The new Scottish Mountaineering Club guide tothe Cairngorms and North-East Scotland is a visual feast that has introduced meto new areas for walking.This is a visually very attractive guide, fromthe superb cover photo to the many other excellent pictures, maps, double-pagespreads, and nice layout. The Scottish Mountaineering Club guide to theCairngorms and North-East Scotland by Anne Butler, Heather Morning and IainYoung is a visual feast. Beyond this it is a good read, and I have enjoyed manywalks and journeys from the comfort of my armchair both to familiar areas andplaces I do not know.Useful and interesting details of human history,geography, natural history, and folklore crop up throughout the book and helpto enliven the descriptions of walks. In fact, the amount of detail containedin this book is impressive. The book took the authors five years from planningto publication and the tremendous time and effort put into it shows.Who is it for? It will undoubtedly enhance theenjoyment of the area for all walkers, mountain bikers and other hill lovers.It will serve the hillwalker who wants to delve more deeply into the area,those who want shorter walks for part days or easy days and those who want toexplore beyond the lists of Munros, Corbetts, Donalds, Grahams etc. It will beequally useful to visitors and residents.The book contains details of all the bothies andsome of the howffs, and advice on reaching and using them. There is a chapteron Passes and Through Routes; good for backpacking or bike packing adventuresand for less strenuous journeys through the hills. Finally, it finishes with achapter on Long Distance Paths and Hill Rounds, the latter aimed at longdistance fell runners. There is also an extensive bibliography for thosewishing to explore any of the topics mentioned in more detail.I can thoroughly recommend this book whichexcels at all levels except portability; at over 400 pages and medium-formathardback, it will remain safely in your car or accommodation while you set offto explore.TGO Magazine Ken Daykin 25 Nov 2024