Scotlands Mountains and Recommended Books

Scotland's Mountains - a short guide

Scotland can boast many fine mountains, there are thousands of them ! We Scots tend to refrain from actually referring to them as mountains, and like to refer to them as the Hill's. Our hills vary greatly in character & size and can be grouped together in many different groups or ranges.

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the country at 4406ft, this appears to be very modest compared with summits located in many of the greater ranges of the world. However "The Ben", as it is affectionately known has a world renowned reputation for fine mountaineering. In the height of the winter season a cosmopolitan atmosphere is not unusual as Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish accents are heard on the cliffs alongside French, Spanish and Italian tones. Amongst the classics on the mountain are Tower Ridge (Difficult in Summer - Grade III in winter). W.H. Murray's classic book Mountaineering in Scotland has a superb and atmospheric account of a 1939 winter ascent of the ridge. This being just one of many epics on the mountain over the years. For a detailed history of the mountain Ken Crocket's book - Ben Nevis - Britain's Highest Mountain - which is published by the Scottish Mountaineering Trust is probably the best.

Carn Mor Dearg Arete

Looking down the Carn Mor Dearg Arete to Ben Nevis

Winter in the Cairngorms

Winter at it's best in the Cairngorms

The Cairngorms ( or Monadh Ruadh) are another big range boasting five of the nine 4000ft+ peaks in Scotland. Ben MacDui at 4296ft is the highest summit in the Cairngorms, and is the 2nd highest in the country. The Cairngorms (or Monadh Ruadh), are broad and bulky in character, as are most of hills in the eastern side of Scotland. However they contain some fine corries where excellent climbing can be found particularly in Winter. The Cairngorms contain the largest areas of high ground in Scotland where winter's icy grip remains through out most of the year. The snow field's found in An Garbh Coire of Braeriach (4248ft) have only melted three times this century 1933, 1958 and 1996. This site contained a small glacier up until the early 1800's. Walking in the Cairngorms is brilliant with a real feeling of wild grandeur and great distances can be covered. Care however must be exercised - particularly in Winter - as conditions can deteriorate rapidly and over the years there have been many incidents where blizzards have proved too much for those caught out.

The further west you go in Scotland the more rugged the character of the hills, Glencoe being a prime example where the mountains are a series of narrow ridges above corries that were carved out in the last ice age. The hills further west can sulk longer in cloud than their eastern counterparts. Rain tends to affect these area's much more as they bear the brunt of Atlantic storms. One of the wettest areas is Loch Quioch near Knoydart where heavy rain can make river crossing's very hazardous.

Further north in areas like Torridon, Assynt and The Fisherfield Forest where most of the mountains are made of Sandstone, Gneiss and Quartzite blocks, the hills take on a different character. These ancient remains of once larger mountains rise from wider glens in spectacular sweeps to high and rugged ridges that provide great walking and scrambling. The buttresses carved out on the sides of these mountains provide serious climbing in quiet surroundings. The chances of opening up a new route are also higher in the far north, where many crags are relatively unexplored.

Bidean nam Bian

Bidean nam Bian from Stob Coire an Lochan (Glen Coe)

Knoydart

Walking in to Knoydart from Kinloch Hourn

The islands of Scotland are also mountainous in character, with Skye being the Mecca of Scottish climbing. The main group of mountains on Skye are the Cuillin, a range of peaks consisting of two geologically different groups. These groups are the Black Cuillin, and the Red Cuillin. The red group are made up of rounded Granite peaks that provide fine and lonely walking, the Black Cuillin are much different in character consisting of a magnificent ridge of rock peaks. The rock is mainly composed of Gabbro which is a coarse, crystalline type of rock, which is a delight to climb upon. The traverse of the whole ridge involves 10000ft of climbing and walking and is described as the most challenging route of its kind in the British Isles, it has a very high failure rate.

Sir Hugh Munro of Lindertis (1856 - 1919)

The highest hills of Scotland are often referred to as The Munros. They are named after Sir Hugh Munro (1856 - 1919), who first published his 'Tables of Heights over 3000ft', in the first volume of the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal in 1891. There are 284 summits in the tables classed as separate mountains (Munros) and 511 are classed as Tops (subsidiary summits). These are the latest totals given in the 1997 edition of the tables. Previous editions varied as Munros and Tops were surveyed through out the last 100 years. Over 1900 people who have climbed all the Munros are registered with the SMC - there are however probably a lot more 'completers', who have not owned up to their achievement. Sir Hugh never actually completed ascents of all the Munros, Carn Cloich Mhuillin in the Cairngorms (he was leaving till last) and The Inaccessible Pinnacle in Skye being his unconquered summits. Skye's fickle weather being blamed for him failing to reach the top of the Inn Pinn, despite a few attempts. The honor of climbing all the Munros first is given to SMC member Rev A. E. Robertson. Who in 1901 after a 10 year campaign reached the summit of Meall Dearg (3118ft). On reaching the summit he kissed the cairn and his wife (in that order). Another 22 years were to pass before this achievement was to be repeated by the Rev A. R. A. Burn in 1923, who also became the first to climb the Tops as well as the Munros.

Suliven

Suliven - one of Scotland's more spectacular non Munros.

The Corbetts are no lesser than the Munros despite the lesser height (2500ft - 2999ft). Corbett classification is much more stricter than that of Munros - calling for a full 500ft of separation on all sides. This means that Corbetts tend to be much more distinct than the Munros. J Rooke Corbett was the man who the Corbetts are named after, he never actually published his list of mountains. It was not until after his death that his sister handed his tables to the SMC guide books editor, and his surveying work was published. Corbett was also credited as Munroist No4 and in addition to this climbed all the Corbett's in the course of compiling the tables. The Corbetts include some fantastic hills and actually form the highest hills of some areas without Munros, The Merrick (Galloway), Goatfell (Arran), Garbh Bheinn (Ardgour) and Rois Bheinn (Moidart) being prime examples. In other areas where Munros dominate the Corbetts can be done along with the Munros to give some strenuous days out.

The Donalds are named after Mr Percy Donald who visited every elevation over 2000ft at least once before issuing his tables. These hills are fairly distinctive as well because they are all situated in the Scottish Lowlands and not the Highlands. The Donald also include many of the Border and Galloway Corbett's but have the extra addition of 'tops'. Amongst the more popular Donalds are the Ochil Hills which are easily accessible from the central belt of Scotland.