The ‘hearts bursting’ opening of Running Through Time is inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Kidnapped (1886), which is referenced in more detail in The Road to Swanston. An account of the eleventh century race on Creag Choinnich is told in Legends of the Braes O’Mar (1876), by John Grant. Although the event is generally accepted as the world’s first hill race, Grant’s narrative of the event should be treated as romanticised entertainment rather than historical fact. The ‘omniscient narrator’ nonetheless is Grant. The Essential Guide to the Highland Games (1992), by Michael Brander, is a more conservative history of gatherings in Scotland. Queen Victoria’s observations in the same chapter are taken from Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands (1868). The first of several references to Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain (1977) appear in this chapter, while William Forsyth’s In the Shadow of Cairngorm (1900) also gives an atmospheric insight into the plateau. The closing remarks of Running Through Time – and of course the title of this book – are a homage to John Muir’s oft-repeated words: ‘The mountains are calling and I must go.’
The 72-second Tennent’s lager advert that opens Epiphany is easily found on YouTube. Alec Keith’s long history of endurance running is gleaned from his self-authored essay Cairngorm Timeline, published in the Scottish Hill Runners Journal. He thinks the ‘misty mountain’ might have been Ben Macdui, but he cannot be sure. It is, perhaps, more mysterious in anonymity. The history of the Isle of Jura fell race is told in Donald Booth’s They Come . . . and They Go (2013).
I have inherited a welter of literature about Skye that proved integral in writing The Monarch of the Glen. The pick of these are Alasdair Alpin MacGregor’s Over the Sea to Skye (1926), Ben Humble’s Tramping in Skye (1949), W.H. Murray’s The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland (1969), Derek Cooper’s Skye glossary (1970), and Norman Newton’s Skye (2010). For mountain heights and clarification on routes, as in all chapters, I referred to the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) publications, Munro’s Tables (1997) and The Munros (2010). Earlier editions of SMC guidebooks, notably The Island of Skye (1954) and J.W. Simpson’s Climbers’ Guide to the Cuillin of Skye (1969) also proved useful. Finlay Wild’s typically understated blog was referenced, as were interviews published in The Fellrunner, by the John Muir Trust, and Scotland Outdoors. For further details on Eric Beard, a biography by Ally Beaven, published on his blog, is excellent. The spelling of mountain names in this chapter and throughout the book mimics the style used by Ordnance Survey.
The accounts in Imagination are pieced together from a variety of interviews and sources, including the referenced Scotsman article and Yet Another Yawn (Yarn?), by Helene Whitaker (nee Diamantides), which came to me in a wad of notes from Adrian Belton. Richard Askwith’s Feet in the Clouds (2003) provides further insight into Helene Whitaker, as does Steve Chilton’s The Round: in Bob Graham’s footsteps (2015) in respect of Martin Stone. Information from three further sources – The Fellrunner, the long-distance records section of the Scottish Hill Runners website, and the Ramsay’s Round website maintained by Charlie Ramsay – are used extensively in this chapter and later in the text. The Carnethy Hill Running Club winter talks series is open to non-club members and is highly recommended, featuring speakers (on subjects not exclusively related to hill running) who would not be out of place at mountain or outdoor festivals.
The full account of Nick Clark’s attempt on the Bob Graham, referenced in An English Distraction, can be read on his personal website.
Stevenson’s real-life and fictional influence in The Road to Swanston is obvious. His description of Swanston on the wall of the Brasserie appears in Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes (1879). The historical detail of the Ben Nevis Race, in this chapter and more extensively in Running Forever, is partly sourced from Hugh Dan MacLennan’s exhaustive The Ben Race (1994). In the same chapter, Colin Youngson’s biographical note on Colin Donnelly on the Scottish Distance Running History website was a helpful starting point for research, as was the history section of the Scottish Hill Runners website, and Colin Muskett’s interview of Colin on his eponymous climbing website.
As stated in The Invincibles, Adrian Belton’s notes on his Ramsay’s Round, and also his 24-hour Munro round (featured in Climb Every Mountain), are from his personal archives. Jez Bragg allowed extracts from his personal blog to be included. The Catcher in the Rye quote that concludes The Invincibles encapsulates my feelings at the time: utterly inspired by the feat of Jon Ascroft.
Parts of several posts from Jasmin Paris’ blog are quoted in Prosecco, Pizza and Ice Cream. Comments made by Wendy Dodds and Martin Stone in this chapter originally appeared in The Fellrunner. Suse Coon’s Race You to the Top (1987), which provides a short history of the sport, interviews and a list of races, was a useful source of reference in this and later chapters. Steven Fallon’s excellent compendium, Classic Hill Runs and Races in Scotland (2009), served a similar purpose throughout the writing and editing process. The footage of Jasmin drinking Coke in the Glen Coe Skyline was captured by Claire Maxted.
Like The Fellrunner, the Scottish Hill Runners Journal is an esoteric publication, but diligent searching through back issues can uncover gems. The Art of Descending, referenced in Anatomy of the Ramsayist, is such a find. In the same chapter, I am also indebted to Mark Hartree – whose Ramsay’s Round report begins with the opening lyrics to the chorus of the Rolling Stones’ Honky Tonk Women, ‘I met a gin-soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis’ – for permission to use extracts from his musically-inspired account. Incidentally, the B-side to the album Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be is appropriately You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Similarly, Bill Johnson’s Charlie Ramsay and Me: A Tale of Obsession, which has also appeared in Calder Valley Fell Runners’ marvellously-named newsletter Sheepsheet, was enormously useful. Furthermore, in Anatomy of the Ramsayist, like a number of other chapters, I referenced Scottish Hill Racing, a website maintained by Chris Upson, providing race details and results dating back to 2005. A more detailed profile of Malcolm Patterson is included in Running Hard (2016), by Steve Chilton. I am also obliged to Renee McGregor for her insight into performance nutrition. Her running-specific book, Fast Fuel: Food for Running Success (2016), is particularly recommended.
A Way of Death was an especially hard chapter to write. I am grateful, therefore, for the blessing of Lynda Johnston, Alex Brett’s partner, and also for the contributions of Alex’s friends, notably Ross Bannerman. I am also thankful to Nick Macdonald and Alan Renville, who were prepared to speak frankly about the accidents that befell Peter Brooks and Martin Hulme respectively.
Davy Duncan’s A Journal for all Hill Runners and Other Eccentrics, as referenced in A Way of Life, remains accessible on the Ochil Hill Runners website. Much of the information on Harkabir Thapa stems from my previously-referenced Skye library and a brief history published on the Carnethy website.
The Stevenson quote in Finding My Way is taken from his poem Winter-time.
In writing Ambushed by Chno Dearg, I am particularly indebted to Glyn Jones, initially for allowing me to take copies of 24 pages of writing on his Tranter’s and Ramsay’s rounds, and later in letters. Glyn is the hero of this book and a source of personal inspiration, as alluded to in my conclusion to Glory. Much of the narrative in Ambushed by Chno Dearg was also derived from the meticulous reports of John Fleetwood, Shane Ohly, Tom Phillips and Jon Gay, as well as Dan Gay’s article in the Scottish Hill Runners Journal. I am appreciative also to Al Powell and Martin Moran for their timely input. Shane Ohly’s remarks on Donnie Campbell’s round were originally published on the UK Hillwalking website.
The Robbie Simpson interview referenced in Answering the Call is available on the Tracksmith website.
Further details of Jon Broxap’s 29-Munro round in Climb Every Mountain can be found in The Fellrunner and an article authored by Martin Moran in The Scots Magazine. There is a plethora of literature on various continuous running and walking rounds in Scotland, notably Andrew Dempster’s The Munro Phenomenon (1996), Hamish’s Mountain Walk (2010), by Hamish Brown, Hugh Symonds’ Running High (1991), Millennial Munros (2017), by Charlie Campbell, and Manny Gorman’s The Corbett Round (2014), all referenced in this chapter. Chris Townsend’s The Munros and Tops (1997) and Mike Cawthorne’s Hell of a Journey (2004) were also cross-referenced. The websites of Charlie Campbell, Chris Upson and Stephen Pyke offer further perspectives into the continuous Munro runs. Interviews with Rob Woodall on the Munros Scotland and the UK Hillwalking websites offer further insight into his prodigious bagging.
Angela Mudge and Martin Hyman were unwaveringly patient in various interviews for The Greatest. Martin’s impeccable files of his correspondence with Angela were essential to the narrative. Alex Menarry’s interview with Angela Mudge, published in the Carnethy Journal, offers a further perspective.
In Glory, I briefly reference the blogs of Alicia Hudelson and Pete Duggan.
Likewise in Beautiful Madness and Admiring the View, I refer to blog posts by Jonathan Albon, Sasha Chepelin and Jacob Adkin. For their contributions to Beautiful Madness, I am particularly grateful to Shane Ohly, the pupils of Strathyre Primary, Jason Henderson, Gordon Pryde, Richard Askwith, and to Roger Scrutton for his valuable insight into orienteering in Scotland.
Despite the traditionalism of hill running, social media and blogs were invaluable, and numerous titbits have been sourced from the likes of Attackpoint, Facebook, Instagram, Strava and Twitter.
Not all references are mentioned here, but I hope they are otherwise detailed in the text. I can only apologise for any oversights.
Beyond the sources listed above, I have, of course, spoken to hundreds of hill runners, past and present, from the front to the back. Many are not named in the narrative, but every conversation has helped to shape my understanding and appreciation of this wonderful sport. I must single out Ross Christie, however, who combines his love for the mountains with creatively mapping them, and it is his maps that adorn these pages.
It is right that my family are part of this story. It was hearing Arielle chanting ‘higher’ and wanting to ‘touch the sky’ as I pushed her on the swings in Morningside Park that inspired the phrase that first appears in the opening paragraph. To run among hills and mountains is to receive a calling; the same can be said of writing a book. So to Fi, Arielle and Aphra, for helping me do that, I am most grateful.
And finally: to the high places.