Now reading: Caleb’s List by Kellan MacInnes

Caleb’s List by Kellan MacInnes

Chris Highcock recently attended the launch event of a new book about the Scottish mountains: Caleb’s List by Kellan MacInnes. He kindly sent me a copy signed by the author as he thought it would be right up my street (or up my hill), and he’s right!

From the publisher’s website:

Edinburgh. 1898. On the cusp of the modern age. Caleb George Cash, mountaineer, geographer, antiquarian and teacher stands at the rocky summit of Arthur’s Seat.
His reason for standing there was to chart which mountains were visible from his point on the summit – The Arthurs. He came up with a list of twenty mountains (all over 100ft/300m high), including Schiehallion and Ben Lomond. Caleb’s list was first published in 1899, eight years after Munro published his list of mountains over 3000ft, and since then it has been all but forgotten.
This book tells the story of how Caleb’s list came about and provides directions and route descriptions for those wishing to climb the mountains on the list. More than just a climbing book, this is also the story of a survivor. The author was diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 33, and becoming an ‘Arthurist’ has helped him carry on with life.

This sounds like a mountaineering book with a difference, and for me it has the added interest of a late Victorian Scottish mountaineer as a central figure. I’d never heard of Caleb George Cash before so I’m sure this book will prove an education. I will be writing a review on this site as soon as I’ve finished reading it.