Book Review: Scottish Hill Tracks by ScotWays

Back in 1977 I bought two little booklets by D.G.Moir called Scottish Hill Tracks Southern Scotland and Scottish Hill Tracks Northern Scotland as part of my planning for a Land’s End to John O’Groats walk the next year. I’d done little walking in Scotland at the time and these booklets proved invaluable. I carried them all the way through Scotland. In future years they were useful for planning TGO Challenge walks.

The booklets were first published in 1947 and then revised for a second edition in 1975. There have been four subsequent editions with the latest just published as a handsome 396 page book by the Scottish Mountaineering Press on behalf of ScotWays (the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society).

Every one of the 350 routes has been resurveyed for this sixth edition with around 130 ScotWays volunteers spending two years checking every one, which involved 7,600km of distance and 194,000 metres of ascent. The result is a book that I think is just as invaluable as the original booklets for anyone interested in walking in Scotland, especially long-distance walking. The wealth of information it contains is astonishing.

Scottish Hill Tracks is beautifully produced, as has come to be expected of the Scottish Mountaineering Press, with attractive maps and many colour photographs. The layout is clear and it’s easy to find the information you want. The routes are divided into 25 geographical sections from the Cheviot Hills to Caithness, each with a brief introduction including landscape, cultural and historical information plus an overview map of all the routes. Each route then starts with the OS Landranger map numbers, grid reference for the start and finish, distance, amount of ascent and descent, high point, and any alternative options.

This a lovely book that as well as practical is wonderful for browsing and daydreaming. I’ve planned several long walks already! I just have one complaint – the weight! At 680g I wouldn’t carry this on a long walk. My original booklets weigh 100g each. The new edition is far more comprehensive of course. Congratulations to all involved in its production.

The book costs £25 and is available from the Scottish Mountaineering Press. Highly recommended.