Cameron McNeish is recognized as Britain's best-known advocate for wilderness. This book takes the reader on a journey to wild places: climbing one of North America's most dangerous volcanoes; traversing the Haute Route through France and Switzerland; following the Spanish sun in the Sierra de Aitana; learning wilderness philosophy from John Muir; and exploratory trekking in the Panch Chuli region of the Indian Himalaya.

Foreword v Acknowledgements vi Introduction 1 Wilderness Connections 7 The holy grail of the wilderness traveller. A Rare Solitude on Beinn Damh 23 Winter in Torridon. An Alaskan Vision on the Hill of St Fheargain 26 The Farragons, Perthshire. Ben A'an, Lowly but Loved 29 A Trossachs miniature. Haute Route - Chamonix to Zermatt 33 A wilderness paradox. Ben Alder, A Hill Worth Raven About 45 Ben Alder, Inverness-shire. Beyond Lovely Loch a' Bhraoin 49 A walk in the Fannichs. Beyond the Cabrach 52 The eastern Highlands. Encounters of a Natural Kind 56 A celebration of order and harmony. Bikes, Sore Bums and the Old Brae 68 Seana Bhraigh, a remote Munro. Boreraig and the Tears of the Tide 72 Coastal Walking on Skye. Cascades, Cateracts and Coombs 76 White Coomb and the Grey Mare's Tail, Borders. An Exploratory Trek in the Kumaon Himalaya 80 A journey to Panch Chuli. Coigach and the Fiddler 89 Great Hills just north of Ullapool. Contrasts of Affric 92 Carn Eighe and Mam Sodhail. Demon Voices and the Demon Drink 96 Ben Rinnes in Morayshire. Cairn Gorm - An Arena of Conflict 99 Suggested solutions for the future. Dods of Hills on the Kingledoors Horseshoe 110 A walk in the Culter fells. Guardian of Glen Etive 113 The Buachaille Etive Mor, Argyll. Hills of the Dead End 116 The Kinlochleven hills. From Paradise to Columbia Crest 120 An ascent of Mount Rainier. In the Acclivities of the Mountain 129 Climbing A' Ghlas-bheinn, Kintail. In the Throne of the Mountain King 133 Beinn Eighe of Torridon. Inside and Out on the Roof of Scotland 137 An Ascent of Beinn Macdui, Cairngorms. The Way of the Prophet 141 In the footsteps of John Muir Meall a 'Buachaille and the Kincardines 150 Smaller neighbours of the Cairngorms. No Summit Here Just Space 154 A Walk on the Moine Mhor, Cairngorms. No Timeless Wonder in Flowerdale 157 Geological time spans in Torridon. The Heart of Scotland - A Land Redeemed 161 The Central Highlands Way. Supping from the Hill of the Quaich 171 Meall Chuaich in Badenoch. The Barren Rocks of Aden 174 The rough bounds of Knoydart. In Wilderness is the Preservation of the Mind 177 Stress relief in the wilderness. The Complex Sensuality of Beinn a' Ghlo 188 Beinn a' Ghlo, Perthshire. The Corrieyairick Forest 191 General Wade's road from Laggan to Fort Augustus. Sun and Sierras of the South 194 Jaunts in Southern Spain The Corryhully Horseshoe 201 Two Munros near Glenfinnan, Lochaber. The Legacy of the Shining Levels 204 Spidean Mialach and Gleouraich, Highland. Shadows of Reality in the Ancient Stones 207 Senses and spirit of place. The Munros of Mullardoch 219 Remote hills west of Beauly. The Strathfarrar Four 222 The four Munros of Glen Strathfarrar. The Sublimity and Blackness of Dark Lochnagar 225 Ruskinian descriptions of Lochnagar, Grampian. Land Use Lessons of Knoydart 228 Land reform in the Highlands. Bibliography 241 Index 243