The Great Mountain Crags of Scotland is a celebration of climbing in Scotland's wild places. Featuring contributions from many of Scottish mountaineering's great writers and climbers, and beautifully illustrated with breathtaking photography, it delves deep into the heart of some of the oldest mountains on Earth.
This is a book for anyone with an interest in Scotland's wild places, where the mountains and cliffs, rather than the climbs, take centre stage, transporting the reader far from towns and cities, and deep into the wilderness. The crags are the tallest, steepest and most majestic anywhere in the British Isles. They are all situated in a high mountain environment, and always a good hike from the nearest road. A visit to any of these great crags is therefore a worthy end in itself. For those wishing to venture onto the crags, all the climbs described are all highly adventurous trad routes - no bolts here! Many of the crags and climbs are described and illustrated here in detail for the very first time.
Among these pages are accounts of some of Scottish mountaineering's greatest triumphs, but also accounts of necessary failures - chasing elusive conditions, knowing when to go down, when to return. The authors relate their personal experiences of these cliffs and the climbing, and contained here are real treasures: schoolboy Dave MacLeod soloing on The Cobbler in winter after catching the train from Dumbarton, Mark McGowan's gripping first-hand account of soloing Shibboleth on Slime Wall of Buachaille Etive Mor, Grant Farquhar's recollections of a cherished first ascent on the Great Prow of Skye's Bla Bheinn, Es Tresidder falling under the spell of Creag Meagaidh's Pinnacle Face, and Brian Davison's 15-year waiting game for the first winter ascent of Mort on the Tough-Brown Face of Lochnagar.
Split into four sections - The South West Highlands, The North West Highlands, The Islands and The Cairngorms & Central Highlands - this book features unique contributions from, amongst others, Rick Campbell, Jason Currie, Brian Davison, Kevin Howett, Julian Lines, Martin Moran, Andy Nisbet, Simon Richardson and Tony Stone. Each section is accompanied by an original poem by Stuart B. Campbell, and renowned author and mountaineer Andy Cave has contributed the foreword.
Contents
The South West Highlands
Poem: South West Highlands by Stuart B. Campbell
Introduction to the South West Highlands by Simon Richardson
The Cobbler by Dave MacLeod
Slime Wall, Buachaille Etive Mor by Guy Robertson, story by Mark McGowan
North Face, Aonach Dubh by Blair Fyffe
Church Door Buttress, Bidean nam Bian by Ian Taylor
Orion and Minus Face, Ben Nevis by Viv Scott
Carn Dearg Buttress, Ben Nevis by Adrian Crofton, story by Guy Robertson
Number Three Gully Buttress, Ben Nevis by Blair Fyffe
The North West Highlands
Poem: North West Highlands by Stuart B. Campbell
Introduction to the North West Highlands by Jason Currie
Giant’s Wall, Beinn Bhan by Martin Moran
Mainreachan Buttress, Fuar Tholl by Andy Nisbet
West Central Wall, Beinn Eighe by Jason Currie
Far East Wall, Beinn Eighe by Andy Nisbet
Atlantic Wall, Slioch by Roger Webb
Cárn Mór by Graham Tyldesley
Coire Ghranda Upper Cliff, Beinn Dearg by Guy Robertson
The Fhidhleir’s Nose, Ben Mor Coigach by Simon Richardson
West Buttress, Stac Pollaidh by Ian Taylor
Barrel Buttress, Quinag by Roger Webb
First Dionard Buttress, Foinaven by Rick Campbell
Lord Reay’s Seat, Foinaven by Malcolm Bass
Sgor a’ Chleiridh, Ben Loyal by Keith Milne
The Islands
Poem: Islands by Stuart B. Campbell
Introduction to the Islands by Blair Fyffe
Cir Mhor, Arran by John Watson
The Bastion, Cioch na h-Oighe, Arran by Kevin Howett
The Great Prow, Bla Bheinn, Skye by Grant Farquhar
Sgurr Mhic Choinnich North Face, Skye by Mike Lates
East Buttress, Sròn na Ciche, Skye by Kevin Howett
Sròn Uladail, Harris by Tony Stone
Creag Dhubh Diobadail, Lewis by Tony Stone
The Cairngorms & Central Highlands
Poem: Cairngorms by Stuart B. Campbell
Introduction to the Cairngorms & Central Highlands by Adrian Crofton
Pinnacle Buttress, Creag Meagaidh by Es Tressider
Shelter Stone Crag by Guy Robertson, story by Rick Campbell
Central Gully Wall, Creag an Dubh Loch by Julian Lines
Tough-Brown Face, Lochnagar by Brian Davison
Black Spout Pinnacle, Lochnagar by Guy Robertson and Nick Bullock
Mitre Ridge West Face, Beinn a’ Bhùird by Adrian Crofton
Compiled by Guy Robertson and Adrian Crofton.
Hardback, 31cm x 24cm, 304 pages.
Published 2014.
ISBN: 978-1-906148-89-8.