Cairngorms bothy book

After a longer than planned gestation period, the second of my guides to Scotland’s bothies – Bothies, Huts & Howffs in the Hills – Cairngorms National Park is now available.

Taking the same format as the first book in the series – Bothies, Huts & Howffs in the Hills – Perthshire & Angus – it is a comprehensive listing of open bothies, unlocked huts and howffs within the Cairngorms National Park. It includes popular shelters like Corrour and Ryvoan alongside less well known refuges like Coyles Cottage and the Garrocher Hut with its fine wooden privy! Chapters cover Lost Bothies, Royal Bothies and the famous Secret Howff.

The book is available as an ebook and paperback from Amazon.

If you are planning a trip into the mountains and glens of Angus or Perthshire, Bothies, Huts & Howffs in the Hills – Perthshire & Angus offers ideas on places to stay in the great outdoors.

 

West Highland Way Round

Delighted to announce the publication of my latest title for Kindle and Kindle apps – West Highland Way Round.

The ebook describes a 99km circular walking trail through the Scottish Highlands, starting and finishing in Glen Nevis, near the UK’s outdoor capital, Fort William.

The route follows the existing West Highland Way between Fort William, Kinlochleven and King’s House before heading east to join the ancient Road to the Isles at Rannoch Station. From there it heads north to Corrour Station before roaming through wild, uninhabited glens. Read more…

Beaten by the Moor

My bid to cross Rannoch Moor on foot did not quite go according to plan. Setting off from Bridge of Orchy, I intended to follow the West Highland Way via Inveroran to King’s House.

After a night there, I planned to take the track to Black Corries Lodge and then continue to Rannoch Station via Loch Laidon. The final leg of my journey was to follow the Road to the Isles to Corrour Station from where I would catch the train back to Bridge of Orchy.

Despite heavy rain and lashing winds, and an overwhelming urge to call the whole thing quits at Inveroran, I made it, albeit saturated, to King’s House where I spent a very pleasant night. Read more…

Scotland Outdoors – Rannoch Moor

Check out the Spring 2011 issue of the excellent Scotland Outdoors magazine (published March 7) for an article I wrote on Rannoch Moor. The piece is a portrait of this, a true area of wilderness.

Having written and filed the feature, I was inspired to explore the moor some more and I set off tomorrow to hike from Bridge of Orchy to Corrour. While crossing the moor itself is, due to the terrain, a virtually impossible task, I plan to follow the West Highland Way from Bridge of Orchy to Kings House, where I will spend my first night.

I will then follow the track east to Rannoch Station, skirting the edge of the moor, and pick up the old Road to the Isles for the final leg to Corrour via Loch Ossian. Fingers crossed for good weather and three days of excellent walking!

 

Welcome…

Welcome to my new blog. Just starting out on this one but if you click on the Walks link above you will find a couple of routes.

This is just a taste of what is to come. A selection of my favourite walks and outdoor adventures in Scotland and overseas along with some news, reviews and other snippets will follow soon…