the cliff or water flowing down it prevent plants from growing. Where prolonged snow-lie occurs at the foot of cliffs or on cliff-tops, a band of pale, greenish-yellow rock lichens that thrive in snowy conditions is conspicuous, and in sunshine easily visible to the naked eye at over a mile distance. Lastly he presents some photographs that show snow mould growing on hill vegetation in Iceland and Scotland. Keywords Snow, climate, weather, physical geography, science, birds, mammals Author Adam Watson, BSc, PhD, DSc, DUniv, raised in lowland Aberdeenshire, is a retired research ecologist aged 81. He began lifelong interests on winter snow in 1937, snow patches in 1938, the Cairngorms in 1939. A mountaineer and ski-mountaineer since boyhood, he has experienced Scotland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, mainland Canada, Newfoundland, Baffin Island, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Vancouver Island and Alaska. His main research was and is on population biology, behaviour and habitat of northern birds and mammals. In retirement he has contributed 16 scientific publications on snow patches since 1994. He is a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Royal Meteorological Society, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and Society of Biology, and an Emeritus Member of the Ecological Society of America. Since 1954 he has been a member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and since 1968 author of the Club's District Guide to the Cairngorms.
Download or read book 50 Shades of Hillwalking written by Ralph Storer and published by Luath Press Ltd. This book was released on 2015-01-15 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 50 Shades of Hillwalking , Ralph Storer takes a quirky look at the peculiar pursuit of messing about on mountains and presents us with 50 personal hillwalking experiences. Walking, climbing, mountain biking, caving - Ralph has tried it all, but admits to expertise only in the lost art of 'festering'. With room also for contemplation and argument, his inimitable 50 Shades will amuse, inspire and inform. Follow in his footsteps as he roves from the Lake District to the Alps, from Snowdonia to Scandinavia, and from the Scottish Highlands to the deserts and canyons of America. Warm to his intrepid exploits of derring-do as he gets snowbound in a tent, gets stuck on ice falls and in caves, and falls off mountain bikes and down sand dunes. Culled from not-yet-a-lifetime of eclectic escapades both at home and abroad, brought to life by carefully selected images, this highly entertaining collection of stories will resonate with anyone whose aspirations outstrip their ability. PRAISE FOR RALPH STORER: His books are exceptional' he subverts the guidebook completely. THE ANGRY CORRIE Storer is happy to share numerous irreverent insights into the hills, and this acts as a timely reminder that walking should be primarily about enjoyment of the great outdoors. ABERDEEN PRESS AND JOURNAL A treat for all hillwalkers active or chair bound' Ralph Storer rambles over all aspects of enjoying and suffering, not only Scottish, but the world's hills. SCOTS INDEPENDENT on The Joy of Hillwalking
Download or read book The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui written by Affleck Gray and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2013-05-13 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A chilling look at the mysterious Gaelic legend stalking the highest peak of the Cairngorms, the mountains in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. An acclaimed account of the terrifying figure said to haunt the desolate passes and summit of Britain’s second highest mountain, this book takes on one of Scotland’s most chilling unsolved mysteries. Throughout the years, countless climbers have either seen or sensed the presence of some extraordinary being in the misty wilderness of Ben MacDhui. This book explores the evidence and also looks at similar stories from around the world to try and make sense of this bizarre phenomenon.
Download or read book Always a Little Further written by Alastair Borthwick and published by Vertebrate Publishing. This book was released on 2015-07-29 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alastair Borthwick's classic tale of camping, hiking and climbing tells of the freedom and fellowship enjoyed by climbers in Scotland in the 1930s. His beautiful, vivid descriptions of the landscape are only rivalled by his colourfully drawn, highly entertaining cast of characters, all of whom are passionate about the outdoors and their place within it. Borthwick takes his reader - via road, campsite and bothy - from Arrochar to Glencoe; from the Cuillin to Lairig Ghru. Encounters with tramps, tinkers and hawkers, and of hitching to Ben Nevis in a lorry full of dead sheep, are all described in Borthwick's light-hearted style. He weaves a hilarious tale, aided by the eccentric folk he meets, and this light-hearted read continues to delight, decades after it was first published. Always A Little Further is essential reading for any climber, or indeed anyone, who longs to be transported from the mundane day to day to the wilds of Scotland.
