’A companion to delight, either with delectable bedside reading, or with richly informative references to every stage in any walking tour of the Grampians and their passes.’ - Aberdeen Evening Express
This new edition of Robert Smith’s best-selling book is both an exploration and celebration of the geography and history of this beautiful part of Scotland.
The book is also a practical guide for those who wish to explore the area themselves. It is based around the central theme of the Mounth - the main gateway which enabled travel from north to south through the mountains and which was made up of a whole series of passes, twisting their tortuous way by moorland and loch to the towns and market-places of the Lowlands and Borders.
Taking these old trails as his point of departure, Robert Smith unlocks the past to provide a comprehensive and stimulating picture, evoking the days of the cattle drovers and the shipment of illicit spirits along the Whisky Road, describing the growth and decline of villages and townships and the significance of particular places along the way. He also makes reference to the experience of others who have written about and visited the area, such as the local poet Alexander Ross, novelist Lewis Grassic Gibbon and, of course, Queen Victoria, who felt a particularly strong affection for this part of her realm.
Robert Smith has lived in Aberdeen all his life. He was editor of the Aberdeen Evening Express for many years and is well-known in the North-east as an author of local history.
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