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BOOK REVIEWS
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How Scotland is Owned by Robin Callander.
Published in association with WWF Scotland,
by Canongate. 226pp, ISBN 0-86-241772-4
The timing of the publication of this interesting and extremely informative book is significant, coming shortly after Andy Wightman's "Who Owns Scotland" and just before the setting up of a Scottish Parliament which is likely to address the reform of Scotland's land tenure systems soon after it is set up. The book must, therefore, be essential reading for all aspiring members of the new Parliament, but it must surely be of interest to others, be they home owners, tenants, land owners or even mountaineers for the chapter dealing with Rights Retained in the Public Interest considers de facto access and the "freedom to roam." Readers, whoever they may be, should not be deterred by the author's warning in his preface "that it is not a light and easy read." Be that as it may, the format of the book in five sections, each of the first four followed by chapter summaries and conclusions, and the fifth by the last chapter entitled "Conclusions", makes for easier reading but the temptation to turn to the summaries must be resisted.
The section titles:- The Current Systems of Land Ownership; The Nature of Land Ownership; Public Rights in Land; The Ownership of Land; and Land Tenure Reform are slightly daunting for the layman, but cover such diverse and interesting topics as Scotland's feudal system, the role of the Crown, the extent of Scotland's sovereign territory, the Crown Estate, the ownership of air space, Royal animals, a land register, crofting tenure and sporting rights, to mention just a few.
It is remarkable that a book dealing with such a legally complex and involved subject is the work of someone who is not himself a lawyer but a self-employed adviser on rural land use and community development issues in Scotland. In addition to the text the notes and references are evidence of the depth and thoroughness of his research.
The proposals which Robin Callander advances for land tenure reform are only intended as examples of what might be done. They are put forward to stimulate further discussion and debate which, hopefully, will lead to a consensus enabling the democratically-elected representatives of the people of Scotland in the new Scottish Parliament to draft suitable legislation for the new millennium.
It is worth taking the time, and making the effort, to read and study this book.
Dougal Roy
The Killing of the Countryside by Graham Harvey.
Published by Vintage.
218pp ISBN 0-09-973661-6
 This book is a vigorous and splenetic tirade directed against the agricultural subsidy system. Considering the barn door proportions of this target, it is hardly surprising that the author scores a direct hit.
Large scale subsidies were first introduced by the post-war Labour government, but have continued in various forms to the present day, with a shift of responsibility to the EU under the Common Agricultural Policy. Graham Harvey describes the way in which this policy has encouraged agricultural intensification, in conjunction with vigorous exhortations from the Ministry of Agriculture. This process has in turn resulted in vastly increased fertiliser and pesticide inputs and the large scale loss of hedgerows and hay meadows, and has shifted the balance of British agriculture away from small-scale mixed farms and towards large-scale agri-businesses. The resulting environmental and social impacts have therefore been accomplished at the taxpayer's expense. As if this were not bad enough, incentives for environmentally sympathetic management must match the level of EC support in order to have any hope of success. This central message is both timely and forcefully conveyed, and should do much to raise public awareness of the absurd economic climate created by the subsidy system.
Having said this, I must say that I found some aspects of the book rather disappointing. A number of chapters come across as a repetition of the same basic argument with slightly different slants, and statistics are frequently used in a rather poorly focused manner. Unfortunately, the book also deals most extensively with agricultural practice in the lowlands. The uplands, which constitute roughly one third of the UK land surface, are only discussed in a single chapter, and even this concentrates primarily on examples drawn from south of the border. While the author is obviously completely entitled to choose his own subject matter, I suspect that this will reduce the appeal of the book to a Scottish, and especially mountaineering, audience. This is a great pity. Although many hillgoers will be more concerned about the loss of heather moorland than the drainage of the Somerset Levels, the broader message of the book is certainly relevant to much of Scotland.Mark Wrightman
Rights of Way - the Authority of Case Law
illustrated through 79 summaries and commentaries,
published by the Scottish Rights of Way Society
As indicated by the title, this little book is a series of short summaries of significant Scots law cases either directly pertaining to rights of way or relevant to some issue arising from such rights. The summaries have all been prepared by a team of solicitors. The book is designed to be used (rather than "read") in conjunction with its companion volume, also published by SROWS, "Rights of Way - A Guide to the Law in Scotland." This earlier guide, in its outline of the law, referred throughout to the reported Scottish cases, but the significance of these, and indeed of case law in general may have been lost on the lay reader. This book fills the gap, and in addition, in the introduction, provides a succinct and informative explanation, for the lay reader, of the Scottish court system and the use and significance of case law.
The cases are summarised in the following manner: a rubric containing the salient points; the facts; the arguments put forward by both parties; the court's decision; and then, helpfully, a comment on the significance of the case, which may well not be immediately obvious. The summaries include the famous case of Torrie v Duke of Atholl, which established for the first time the right of members of the public to take action to vindicate a right of way (in this case it was the route between Blair Atholl and Braemar through Glen Tilt); the 1887 case of SROW Ltd v MacPherson in which the Court declared that there was a right of way from Auchallater to Glen Clova over Jock's Road; and Wills Trustees v Cairngorm Canoeing and Sailing School Ltd, which established a public right of navigation in the Spey. As can be seen, not all of the case summaries relate purely to the constitution of rights of way, and others, besides walkers, will find something of interest. Cyclists should be aware of the salutary case of Quinn v Cunningham. The cases do not always result, of course, in a declaration of a public right of way - there are cases which will demonstrate to a proprietor the kind of action to take if the right is disputed. Walkers may also be surprised to note how few of these rights of way actually arise from ancient use of tracks through Highland moors, and how many important points of principle have been derived over the last two hundred years from mundane commercial disputes in unromantic places such as Partick or Cumbernauld.
The cases are all carefully cross-referenced to the relevant pages of the Guide to the Law, and there is a good index by subject matter or key points. The book does contain a caveat, namely that the cases are "hugely condensed", and for real understanding the original case should be read in full. Nevertheless, for any lay person professionally involved with rights of way it would certainly be an essential tool of the trade. Equally, since law libraries are not easy of access, any non-legal user of rights of way, who has the earlier book, and who felt that their grasp of the subject was somehow incomplete (or who had an argumentative temperament) would find these summaries illuminating. Margaret Hodge
The Scottish Peaks by W.A. Poucher.
Published by Constable, London (1965)
1998 edition revised by Kev Howett and Tom Prentice,
517pp, ISBN 0 09 47580
 This volume is the eighth Edition of W.A Poucher's 'Scottish Peaks' first published in 1965 as a companion to his earlier pictorial Guides the' Lakeland Peaks'(1960) and the 'Welsh Peaks' (1962). All these were based to a large extent on his lavishly illustrated books of mountain ascents in various parts of Britain, which gained considerable popularity amongst the burgeoning number of walkers in the immediately post-war years.
While hill-faring in the Scottish mountains had been covered since pre-war times by the District Guide series of the S M C, in the 1950's no comparable information was readily available south of the Border and Poucher's English and Welsh guides certainly served a useful purpose to anyone unfamiliar with our less- favoured neighbours' hills, including visitors from abroad. I used them extensively myself and to judge from the number of reprints they still seem to have a ready sale. They are compact and comprehensive although beginning to show their age in aesthetic appeal.
The Scottish Peaks, however, although similarly compact is a "select" guide and by no means comprehensive. The visitor from furth of Scotland will look in vain for such notable mountains as Ben Lomond, Ben Lawers, Schiehallion, the Fannichs and many others. It does, certainly, only claim to cover "the safe ascent of its most spectacular mountains"( Title Page) and I would have preferred this to be more evident on the covers. That being accepted, Poucher's choice was good as any. However modern hill-goers, especially those touched by the cult of Munro and Corbett bagging (and that means almost everyone!) are if anything now over- served with comprehensive volumes in colour. Still, the frequent reprints of "The Scottish Peaks" must presumably speak for themselves.
In the several editions of this book various upgrading and route checking have been made, the latest being by Kev Howett and Tom Prentice, who are certainly well equipped to the task and a useful revision of the introductory section of 95 pages has been made. In modern times I feel that the 28pp on mountain photography, correct though it may be, is a bit over the top and shows a hangover from Poucher's personal interests which gained him an Hon. FRPS. New maps have been drawn and some seem to have been modified to agree with new text, although I have not compared them with the originals. Not all lines shown are described.
While most hills have at least one route generally similar to what is now currently taken to be standard, some suggested variants are less practical - but make up your own mind, remembering that Poucher was to some extent a pioneer and probably the variants are none the worse for that. However it should be remembered that the routes are of variable standard and some involve significant scrambling. These are usually accompanied by some cautionary remarks, so read the text carefully. For instance routes 21 and 22 - Aonach Dubh by Ossian's Cave face and Dinner Time Buttress- are interesting ways which are classified "as for the experienced scrambler", but they seem to have been included in their own right for this reason. I feel that an easier route to the top might have been suggested for the less expert who might want to include it on the way to Stob Coire nan Lochan by the Coire of that name. By the same token route 36 - Ben Nevis by Carn Dearg is a bit unnecessary. It certainly has a well-deserved weather warning , but is a bit of a potential ankle-breaker from which I have helped to retrieve a disconsolate (admittedly shoe-clad) walker. Probably more significantly route 46 is confused on the map and does not go up the East end of Liathach (like Christian Almer and the Matterhorn "It may go, but I'm not going !"), moreover it would take you up to the E of Stuc a' Choire Duibh Bhig and you would not "turn R" for the summit. The map route 46 does not seem to be that shown on Plate 105, which , give or take a bit, makes a "Bee-line" to what are evidently the "two gullies" of the text. These might be more easily reached by following the unnumbered route which starts about 2km down the Glen where a path is shown on the OS maps and is commonly now taken.
Apart from Route 46 there are one or two other misfits between the map and text. One is route 42 where to agree with the map park at (P) of map 13, not at Glenshiel bridge as per text. The route up from (P) is that currently used ( although it can be very slippery in thin wet snow). Map 18 has one of the unfortunate slips which (as I know too well!) can cause an Editor to blush! For "Loch Broom" read "Loch Maree". The map 29 of Route 66 does not agree with the text, showing this as an ascent by Coire na Ciste from Glenmore Lodge which is not that described. The text description starts at the foot of the Ski Road up to the bends, then takes the ridge between the road and Coire na Ciste. The described track is shown on the current O.S. map , but Clach Bharraig is not. It was shown on the older 1" maps before the modification of the zig-zags.(I am told this big boulder still exists).
Throughout my reading of the Scottish Peaks I found it very irritating that so many of the pages lack numbers and one is constantly thumbing through the photos to find where the next bit of text (itself not always numbered) might lie sandwiched.
Given the appreciation that the Scottish Peaks is Poucher's selection of spectacular mountains and by no means a complete guide book to all Scottish hills, it serves that purpose. Above all it is compact. It could be a satisfactory introduction to many people wanting a "Trial Visit" and especially those from abroad. It has benefited from the new material of its introductory pages (some of which could be read with advantage by all hillgoers). A very telling plus point is of course its numerous illustrations which, apart from serving the text descriptions, although in monochrome could provide many folk with nostalgic memories of the hills.
As most hillgoers North and South of the Border are now dedicated to the pursuit of Munros, Corbetts and even lesser hills it faces stiff competition from more comprehensive and colourful books.
Scott Johnstone
Climbing Lessons - Inside Outdoor Education by Pete McDonald.Published by Pete McDonald.
ISBN 0-473-04870-1, 379pp
The book is a series of stories which span the development of Pete McDonald's interest in the outdoors and rock climbing, the way he drifted into a career as an outdoor education instructor and about his experiences in residential centres working with young people.
The title is clever as each chapter is a separate anecdote recording what could be described in the modern jargon as a "learning outcome." The book can be dipped into as each of the anecdotes are complete in themselves.
It describes the process of escape from the city to the hills and picks out very clearly the stages through which local authority outdoor centres have passed since the late 60's to the present day. As a former instructor myself, with a career spanning the same years, the book was a fascinating read. It is hard to believe that someone else down in Derbyshire could have experiences so similar to my own in Wales and Scotland. Particularly interesting is the evolution of thinking about outdoor instruction and the changes which have occurred. Pete McDonald has a very readable style with a very amusing turn of phrase and describes former students and colleagues with sympathy and humour. His love of the countryside and lonely places is well-expressed. However, there is nothing romantic about this book, it shows the people and centres described warts and all. It is in my opinion a true and accurate record. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of some of the well-known personalities of the profession, and his experiences when climbing as an amateur.
For anyone with any experience of outdoor pursuits instruction, or interest in some of the commanding figures of outdoor education, this book will prove to be a very worthwhile and enjoyable read. I would particularly commend it to anybody aspiring to a career in outdoor education or the leisure and recreation industry. It has the quality to become a "cult" classic.
Nick Halls
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