What do you think?
Rate this book
The Atholl Expedition
Introducing James Forbes in the quest for Scotland's last glacier.
SCOTLAND, 1847. Convalescence doesn't suit Professor Forbes. When one of his former students appears exhausted at his door, telling stories of bloodthirsty gamekeepers and a mythical glacier in the heart of the Cairngorm mountains, he can't resist the chance for another adventure. However, his journey coincides with a visit from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and the Royal Consort has an ambition to shoot the oldest and most cunning hart of the Atholl estate.
Forbes is soon involved in the chase of his life - with perhaps one last chance to make his name before it is too late.
The wilderness of the Cairngorms is trodden by legendary stags, demons of local folklore, and a few brave souls all seeking very different things from the wild. This is a tale of life in the Scottish mountains before mountaineering began.
SCOTLAND, 1847. Convalescence doesn't suit Professor Forbes. When one of his former students appears exhausted at his door, telling stories of bloodthirsty gamekeepers and a mythical glacier in the heart of the Cairngorm mountains, he can't resist the chance for another adventure. However, his journey coincides with a visit from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and the Royal Consort has an ambition to shoot the oldest and most cunning hart of the Atholl estate.
Forbes is soon involved in the chase of his life - with perhaps one last chance to make his name before it is too late.
The wilderness of the Cairngorms is trodden by legendary stags, demons of local folklore, and a few brave souls all seeking very different things from the wild. This is a tale of life in the Scottish mountains before mountaineering began.
232 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Alex Roddie
21 books27 followersAlex Roddie is a writer of historical fiction set in the mountains. He’s spent a great deal of his life up various hills, and his time living in Scotland from 2008 to 2011 has proved an endless source of inspiration. His novels The Only Genuine Jones and The Atholl Expedition are tales of adventure based on the emerging mountaineering culture of Britain in the 19th century.
His author website is www.alexroddie.com.
Alex is also a freelance editor providing affordable services for indie authors. When wearing his editing hat he hangs out at www.pinnacleeditorial.co.uk.
His author website is www.alexroddie.com.
Alex is also a freelance editor providing affordable services for indie authors. When wearing his editing hat he hangs out at www.pinnacleeditorial.co.uk.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 9, 2014
first in the Alpine Dawn series, certainly fulfills that remit.
The first page transports us back in time to 1847 and we are introduced to Professor James Forbes convalescing in his garden, enjoying the warmth of the I enjoy a good adventure story and Alex Roddie’s ‘The Atholl Expedition, the summer sun in the highlands. He is clearly not a well man but the arrival of an old student, Ewan Carr, and the prospect of an adventure somewhat brings him back to life.
From the minute we find Carr telling stories to Forbes daughters, we know that there is a lot more behind his sudden arrival at Forbes homes. Carr is the complete embodiment of a rebellious, stubborn, young and charismatic adventurer.
There are a myriad of characters in this book, which include Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who have travelled to the highlands, with their family, to visit the Duke and Atholl. The inclusion of these characters is not just a marketing ploy. They are characters that have been well thought out and developed by Roddie and he gives the readers the opportunity to examine their vulnerabilities and complexities as human beings. Even though I did enjoy the arrival of Queen Victoria, who embarks on her adventure,’ my favourite character was Ewan Carr and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the illustrations within the book which truly bring the characters to life.
Now for those who know their history, Professor James Forbes was a Scottish scientist and it is his adventures that are the driving force behind the ‘The Atholl Expedition. It is always a gamble when a writer uses real historical figures in their books and then proceeds to create an alternative history around them but this was a gamble that has paid off. At no point did I feel as though I was being subjected to a history lesson and Roddie’s creativity was not stifled by the history or by his admiration for Professor James Forbes.
The tensions in the book are created through the classic themes of class, a desire to fulfill a quest and young men seeking to forge their own way in the world. If Alex Roddie ever appeared on Mastermind then it goes without saying that his specialist subject would be the Scottish Mountains and it’s admirable how he uses the mountains to emphasise the fears and desires of his characters.
The first page transports us back in time to 1847 and we are introduced to Professor James Forbes convalescing in his garden, enjoying the warmth of the I enjoy a good adventure story and Alex Roddie’s ‘The Atholl Expedition, the summer sun in the highlands. He is clearly not a well man but the arrival of an old student, Ewan Carr, and the prospect of an adventure somewhat brings him back to life.
From the minute we find Carr telling stories to Forbes daughters, we know that there is a lot more behind his sudden arrival at Forbes homes. Carr is the complete embodiment of a rebellious, stubborn, young and charismatic adventurer.
There are a myriad of characters in this book, which include Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who have travelled to the highlands, with their family, to visit the Duke and Atholl. The inclusion of these characters is not just a marketing ploy. They are characters that have been well thought out and developed by Roddie and he gives the readers the opportunity to examine their vulnerabilities and complexities as human beings. Even though I did enjoy the arrival of Queen Victoria, who embarks on her adventure,’ my favourite character was Ewan Carr and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the illustrations within the book which truly bring the characters to life.
Now for those who know their history, Professor James Forbes was a Scottish scientist and it is his adventures that are the driving force behind the ‘The Atholl Expedition. It is always a gamble when a writer uses real historical figures in their books and then proceeds to create an alternative history around them but this was a gamble that has paid off. At no point did I feel as though I was being subjected to a history lesson and Roddie’s creativity was not stifled by the history or by his admiration for Professor James Forbes.
The tensions in the book are created through the classic themes of class, a desire to fulfill a quest and young men seeking to forge their own way in the world. If Alex Roddie ever appeared on Mastermind then it goes without saying that his specialist subject would be the Scottish Mountains and it’s admirable how he uses the mountains to emphasise the fears and desires of his characters.
January 21, 2015
I enjoyed Alex Roddie's previous two works, the short story Crowley's Rival and a full length novel The Only Genuine Jones so much that when The Atholl Expedition came along I bought it without hesitation or reading the blurb. I had little idea what it was going to be about but expected high mountain drama, man (and possibly woman) against the elements.
The Atholl Expedition immediately felt quite different. The historical context remains strong, indeed is fundamental, but to me this felt much more of a novel about place, which may sound strange given the magnitude of the Alpine climax in The Only Genuine Jones. The Atholl Expedition is set on a hunting estate in the Scottish Highlands and cleverly ties a number of threads: scientific exploration, hunting and compassion, the conflicting hopes of a father and son, the power of a monarch's patronage and how that passes down through the classes, with potentially devastating consequences for those at the bottom.
The characters, both fictional and historical, speak with authentic voices, even those of Victoria and Albert are utterly convincing. The narrative is clear and uncompromising, but the star of the show for me is the landscape and how the people live, survive and a even play in this inhospitable but magnificent place.
This novel is the first in a series, Alpine Dawn, and bodes well for the next instalment.
The Atholl Expedition immediately felt quite different. The historical context remains strong, indeed is fundamental, but to me this felt much more of a novel about place, which may sound strange given the magnitude of the Alpine climax in The Only Genuine Jones. The Atholl Expedition is set on a hunting estate in the Scottish Highlands and cleverly ties a number of threads: scientific exploration, hunting and compassion, the conflicting hopes of a father and son, the power of a monarch's patronage and how that passes down through the classes, with potentially devastating consequences for those at the bottom.
The characters, both fictional and historical, speak with authentic voices, even those of Victoria and Albert are utterly convincing. The narrative is clear and uncompromising, but the star of the show for me is the landscape and how the people live, survive and a even play in this inhospitable but magnificent place.
This novel is the first in a series, Alpine Dawn, and bodes well for the next instalment.
December 27, 2013
Alex Roddie has created a tale consisting of a number of stories interwoven. Two of his characters are Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, taking their holidays on the Duke of Atholl’s estate. This was at the time when the famous rows between the two had died down but there was still some disagreement about certain things – like being home on your birthday! – to provide narrative tension. The Duke has threatened one of his ghillies with the loss of his job and his cottage if he can’t provide the Prince with a famous stag to bring home as a trophy. The ghillie’s son works with his father but yearns to break away. Forbes, a geologist, wants to follow up reports of a glacier in Scotland, but had to cross the Duke of Atholl’s land and the Duke is famously against trespassers. There’s all this and more here and it’s a very interesting read.
I have always admired the author’s approach to descriptive writing. It’s not easy to do without sounding florid but his descriptions of storms, or of the mountains themselves, are studies in the careful choice of words. I love this style and I very much enjoyed the adventure story aspect of this book.
I have always admired the author’s approach to descriptive writing. It’s not easy to do without sounding florid but his descriptions of storms, or of the mountains themselves, are studies in the careful choice of words. I love this style and I very much enjoyed the adventure story aspect of this book.
March 12, 2014
Roddie interested me as he writes about the mountain expeditions, and from what I gather, with a historical perspective. In this respect, I think he is fairly unique.
This is certainly an interesting story. He must have debated for a while whether to include the Queen and Albert. In this respect he pulls some surprises also. Albert is away shooting with the locals, and after he doesn't return on time, Victoria heads out on horseback in the snow through the glen to find him.
The idea is great, the writing is decent, but the tale itself fails to live up to what is going on around it. I am keen for more Roddie though.
This is certainly an interesting story. He must have debated for a while whether to include the Queen and Albert. In this respect he pulls some surprises also. Albert is away shooting with the locals, and after he doesn't return on time, Victoria heads out on horseback in the snow through the glen to find him.
The idea is great, the writing is decent, but the tale itself fails to live up to what is going on around it. I am keen for more Roddie though.
February 13, 2014
Entertaining historical outdoor romp. Actual events and places and some characters with dramatic descriptions of weather and mountain landscape. Some liberties taken with facts but then it is a novel! I read it during two nights camping in Upper Eskdale in the Lake District - far from the Cairngorms but the weather wasn't unlike that in the book.
April 11, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, the author's description of the wild Scottish mountains, with the characters battling the storm was excellent. I also liked how he introduced Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as quite kind and understanding people, quite a different side to how she is normally portrayed, although you knew she was in control of the whole situation throughout. Well done !!
May 20, 2014
Great book. More so for me personally, read just after returning from the very places described therein, having experienced the mountains and the weather of Cairngorms. I could not put it away, wish it were longer. I look forward to the next book in the series, as much as I look forward to more hillwalking in Scotland.
May 8, 2014
Really enjoyed this historical tale of the Scottish Highlands and the chase of the scientific hunt
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews