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Within sight of the bustling caterpillar assault of the masses on Pen-y-Fan, the serenity of Craig Cerrig Gleisiad is emphatic. Often described as an ‘atmospheric amphitheatre’, this National Nature Reserve is a delectable discovery in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Here, trees, shrubs, rare arctic-alpine plants, wildflowers and peregrine falcons have colonised … Read more
The Hartland Peninsula is an exceptional slice of coastline, where North Devon passes the baton to North Cornwall. For our purposes, the whole route from Clovelly to Bude could be considered an excellent walk, although we trim the ends by commencing at Blackchurch Rock and terminating at Duckpool Beach. According to the Hartland Peninsula Association, … Read more
Hillwalking isn’t just about climbing hills. Those who solely climb hills are missing out on an equally enjoyable means of ascent and descent – the coastline. There are coastal mountains of course but the summits rarely consist of a trig point directly suspended above a sea cliff, making their coastal status dubious. On the other … Read more
I certainly suspected that introducing objectivity into the selection process for the Worthies would be tricky and it has indeed proved exceptionally complex, because subjectivity inevitably interferes with every appraisal. Walkers are drawn to the hills for countless reasons. Many seek challenge and the satisfaction of reaching a summit. That is a perfectly valid reason. … Read more
Compiling a list of the finest hills in Britain and Ireland is necessarily subjective, even if strict criteria is adhered to. Most lists are qualified by height and relative prominence, with no weight given to what we might define as quality. There are many books in the ‘Greatest Walks’ category, although all have precepts, limitations … Read more
Ben Mor Coigach forms the entrée to Coigach and Assynt, a land of mystical pointy mountains. Driving north from Ullapool to Ardmair Bay the imposing wall of Garbh Coireachan thrusts into view, an awe-inspiring sight, with the dynamic interplay of light and sea constantly reflecting the capricious atmospheric conditions. What most observers will not comprehend … Read more
Tinto is the prized mountain of South Lanarkshire, the Sunday afternoon ascent for thousands of local families, with its imposing bulk providing a background view to their daily grind. Tinto is certainly a distinctive presence, a vast, solitary dome rising above a loop in the River Clyde to a height of 2,334 feet (711m). Having … Read more
The impact generated when sighting Buachaille Etive Mor is profound and permanent. It never wanes, however many times the traveller witnesses its rearing prow surging from the fringe of Rannoch Moor’s barren expanse. Nature has fashioned a mountain from a child’s sketchbook, its accessibility to the passing motorist has bestowed upon it a Hollywood presence, … Read more
Black Combe is an outlier, the elephant in the room of the Lake District Wainwrights. It is an isolated sentinel occupying the south west tip of the National Park, yet linked by continuous high ground to the Coniston range, whose mountains jostle for attention amidst the celebrated heights of the national park. Black Combe shrugs … Read more
Welcome to the first of potentially hundreds of blog posts detailing my project to list, photograph and eulogise the finest hills in Britain and Ireland. There are already numerous lists of hills, although most are categorised around relative elevation, rather than the perception of quality. For an exhaustive directory see the splendid website: www.hill-bagging.co.uk where … Read more