The Great Sea Cliffs of Scotland

Sports & Outdoors

Guy Robertson

Mountaineering

Scottish Mountaineering Press

<p>At 3.00am, with headlamps probing the gloom, we crept up Cotopaxis glaciated flanks, turning sinister-looking crevasses and ascending steep icy walls. It was bitterly cold, and by the time we approached the summit, the wind cut through us like the arrow grass of the plains below. The violet sky was littered with stars and the great expanse of the Amazon was bathed in diffused light as we reached the rim of the vast crater, where an ominous-looking wisp of smoke eddied as if at the behest of an unseen deity. The Fox of Glencoe chronicles the adventures of the legendary Hamish MacInnes and his achievements in the field of mountaineering. Throughout this rich collection of tales, Hamishs unorthodox character and pragmatic approach to risk and loss are conveyed with wry, elegant style, offering a glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest mountaineers of our time. Few people cram as much into a lifetime as Hamish did, and these memoirs reflect his restless curiosity and ability to marshal loyalty and support for the most outlandish schemes. The result is an eclectic array of tales that include youthful and historic first ascents, a disorganised attempt on Everest with only 40 and a borrowed tent; hunting for treasure in South America; dangling film starts from DIY contraptions off the North Face of the Eiger; hot air ballooning off Ben Nevis; and much else besides. Tenacious and inventive by nature, Hamish also committed much of his life to developing modern alpinism and promoting mountain safety and rescue. His legacy is vividly brought to life in this collection of unseen and retold stories, images and additional narratives from some of his closest friends. A portrait of a life lived to the full, The Fox of Glencoe captures a bygone age and will strike a chord with anyone with a spirit of adventure and who sees possibilities rather than constraints.</p>

The Fox of Glencoe

Biographies & Memoirs

Hamish MacInnes

Arts & Literature

<p>Compiled and co-authored by veteran climber Grant Farquhar with contributions from a range of voices within Scotland's close-knit climbing community, A' Chreag Dhearg traces the rich climbing history of Angus Glens. Although less frequented than the forbidding ramparts of Glencoe or Skye, the crags and gullies in this unique area of the Cairngorms harbour classic summer and winter lines that have attracted some of Scotland's most respected climbers over the course of a century. In this engaging collection of vignettes and photographs, the origins of many of the glens' best-loved routes are described in intimate detail in an entertaining style that will appeal to both local climbers and those seeking new ventures to explore. The authors have woven the distinctive dialect and humour of this corner of Scotland into the narrative, imbuing it with a quality that is, by turns, both edgy and wistful. Despite the deceptively narrow scope of this story, the breadth with which it is considered here captures the way that climbing has developed in Scotland over time, and how this history is often exceptionally localised. A' Chreag Dhearg is both a tribute to Victorian pioneers and latter-day trailblazers and a poignant reflection on formative, youthful endeavours.</p>

A' Chreag Dhearg: Climbing Stories of the Angus Glens

Science & Math

Grant Farquhar

Earth Sciences

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