With Scotland’s mountains resplendent in their white winter coats, David Lintern looks at winters past. Did he make good decisions, or was he just lucky? I love winter. I love everything about it – the challenge, the wild weather, that light, a land made strange and alien under snow. And yes, the extra risk. But in 2018, I was confronted with the less palatable side of that fascination. My friend Stef suggested a 3-day trip around some of the harder to reach bits of the Highlands – a few Corbetts and Munros in Monar, including Lurg Mhòr and Bidein a’…

It’s funny how moving homes motivates you to visit the things you thought you always would, but somehow never did. Those famous local places that you assumed would always be on your doorstep, but then one morning you wake up to find you have a completely new doorstep, and those hitherto local places…..aren’t. Earlier this year, after 12 years in Fife, I moved to Braemar. Obviously, I love my new doorstep. It’s the Cairngorms for goodness sake! But it’s also about as far from the coast as you can get, and I do miss having the sea close by. True,…

A new book by Mike Dixon chronicles the brief but brilliant life of Dr Tom Patey: bard, musician, and one of Scotland’s foremost climbers and mountaineers. His story is one of pioneering ascents and boundless enthusiasm, and his spontaneity, carefree approach and ability to burn the candle at both ends remain legendary, several decades after his untimely death. By drawing on Patey’s essays and verses the narrative is imbued with dry wit and gentle satire, and brought to life by unseen images from renowned photographer John Cleare and the Patey family archive. Supported by a foreword from Mick Fowler and…

Intrigued by the name of her new album, Helen Webster caught up with modern folk-singer, songwriter and storyteller Iona Lane to find out how the Scottish landscape inspires her music. Congratulations on your debut album and the high praise it’s been receiving. It’s called Hallival after the mountain on the Scottish island of Rum and you’ve said that a lot of the songs stem from walks you have done thanks to Walkhighlands, can you describe how walking and the landscape inspires you and your music? Thank you so much, it’s been an amazing journey so far and it’s wonderful to…

When the restrictions of the pandemic hit, outdoor author John D. Burns, could no longer visit the remote bothies that are his passion. John’s latest book, The Hot Tent Diaries, tells the story of his search for another way to experience wild places. A Hot Tent is simply a tent capable of being heated by a woodburning stove and for John they have opened up an exciting new way to explore our hills and glens. It’s almost dark by the time I get the rest of my equipment into the tent and fix the storm guys in place. The tent…

In 2014 a red box file stuffed full of the memoirs of Scottish explorer Isobel Wylie Hutchison found its way into the hands of writer Hazel Buchan Cameron. Looking through the photographic slides, essays, letters and even a postcard from St Kilda, Hazel was entranced and began the arduous task of bringing the voice of one of Scotland’s most remarkable figures back to life. Born 30 May 1889, Isobel Wylie Hutchison was many things: A botanist, explorer, poet and artist, she travelled solo throughout the arctic collecting plant samples, wrote and published extensive volumes of essays and poetry, and was –…

High anxiety causes heart palpitations that frighten me as I lie in bed at night. Sleep doesn’t come easily (but to be fair, it never has). I’m waiting for my fifth, and final, annual breast clinic check at hospital. My attitude is a little devil may care in the build up to these appointments – I can’t seem to help it. I burn through days on a million mile an hour program of distraction, but all that achieves is exhaustion, tearfulness and emotional chaos (mixed in with an unhelpful dose of self-loathing for not being in control). I have lots…