PSA: Scottish Hill Tracks

The long-awated, much-delayed sixth edition of the book Scottish Hill Tracks is now available to order. This should interest many forumites who wander around Scotland and keep encountering those green Scottish Right of Way signs. It’s been a bit of a labour of love for the many contributors (volunteers) who were out surveying tracks and taking nice photos for inclusion in the book.

Might not be too soon to be thinking of Xmas pressies too…

https://scotways.com/product/scottish-hill-tracks/

So what is and isn’t in this? Ancient tracks semi doubletrack kind of stuff?

Awesome, great PSA, thanks Scotroutes!

As it happens might be in Waterstones Edinburgh on Saturday, shall keep an eye open.

So what is and isn’t in this? Ancient tracks semi doubletrack kind of stuff?

Any of the above, it’s certainly not aimed at cyclists exclusively and is no guarantee of something being rideable (or at least enjoyably so) but just highlights a variety of through routes across the country. Ix an interesting read if nothing else, can spark inspiration for tours etc.

So what is and isn’t in this? Ancient tracks semi doubletrack kind of stuff?

There are even some routes where there are no tracks at all!!! 🙂

Nice, so routes of some historical usefulness between places.

 can spark inspiration for tours

I might have enough of that already with my aspirational book purchases!

Thanks for the heads-up :o)

I might have enough of that already with my aspirational book purchases!

Haha, yeah me too, absolutely no shortage of inspiration these days, Strava route planner doesn’t help, I’m sitting on a stash of awesome looking routes and deep down I doubt I’ll ever manage to ride all of them…

Its a great resource.  I have two earlier editions.  I use it mainly for walking routes – at the very least it lets you know that there is an actual route to follow and gives you some indication of how easy and if it is cyclable at all

The only issue I found with it was that the routes were described in one direction so if you went the other way the descriptions became hard to follow.

It helps keep all those old historical routes in use

I have a much earlier edition which was a great help in exploring the Cairngorms.

I will buy the new one when I get home from Aboyne and dream about next years holidays.

@scotroutes. Thanks, my partner will love that for a Xmas present.

Will I find it in the travel section or is it a work of fiction?

On general sale Monday 30th September.

A bit more background too…

Exploring Scottish Hill Tracks with Colin Cadden, a volunteer with ScotWays

Can we get our copies signed Colin?

Looks a bit plusher than my well thumbed early 90s copy!

My dad contributed to this. He said there was a lot of trudging, diversions through deep forests, and time estimates being lower than reality. I’ve always wondered where I got it from…

I think the Ralph Storer book is a different book.

I think you’re right, I’m conflating two different books. That Storer book was a very handy planning resource in a pre-internet age.

I still have my hardcover version of the Storer book. It’s one of my most loved books and was an inspiration on many long walks and rides at a time when little else was available. The bike photos now look a bit dated – it’s all 26″ rigid MTBs with cantis racks and panniers 🙂

It occurred to me a couple of years ago that it would be lovely to revisit all the routes, update the text and “recreate” each of the photos with up-to-date kit and also to see the changes in the landscapes.

Has much changed from the 4th edition? That’s the most recent one I have but is 20 years old now.

I was going to mention the Ralph Storer book too but I see several folk have beaten me to it. Of all my many hillwalking books his is probably my favourite. Well equal favourite with Muriel Gray’s book The First Fifty. And also Eric Langmuir’s Mountaincraft and Leadership.

 or is it a work of fiction?

You’re thinking of Kenny Wilson’s book Mountainbike Scotland  (-:

Sorry Kenny, if you’re still on here. I actually love the book. My pal Rick says it should be called Walks With My Mountain Bike.  (-:

4th edition was 1999. Most tracks will be the same in the more remote stretches but there’s been significant changes to forestry, windfarms, bridges, roads and housing in that time.

Ah yes, it’s the 4th Edition (Revised) that I have, from 2004.

When we did the Stevenson coast to coast route, there were several days that followed historic routes that were no longer visible. But it was interesting that you could feel the route – a subtle difference in ground conditions or the feeling that you were contouring along a glen on what would have been the path. Sometimes before heading down a glen you could look along it and predict where it would go, and you’d probably be right

Mine arrived in earlier this week. Now I just need to resist reading it so it can be an Xmas present.