As many Walkhighlanders know only too well, Munro-bagging can be a headily addictive pursuit, and it’s one gaining more traction than ever in the era of social distancing. But where did it all begin? In his new book, The Munros: A History, Andrew Dempster traces the sport back to its source in 1891, with many a nod to significant figures – both past and present – along the way. Here’s an extract from the first chapter, which takes a look at the key figures that helped influence the creation of the list. ON THE LEVEL bealach below the high point of…

David Lintern celebrates the humble mountain shelter, past and present. As intimated in the close of my last piece here, I found it impossible to walk from Fort William to the Cape without reflecting on the past inhabitants of the glens we walked through. On the way, we passed many bothies I’d not yet visited; real highlights of the walk for me. While these buildings were officially closed due the pandemic, doing a long walk like the Cape Wrath Trail reiterates just how important these shelters are from a mountain safety point of view – there were days when we…

In February 2019, award-winning writer Alex Roddie left his online life behind when he set out to walk 300 miles through the Scottish Highlands, seeking solitude and answers. In leaving the chaos of the internet behind for a month, he hoped to learn how it was truly affecting him – or if he should look elsewhere for the causes of his anxiety. In this extract from his new book The Farthest Shore, out on September 2nd, Alex shares some of the pain and joy from the start of his solo winter challenge. Day 1: 6 February 2019, Ardnamurchan Point, Scotland…