COMING SOON… NORTHERN HORIZONS

An extract from: Alone among mountains – Memories of Arran

… Often, when my mind drifts, I find myself reliving the hours that followed. Time slowing on an airy, elegant ridge between sharp summits, one following another; exposed steps passing boilerplate slabs; perfect moments blending beneath blue skies. Looking back on Cìr Mhòr, I rested a moment on the last climb. The curved arête below swept back and up to a granite spire, layers of clean grey rock overlapping towards the final tower as though they too had paused and might continue their skyward thrust at any moment.

   Approaching the summit of Caisteal Abhail, I stumbled upon a tiny tent nestled in the soft ground among the boulders. A weathered, somehow familiar face smiled from its door, occupying every inch of space inside. A kindred soul who spoke with eloquent simplicity of all he had seen that day and on many past. I listened quietly, stilling questions as they filled my mind, taking only what he wanted to share, drawing warmth from his welcome and leaving before crowding his chosen place …

Coming soon: Set to be published in 2024 by Scottish Mountaineering Press, Northern Horizons will feature a collection of challenging hill and fell running routes across Scotland and Northern England.