Scotland's Mountain Landscapes

'This is much, much more than a book about Scotland’s diverse mountains, it’s staggering range of rock types of differing ages and the many processes operating here through deep time, many millions of years ago, through ice ages to today’s weathering, erosion and deposition. The book as a whole tells a very coherent, detailed story of the development of the mountain landscapes we observe today and how these landscapes may look in the future. It is not a book of published scientific papers, equations and technical academic jargon, nor does the author shy away from all of those, but hits the middle ground, and the book is immensely readable and wonderfully illustrated… I found Colin Ballantyne’s book to be very accessible and, although I read it cover to cover, it is also one to easily dip into. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in mountains, from the walker and budding geologist through to those who study the mountains of Scotland.' Proceedings of the OUGS

'The book is well illustrated throughout with the explanatory figures clearly presented and hopefully understandable by most. The number of such figures sets it clearly apart from a coffee table book. There are copious and excellent photographs throughout which are for the most-part presented at the size more familiar to readers of academic texts, i.e. there are few full page photographs. I think this book will provide a welcome resource for many who venture into the Scottish mountains on foot, on bikes, in their cars, on coaches or on the train, as many mountain landscapes can be seen from the vantage points of road and rail. There is an index of locations, and one for the mountains and hills, and these are likely to become well-thumbed pages by readers in search of an explanation for some part of the landscape which they have just observed. Colin’s academic background is finally revealed by a short section which provides references to ‘Further reading’ for those who are interested in delving deeper. I stated that Colin had set himself a daunting challenge with his aim for this book and I think he has achieved this, in as far as it is possible to do so. It provides an accessible explanation to the relevant solid earth and surface processes, however, the more complex and nuanced explanations, may be more challenging for some. If you have experienced the Scottish mountains and found yourself, at some point, wondering “why does it look like that” or “what is that mound” or “what is that hollow”, then this book may well provide an answer for you. I found it a very enjoyable read and I am sure that so will very many others.' Scottish Geographical Journal

'As a hillwalker who has tramped Scotland's mountain landscape regularly for over 30 years and spent countless days surrounded by and wandering through the diverse and contrasting upland areas of this country it has been a pleasure to sit down with this book and review these past adventures in a new light. Most of us who head to the hills frequently have to contrast our delight at being immersed in our favourite highland landscapes with very scant knowledge of how the individual characters of these mountain areas were formed. Typically, we will of course be aware to some extent of the volcanic origin of some of our favourite haunts, the impact of glaciers on the topography and the effect of erosion on our mountain ranges. Ballantyne s book though takes these grains of knowledge and expands them with a very thorough and exceptionally well researched record of the formation and evolution of the landscape which forms our playgrounds. This reader's previous efforts to explore Scotland s geological past have floundered on other authors overly scientific and dry presentation. Ballantyne's book contains plenty of science and technical information, but it is written in an easier to read style that is very palatable to the non-expert. The book contains fascinating insights into many mountain areas that have been frequently visited in the past, but which will be looked on with fresh eyes the next time round. There are plenty illustrations and photographs highlighting the descriptive text and putting the research into context. This book would make an excellent gift for anyone who enjoys walking the Scottish hills or who is simply fascinated by this rich landscape of ours.' Norrie Shand Secretary, The 45 Degrees Mountaineering Club

'Scotland’s Mountain Landscapes: A Geomorphological Perspective provides a highly engaging and technically comprehensive guide to the development of Scotland’s upland terrain. The book is presented largely as a journey through time, starting with the formation and tectonic movement of the rocks that form the present-day Scottish landmass, to subsequent shaping of this terrain by weathering, glacial, periglacial, fluvial and slope processes. The book aims to find the middle ground between the academic literature, full of technical jargon, and more popular accounts that are often lacking in scientific detail. To enable the reader to navigate through the specialist terminology that is required to achieve any level of detailed explanation, each chapter begins by systematically outlining the key terms and concepts required to understand the richly detailed, Scotland-specific, remainder of the chapter. The overall result is an excellent account of the evolution of Scotland’s mountain landscapes. Colour diagrams and some impressive photographs throughout provide a powerful visual accompaniment to the detailed descriptions and process explanations, although in places I wish that features of interest within photographs had been directly labelled or highlighted. The book will be enjoyed by academics, students and non-specialists alike; anyone with an interest in the rich geomorphological history of the Scottish uplands… The major strength of the book lies in its ability to synthesise the vast body of literature associated with the evolution of Scotland’s landscapes into a manageable account, without scrimping on detail. This is no easy feat given the range of disciplines (geology, geochronology, glaciology, various strands of geomorphology, etc.) that the book draws upon, and the many complex debates on landform or geochronological interpretation within each subject area or locality. In general, the book manages to delicately navigate any contentious landform-process interpretations, and a range of potential explanations is often included. Non-specialists who just want to dip into the book may struggle as the text often relies on knowledge gained in a previous chapter. However, those who read the book from start to finish will be well rewarded with a comprehensive and fascinating account of the geological and geomorphological history of Scotland’s mountain landscapes. Overall, the book was a pleasure to read, providing a great overview with something for readers of all specialisms and backgrounds.' The Holocene