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Avalanche
Avalanche. What does the word mean to you? Before I moved to Glencoe in the autumn of 2008, avalanches were not something I spared more than passing thought for. Like other aspirant mountaineers I studied “avalanche awareness,” but had not had many opportunities to practice my fledgling skills and had
#TheAthollExpedition Twitter competition – we have a winner!
A week ago, I started a Twitter competition to give my readers the chance of winning a signed copy of my new novel, The Atholl Expedition. The competition has been even more successful than I had hoped, with 234 retweets in total (across two original tweets) and an estimated reach
George Mallory on Ben Nevis … in 1906!
George Mallory is arguably Britain’s most famous mountaineer. Known for his early attempts on Everest in the 1920s (and his subsequent disappearance on the mountain in 1924), Mallory’s name has become something of a symbol: a transitional figure between the old school of Victorian climbers and the new
Win a signed copy of #TheAthollExpedition on Twitter
I have a few copies of The Atholl Expedition going spare and thought I would run a competition to give one away to a worthy reader! The competition will run for seven days, at the end of which a winner will be picked at random. Here are the rules: 1.
Featured in the Scottish Sunday Mail today
Exciting news! Today an article was published in the Scottish Sunday Mail about the Abraham brothers, pioneers of British rock climbing who were active in the 1890s and early 1900s. They were friends with O.G.Jones and Ashley Abraham plays a small role in The Only Genuine Jones. As
Planning for success – five years of Glencoe Mountaineer
Sometimes authors ask me how I managed to snag a relatively large and extremely loyal readership for my books so quickly. Most indies coast along for their first year or two unless they get lucky; “maybe you were lucky?” I get asked, or “it must be fairy dust.” This is
The Atholl Expedition in paperback – now taking orders
It’s finally here! I have been posting pre-orders for signed copies of The Atholl Expedition this week. The first box of twenty copies arrived a few days ago and it didn’t last long; I am now out of stock and have ordered a second batch. There is a
The Mounth Passes by Neil Ramsay and Nate Pedersen: book review
The Mounth Passes: A Heritage Guide to the Old Ways through the Grampian Mountains by Neil Ramsay and Nate Pedersen (Kindle) This slim ebook came to my attention through the Scotways Twitter account. Scotways is one of the oldest outdoor access organisations in the country, established in 1845 to help
On the threshold of a new dawn
The year 1847 was much the same as any other in the 19th century. The rain fell on the rich and the poor alike; harvests failed; food prices rose; snow fell in the mountains, and the scientists who voyaged from distant lands kept records in their books, charting the advance
Registration for signed paperback copies of #TheAthollExpedition is now open
Excellent news, Atholl fans! I have just signed off the first paperback proof and approved distribution, which means it will be available to purchase from all good online bookstores in a matter of weeks. Reading it for the first time in paperback form was very exciting for me. Although I