The Munros Vol 1 - Southern, Central and Western Highlands

This first volume of Cicerone’s two-part series to the Munros covers the southern, central and western highlands, Glencoe, Lochaber and Mull, and details routes for these 139 exciting and challenging mountains. Volume 2 covers north of the Great Glen and the Cairngorms.

'Not another book on the Munros! But this one’s different -  not a coffee-table book but a ‘climbing style’ guidebook for actually taking on a Munro trip. Although titled Walking the Munros, the term ‘climbing’ is used frequently throughout and there is a scrambling/difficulty grade included in many of the routes, principally on Aonach Eagach (Glencoe), in Skye and in Torridon. On first glance I was initially disappointed at the almost total lack of snow scenes in any of the colour photos but the introduction makes it clear that the guides are targeted at summer walkers, summer meaning May to September, (midge season!) The guides are aimed unashamedly at the Munro collector as is evidenced by the introductory remarks that fair-weather climbers may take a lifetime to complete the round. Surely the whole point of the Munros is that they should give us a lifetime of experiences in all weathers and in all seasons? Route descriptions are well written and clearly set out with an attractive ochre-coloured panel containing essential data about the route such as distance, times, maps, access and local accommodation. In some cases there is a grey panel putting the route in an historical context, suggesting an alternative route or giving public transport details where the route does not start and finish in the same place. On a Munro trip, I would find the guide to Gaelic pronunciation and English translations that precede each description particularly interesting and for this reason alone I would pack this guide at the top of my sac.
    I’m not so sure about the detail incorporated into the route timing; a fifteen-minute accuracy is not appropriate for a long day in the Scottish hills. I also have reservations over the 10-figure grid references, which seem to contradict the recommendation to use 1:50,000 scale OS maps or Harvey’s Superwalker maps (where available). Such accuracy is only necessary for GPS users, about which this reviewer cannot comment. Each volume commences with five or six area maps that show the concentration of Munros in each area. Volume 1 deals with the region south and east of a line drawn by road from Oban through Fort William and Spean Bridge to Kingussie and thence to the west and south of the main Cairngorms to Braemar.
    Volume 2 deals with the region to the north and west of this line. The Appendices have been well researched and comprise a bibliography, contact details and two simplified lists of Munro tables without the addition of tops (thank goodness!), one alphabetical and one in height order and each indexed to the text.'

(Denis Rankin, Irish Mountain Log Spring 2005)