The Cairngorms: A Secret History

by Patrick Baker

Cairngorms: A Secret History is a series of journeys exploring barely known human and natural stories of the Cairngorm Mountains. It looks at a unique British landscape, its last great wilderness, with new eyes. History combines with travelogue in a vivid account of this elemental scenery. There have been rare human incursions into the Cairngorm plateau, and Patrick Baker tracks them down. He traces elusive wildlife and relives ghostly sightings on the summit of Ben Macdui.

From the search for a long-forgotten climbing shelter and the locating of ancient gem mines, to the discovery of skeletal aircraft remains and the hunt for a mysterious nineteenth-century aristocratic settlement, he seeks out the unlikeliest and most interesting of features in places far off the beaten track. The cultural and human impact of this stunning landscape and reflections on the history of mountaineering are the threads which bind this compelling narrative together.

Genres: Nonfiction, Scotland, Nature, History, Natural History, Travel

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

Reviews

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wander through the famous mountain range. A good introduction to the myths, legends, nature and majesty of the highest land in Britain and its unique landscape. The author also references past explorers and writers to provide a rich history. Makes me want to get out into the wilds, if only opportunity would allow!

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet book about the Cairngorms and its history, exemplified by objects or places or historical events. Baker manages to use other accounts, literary or historical, in an engaging fashion, the book is both entertaining and informative. As somebody who has been to the Cairngorms a lot, some of the descriptions increased my wanderlust and longing to be there again: be it the reindeers, certain mountains or descriptions by authors I love, such as Nan Shepherd. Enjoyable! 4 stars

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, short book about one of the most interesting parts of Scotland. When you've read/watched as many Scotland-related things as I have, it's hard to come across stories that are not familiar, but in this book there were quite a few that I had not heard of before. And Patrick Baker has such a lovely writing style, lyrical at times but always a breeze to read through.

[Maggie Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entrancing book and the author clearly knows and loves the Cairngorms. He writes lyrically and with quiet passion about the vast Cairngorms plateau. Taking the reader with him as he walks, he communicates his sense of wonder - and sometimes fear - at being alone in this huge wilderness. Those who have been there before him include Landseer, the Victorian artist, fugitives from justice, prospectors searching for the precious stones known as Cairngorms and, sadly, climbers who fell foul of the weather and a wartime RAF air crew, whose plane crashed on the hill.

I'd have liked colour photos and a map or two but that's a small criticism.

Planning on re-reading this book, it transported me to somewhere I've admired from afar but don't expect ever to be in reality.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pretty much inhaled this fascinating little read, which is comprised of a series of essays exploring different elements of the Cairngorm range. The writing is a good balance between nature, history and travelogue and I particularly enjoyed the author’s research into other sources and books to help colour his own work.

[Andy Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Baker’s more recent book, The Unremembered Places: Exploring Scotland's Wild Histories, and read this, and enjoyed it almost as much, while in the eastern Cairngorms. He manages to balance his own adventure, with the nature, history and literature of the area really well.
Amongst his chosen histories of the range, he searches for the El Alamein Refuge, built by soldiers of the 51st Highland Division on a minor and seldom-visited ridge because of a navigational error, unreached by paths, and therefore left untouched when the other mountain shelters were dismantled in the 1970s. He hunts for the location of ancient gem mines, and skeletal aircraft remains on the summits of Braeriach, Ben Macdui and Beinn a’ Bhuird.
And, most appealingly for me, investigates the legend of the Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui, a giant, yeti-like creature, stalking the hillside, often in conditions of mist and snow. He was first spoken about in 1925, when Professor J. Norman Collie, addressing the Cairngorm Club, which is now the oldest surviving climbing club (formed in 1887), in 1925..

Every few steps I heard a crunch, then another crunch as if someone was walking after me but taking steps three or four times the length of my own. I said to myself ‘this is all nonsense’. I listened and heard it again but could see nothing in the mist. As I walked on and the eerie crunch, crunch sounded behind me I was seized with terror and took to my heels, staggering blindly among the boulders for four or five miles nearly down to Rothiemurchus Forest. Whatever you make of it I do not know, but there is something very queer about the top of Ben Macdui and I will not go back there again by myself I know.

More on the Grey Man.. there’s a BBC audio version of a story called The Grey Man and other Lost Legends, which is well worth a listen, a sort of hybrid of the supernatural and sci-fi, cleverly done (link here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000... ). Rather than dwell on superstition for too long, Baker looks also at John Geiger’s study into The Third Man Factor: The Secret To Survival In Extreme Environments in his book; which I’m keen to read as soon as I can locate a copy.

All in all, this is a compelling narrative bound together by the incredible landscape and the history of mountaineering.

[SaskiaG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scottish highlands at its best

[Susie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about my local mountain range. Carved by iceage with a lot of secret history. From jewel mining to secret huts called howffs which still exist if u look closely. Makes me want to explore it more when it gets warmer.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cairngorms is not an area particularly familiar to me. Although I have read a little about the hiking of Nan Shepherd and her adventures there, I really underestimated the extremes of the place. In photos one sees rocky domes, vast expanses of low shrubbery, high plateaus and a sparsely forested landscape. Photos definitely don’t do the place justice. Baker tells us it’s the most extreme wild area in Great Britain. Weather conditions are extremely unpredictable. Walking there has proved fatal to many and more than a few airplanes have been downed in remote, inaccessible places. The whole area can be very unforgiving.

Baker is drawn to the “secret” or hidden. We follow his search for rare animals, ghost villages, lost bothies, plane wreckages and the “Grey Man” of local stories. I enjoyed learning about the area with the author as a guide. His writing is direct and lyrical at the same time. He discusses the history of the area and the relatively new history of climbing, both individual and hiking clubs and credits many interesting enthusiasts who have written books. I recommend it for lovers of the outdoors, lovers of Scotland and its history and anyone who loves vicarious adventure.

[Alasdair Mckinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've walked in the Cairngorms many times and found this book really interesting. It added detail to what I already new of the mountains. The author regularly refers to other books and I now have to find some of them an add them to my list.
The book was very engaging and I sped through it.

[Iain Moles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infectious read

Beautifully written and meticulously researched, it widens the possibilities of walks and adventures in remote areas. Infectious, I can't wait to go back and see afresh.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, almost lyrical at times. An alternative look at one of the most remote places in Scotland and the UK.

Has definitely whetted my appetite for building on the one hike I've done in the range so far.

[Stephen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy books like this occasionally.

[Tormod Cockburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dense but beautifully written account of Scotland's highest peaks

[Kieran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like me, the author clearly loves the Cairngorms, and it really shines through in this ode to one of Scotland’s wildest and harshest upland areas.

[Ulrike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories and facts about my favourite part of Scotland

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the kind of thing I usually go for, but glad I stuck with it. Evocative and interesting, almost made me want to go climbing in the Cairngorms. Almost.

[Menna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story telling could be improved but I enjoyed the movement of the book, and learnt a great deal from it.