Upland: A Journey through Time and the Hills by Ian Crofton (1 May 2025). (Amazon paid link.)
Britain’s high places are many and varied, from the rolling hills and lush valleys of the Malverns to the vertiginous slopes
of Snowdonia, the romantic peaks and vistas of the Lake District and the silent sub-Arctic tundra of the Cairngorms. As he
explores our hills, moors and mountains, Ian Crofton is keenly aware of the echoes of those who have been there before, from
prehistory to the present day. At the same time, he is finely tuned to the miracles of the present
moment while among hills.
Read our full review.
Corrour Bothy by Ralph Storer (11 December 2020). (Amazon paid link.)
The book tells the story of the Corrour Bothy in the Cairngorms national park, the oldest and most famous bothy in the world,
celebrating a century of public use in 2020. The book blends guidebook entries with historical accounts. Through guidebook
entries between the years of 1928 and 2019, Storer 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 Scottish Highlands.
Read our full review.
Skye's Cuillin Ridge Traverse: Strategies, advice, detailed topo booklet and 10 classic scrambles by Adrian Trendall (19 March 2020). (Amazon paid link.)
This two-volume guidebook provides detailed coverage of the iconic Cuillin Ridge, a 12km traverse on the Isle of Skye. Both volumes feature
official Harvey mapping. The first volume provides notes on training, gear and logistics, alongside 10 classic scrambles that can be used as
practice routes. The second volume focuses on the traverse itself and is the perfect booklet to carry while doing it.
Read our full review.
The Secret Life of the Cairngorms by Andy Howard (1 October 2019). (Amazon paid link.)
Andy Howard is a leading wildlife photographer located in the Scottish Highlands, whose principal subjects are mountain hares, otters,
red squirrels and birds. His new book follows him deep into the Cairngorms National Park and is illustrated with a stunning selection
of his nature photography. He celebrates the wildlife and landscape of the Cairngorm National Park and questions the sustainability
of tourism in such an environment.
Read our full review.
Fifty Years of Adventure by Kev Reynolds (22 November 2018). (Amazon paid link.)
Fifty Years of Adventure is a compilation of tales by Cicerone authors commemorating Cicerone's 50th year. A story to celebrate each
year Cicerone has been publishing outdoor activity guidebooks, the collection is a delicious hotpot of adventures in their every shape
and form. Accompanied by outstanding photography, each page of this finely crafted anniversary book is a veritable visual delight. As
enchanting as it is inspiring.
Read our full review.
Wild Light: Scotland's Mountain Landscape by Craig Aitchison (4 October 2018). (Amazon paid link.)
Wild Light is a stunning panoramic exploration of the Scottish landscape by photographer Craig Aitchison, winner of the
inaugural Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. Produced over seven years and shot entirely using a
traditional Hasselblad film camera, this remarkable body of work captures the essence of the Scottish wilderness through
the seasons and portrays the Highlands and Islands at their most beautiful.
Read our full review.
The
Sunlit Summit: The Life of W. H. Murray by Robin Lloyd-Jones (15 August
2013). (Amazon paid link.) William Hutchison Murray (1913 - 1996) was one of Scotland's most
distinguished climbers in the years before and after the Second World War. As a
prisoner of war in Italy he wrote his first classic book, Mountaineering in
Scotland, which was destroyed by the Gestapo. The rewritten version was
published in 1947 and followed by the, now equally iconic, Undiscovered
Scotland.
Read our full review.
There's Always the Hills by Cameron McNeish (15 February 2018). (Amazon paid link.)
From his home in the Cairngorms, Cameron McNeish reflects on a life dedicated to the outdoors. He has for almost forty years written and talked
about walking and climbing in Scotland. A prolific author, he has led treks in the Himalayas and Syria, edited The Great Outdoors Magazine,
establishing it as Britain's premier walking publication, created new long-distance walks and made television series, campaigned for Scottish
independence and raised a family with his wife, Gina.
Read our full review.
Day Walks in the Cairngorms: 20 circular routes in the Scottish Highlands by Helen & Paul Webster (5 March 2020). (Amazon paid link.)
Written by the founders of the Walkhighlands website. The walks are in the Cairngorms National Park and range from 6 to 18 miles
and from gentle rambles to more challenging day walks. Together with stunning photography, each route features Ordnance Survey
1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and navigation information, and refreshment stops and local
information.
Read our full review.
Collins Ramblers' Guide: Ben Nevis and Glen Coe by Chris Townsend
(May 2000). (Amazon paid link.) Produced in association with Harvey Maps and the Ramblers'
Association, it comes as no surprise to find that this Collins Ramblers' Guide
provides everything you need, except boots and a compass, to tackle 30 walks in
the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe areas.
Read our full review.
The Grahams & The Donalds: Scottish Mountaineering Club
Hillwalkers' Guide by Rab Anderson and Tom Prentice (7 April 2015). (Amazon paid link.)
Probably the most significant guidebook to Scottish hillwalking in recent
times, this handsomely illustrated book from The Scottish Mountaineering Club
describes the recommended routes on the Grahams and the Donalds: the mountains
in Scotland between 2,000ft and 2,500ft.
Read our full review.
Walking the Song by Hamish Brown (16 March 2017). (Amazon paid link.)
Hamish Brown has been an outdoorsman for more than sixty years. The first person to complete an uninterrupted round of Scotland's Munros,
his account of the feat is a classic of Scottish mountain literature. Throughout those years he has contributed
articles and essays to many journals and, in this selection, he presents not an autobiography, but a very personal
record of his many journeys and interests from his 'dancing days of spring' to his present, very active, later life.
Read our full review.
Tom
Weir: An Anthology by Tom Weir, Edited by Hamish M. Brown (20 June 2013). (Amazon paid link.)
To mark the bicentenary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse, this volume provides
biographies of the eight membes of the Stevenson family who between them built
many of Scotland's lighthouses and gives a detailed account of the building of
the Bell Rock Lighthouse, one of the engineering marvels of its day.
Read our full review.
Walking Highland Perthshire by Ronald Turnbull (15 June 2013). (Amazon paid link.)
With over 80 routes, this handy guidebook allows walkers to explore the ridges,
plateaus, glens and woodland of highland Perthshire. The area covered here
relates to the old county boundary and is bound by the Dalwhinnie to the north,
Crieff and Dunkeld to the south-east and stretching to Bridge of Orchy in the
west.
Read our full review.
A
Year in the Life of Glencoe by Bill Birkett (3 March 2011). (Amazon paid link.) Noted climber,
photographer and writer Bill Birkett captures the seasonal changes in this most
famous of mountain glens. The challenging heights are the province of the rock
climber and mountaineer, while down below scattered farms and the little
communities of Glencoe and Ballachulish carry on through the seasons.
Read our full review.
Head for the Cloud: Anecdotes, Adventures and Scotland's Munros by Sue Pugh (June 2016). (Amazon paid link.)
Entertaining and inspirational. By 2012 Sue Pugh had climbed 49 Munros over a fourteen-year period.
With her 60th birthday only three years away, she set herself a challenge.
With her husband Dave happy to be her mentor, she aimed to climb the remaining 233 Munros culminating with the last Munro
on 31st December 2015, the big birthday.
Read our full review.
50
Shades of Hillwalking by Ralph Storer (30 November 2014). (Amazon paid link.) In 50
wide-ranging tales of adventure and misadventure, Ralph Storer takes his usual
quirky look at the peculiar pursuit of messing about on mountains. Walking,
climbing, mountain biking, caving...he's tried it all but admits to expertise
only in the lost art of festering. With room also for contemplation and
argument, his 50 Shades will amuse, inspire and inform.
Read our full review.
Higher Ground: A Mountain Guide's Life by Martin Moran (20 March
2014). (Amazon paid link.) For decades now, Martin Moran has made his living as a mountain
guide based in Wester Ross. Martin has climbed and guided in the Alps, Norway,
and the Himalayas, experiencing life changing adventures, near death
experiences, meeting and guiding many interesting people. He has lived life in
the mountains to the full and this is his story.
Read our full review.
The
Blind Man of Hoy by Red Szell (16 April 2015). (Amazon paid link.) 'From the moment I watched a
documentary of Chris Bonington and Tom Patey climb the perpendicular flanks of
the Old Man of Hoy I knew that my life would not be complete until I had
followed in their footholds. Those dreams went dark at nineteen when I learned
I was going blind.' This is the story of Red Szell's attempt on the Old
Man.
Read our full review.
The Hughs: Scotland's Best Wee Hills Under 2,000 Feet by Andrew Dempster (30
November 2015). (Amazon paid link.)
Andrew Dempsteris the author of several climbing books, including the first guidebook to the Grahams,
in this volume he identifies the best wee hills on the Scottish mainland. A "HUGH" (Hill Under Graham Height) is under
2,000ft with exceptional character and offers rewarding and often stunning climbs and views.
Read our
full review.
The
Munros in Winter by Martin Moran (1 September 2011). (Amazon paid link.) In 1985 mountain guide
Martin Moran achieved the first completion of all 277 Munros in a single winter
with the support and companionship of his wife Joy. Their success was a feat of
dedicated mountaineering and effective teamwork through the storms, snows and
avalanches of an epic winter season in the Scottish Highlands.
Read our full review.
Southern Highlands by Nick Williams (May 2003). (Amazon paid link.) 40 circular hill
walks with full colour maps and photography packed into a superb pocket-sized
format. Covering Glen Lyon; Kinross to Callander; The Arrochar Alps; The
Trossachs to the Mamlorn Hills; and the Hills of Crianlarich and
Tyndrum.
Read our full review.
Collins Ramblers Guide: Isle of Skye by Chris Townsend (29 April
2010). (Amazon paid link.)Produced in association with Harvey Maps and the Ramblers'
Association, it comes as no surprise to find that this Collins Ramblers' Guide
provides everything you need, except boots and a compass, to tackle 30 walks on
the Isle of Skye.
Read our full review.
Walking in the Angus Glens by James Carron (15 June 2013). (Amazon paid link.) This
handy guidebook describes 30 walks of different lengths and grades in and above
the Angus Glens. Situated just north of Dundee and within easy reach of Brechin
and Forfar, the glens of Angus radiate like the fingers and thumb of a hand,
stretching from the fertile plains of Strathmore deep into the southern ranges
of the Cairngorms National Park.
Read our full review.
Walking the Munros:
Northern Highlands and the Cairngorms v. 2 (Paperback) by Steve Kew (31 Jul
2004). (Amazon paid link.) This second volume of a two-part series of guides to the Munros
detailing the routes to 145 Munros in the Cairngorms and northern highlands
(north of the Great Glen).
Read our full review.
Northern Highlands by Nick Williams (May 2003). (Amazon paid link.) 40 circular hill
walks with full colour maps and photography packed into a superb pocket-sized
format. Covering the Beauly Firth to Loch Broom; Dundonnell to Kinlochewe;
Torridon; The Hills of Assynt; and the Far North.
Read our full review.
Granite and Grit: A Walker's Guide to the Geology of British
Mountains by Ronald Turnbull (6 January 2011). (Amazon paid link.) This superb and highly
illustrated book is a celebration of what mountains are made of, and how they
got there. At last, a geology book for anyone interested in British
mountains.
Read our full review.
The Call of the Mountains: Inspirations from a Journey of a Thousand
Miles Across Scotland's Peaks by Max Landsberg (10 December 2018). (Amazon paid link.)
More than just a travel guide, this is a lyrical testament to the power of the Scottish mountains to offer either simple enjoyment or a
deeper journey of transformation. This is a wonderful book that should be read by anyone with any interest in Scotland's mountains. At one
level "The Call of the Mountains" by Max Landsberg is a "how I compleated my round of Munros" book. But there is so much more here too.
Read our full review.
Pentland Hills a Walkers Guide by Susan Falconer (2007). (Amazon paid link.) With
this excellent walker's guide you can uncover the fascinating archaeology of
the Pentlands, discover their hidden wildlife and how they inspired the likes
of Robert Louis Stevenson, and see the best views.
Read our full review.
Scotland (Cicerone World's Mountain Ranges) by Chris Townsend (20
October 2010). (Amazon paid link.) Scotland is a country with a huge range of mountain
landscapes from the rolling heather-clad hills of the Southern Uplands to the
arctic plateaus of the Cairngorms and the jagged rock peaks of Torridon and the
Isle of Skye. This book covers all this and more and is an excellent resource
for those who wish to venture into the mountains.
Read our full review.
Walking the Munros:
Southern, Central and Western Highlands v. 1 (Paperback) by Steve Kew (31 Jul
2004). (Amazon paid link.) This first volume of a two-part series of guides to the Munros
covers the southern, central and western highlands, Glencoe, Lochaber and Mull,
and details routes for these 139 exciting and challenging mountains.
Read our full review.
The
Cairngorms: Walks, Trails and Scrambles (Cicerone British Mountains S.) by
Ronald Turnbull (April 1, 2005). (Amazon paid link.) In over 100 walks, this excellent
guidebook explores the 23 Munro summits of the region and also the smaller
viewpoint hills outside the main range. For the adventurous there are the best
of the area's rocky scrambles, and the classic through-routes.
Read our full review.
Walking the Corbetts Volume 2, North of the Great Glen by Brian
Johnson (15 August 2013). (Amazon paid link.) Volume 2 of this two-volume Cicerone guide covers
the Corbetts to the north of the Great Glen, which runs from Fort William to
Inverness enclosing Loch Ness, probably Scotland's best-known loch. Choosing
the best, rather than the quickest, routes up each summit the author covers 109
peaks in 90 routes, divided into 10 areas
Read our full review.
The
Cairngorms by Nick Williams (May 2003). (Amazon paid link.) 40 circular hill walks with full
colour maps and photography packed into an excellent pocket-sized format.
Covering Glen Shee and the Braes o’Angus; Pitlochry to Dalwhinnie;
Aviemore and Speyside; Hills of Braemar; and the Whisky Country...
Read our full review.
Prelude to Everest
by Ian R. Mitchell and George Rodway (1 August 2011). (Amazon paid link.) When Everest was
finally climbed in 1953, few remembered Aberdeen-born Alexander Kellas, who
achieved the first ascent of several Himalayan peaks over 20,000 feet, but
became the first man to die on an expedition to Everest in 1921. His
expeditions and work on high altitude physiology prepared the way for its
eventual ascent.
Read our full review.
The
Book of the Bothy by Phoebe Smith (15 August 2015). (Amazon paid link.) An introduction to some
of the best bothies in the UK. Featuring 26 selected bothies, the author shares
her memories of using these free 'stone tents' in some of the country's wildest
and most remote locations. Alongside notes on legends and landscape, the book
is full of expert guidance and tips on how to make use of bothies, from packing
lists to bothy etiquette and the best walking routes in.
Read our full review.
