Having spent most of my time over the last 40 years wandering round the hills, either guiding groups, with friends or on my own, I finally got round to writing about it and collecting various pieces I'd written previously into one place. And this is it 🙂

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Who am I?

My parents were keen hillwalkers so I was introduced to the hills early, in the Peak, the Lakes and the Angus Glens, but it was the sight of morning mists clearing off Liathach in Torridon that really blew me away (aged 12). From that moment I was hooked. I spent large parts of my spare time exploring the hills, particularly in Scotland, getting the rock climbing bug once I was living close to gritstone and starting Alpine mountaineering around the same time. Soon after that I abandoned academia to become a full time walking guide, eventually ending up working in the North-West Highlands. There are always going to be new places to explore, even amongst your regular haunts, and 'just having a look round the corner' is something I've always been keen on.

Featured Posts

COOK AND TASMAN

iainthow

Apr 26
7 min

SHEEP SAGAS

Sheep often get into trouble on cliffs and they can get you into trouble too!

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iainthow

Mar 29
8 min

EVENINGS

Evenings on the hill are one of the great joys, whether it's soloing on Stanage in the sunset or coming off a bigger hill in the dusk

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iainthow

Mar 21
8 min

CAITHNESS - CASTLES AND CLIFFTOPS

The Caithness coast is a neglected gem, a walk along dramatic clifftops amid ruined castles, sea stacks and wild slots

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iainthow

Mar 18
6 min

CREAKY IN KANDERSTEG

Despite being medically-inhibited crocks Ben Lowe and I managed to make a competent ascent of the 3436m Gspaltenhorn in the Bernese Oberland

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Scrambling in Scotland

I have always enjoyed scrambling, particularly the exploratory variety, since reading Harry Griffin's books at an impressionable age, so when I was asked whether I wanted to write a scrambling guide to the North-West the answer was obviously yes! Highland Scrambles North came out in 2006 (with a new edition in 2022), and Highland Scrambles South followed in 2017. The guidebooks have been a great excuse to keep looking round the next corner and have been enormous fun to do.

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