Mountaineering in Scotland / Undiscovered Scotland

by W.H. Murray

Mountaineering in Scotland and Undiscovered Scotland are two of the most popular British climbing books. This is an omnibus edition of the two books, published a ye ar after Murray''s death. '

Genres: Scotland, Mountaineering, Outdoors, Nonfiction, Climbing, Nature

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

William Hutchison Murray OBE was a Scottish mountaineer and writer, one of a group of active mountain climbers, mainly from Clydeside, before and just after World War II.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two classic books on Scottish climbing and hillwalking by WH Murray, brought together in one volume. Mountaineering in Scotland recounts tales from the late 1930s, mostly written during the three years he spent in POW camps during WW2. The success of that book led him to continue writing, with Undiscovered Scotland telling of climbs and walks in the post-war years.

It has been the perfect read for me during these times when Covid-19 means the hills are out of bounds to those that would usually be spending every spare weekend up a mountain at this time of year. Maybe that is why the more wistful writing of the earlier book appealed to me more, written from afar. As he grew up in Glasgow the mountains that he describes are the ones that I too would access from this city when I was growing up: The Cobbler, Glen Coe, Aonach Eagach ridge, Ben Nevis.

Although the second book is another fantastic read, some of his class snobberies creep in when he meets poachers, and youthful "gangsters" on the hills.

His ruminations near the end, urging us to teach ourselves to find quiet moments of peace or beauty outdoors every day seem very pertinent in these trying times.

I've added a couple more mountains to my growing list of "to be climbed after lockdown" now.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mountaineering in Scotland -

A book about freedom. Murray wrote the first draft of this book while in a German prison camp. The concentration on solely climbing the mountains in Scotland and the freedom expressed in his words are remarkable. His writing carried you step by step up to the summits and peaks of the highest mountains in Scotland. I felt the stain, exhilaration and exhaustion of each expedition. Knowing these words came out during an imprisonment proves that the body may be a prisoner but the mind can remain free. 8/19/19. Page 252

Undiscovered Scotland is a continuation of Murray’s mountaineering after the war and his internal thoughts on mountaineering. He distinguished the difference between stopping and gazing at the beauty of the summits and finishing the climb; where the real beauty lies. I give 4.5 stars for this awesome view in the life on a mountaineer.

[Thekirkiepirate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I last read this book, at this time of year, 42 years ago.

It was an interesting experience to revisit it. My knowledge of the mountain areas described by Murray is now much more comprehensive, albeit from a hillwalker's rather than a climber's perspective.

He writes very well and I enjoyed reacquainting myself with the book. While many of the activities still strike me as foolhardy - especially regaring going on in adverse weather - this may explain some of his successes and admiration.

I found some of the religious references towards the end of the book jarring. Also, although reflective of the time when the book was written, there was an unnessicary and highly offensive racist remark made, which lessened my admiration of the man.

[Julius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Der Autor startet seine wilden Bergtouren in den schottischen Highlands nicht besonders früh, akzeptiert damit aber sehr willentlich Mond statt Sonnenlicht für die Abstiege zu nutzen. Insgesamt treibt ihn eher das Erhabene als das Schöne um und eher um Performance geht es ihm um Wildnis.

Insbesondere die einleitenden bzw. schließenden Kapitel der beiden Bücher dieser Edition sind interessant. Die Bergabenteuer selber sind zwar bildhaft und mit einer witzigen Tiefstapelei formuliert, auf Dauer aber miteinander verwechselbar.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both these books are a fantastic read his description and writing style puts you on the rock face with him understanding the technical difficulties trying to climb hard routes with basic equipment. Murray is a spiritual person with a exceptional way of detailing his adventures from his memory as the book was written while in captivity in Italy and Germany. Read and enjoy.

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book.

[Byron · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. I particularly enjoyed his reflections on the Scottish landscape, as well as his philosophical thoughts regarding mountaineering.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so badly want to give this five stars, but there's one jarring use of the n-word in it out of nowhere that ruins it for me. (The book was originally published in 1947, so that was not widely accepted as offensive in that era, it was probably the only word that this Scottish guy knew of for dark-skinned people, but it was still pretty "whoa!" to come across.) That one word means I won't be enthusiastically recommending the book to everyone I know, which is a real pity, because the rest of it is astonishingly delightful. I read it on my return flight from a hiking trip to Scotland, and kept nudging my hiking buddy and making her read particularly relatable passages while we howled with laughter. Despite sixtyish years of technological advance, many of the fundamental experiences are still completely universal -- swearing your way up or down a face, getting rain, snow, or cold water down your collar, the beauty of the scene stopping you in your tracks, cordially considering throwing your partners off a ridge for pranking you, things not going according to plan, fueling your hike with candy. I also found it super valuable to read about some of the hikes I'm planning to do in the future... the beta is somewhat old, but still good!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book that captures the draw of the mountain. Murray paints a vivid picture of the journey to the peaks and the rewards they offer. It's a classic that should be read by anyone with an interest in the hills.

That being said this isn't an easy book. The writing is dense and requires a lot of effort to appreciate. It's worth taking the time to make the most of this.

[Anne Earney]

Too technical for my tastes.