In Upland Ian Crofton takes a broad sweep through the British hills from the North Downs to the Cairngorms. Along the way he skilfully weaves together personal and family stories, prehistory and history, literature, art, geology, nature and more in a glorious mix of everything the hills have to offer.
As his journey progresses we meet a cast of characters – painters, poets, mountaineers, novelists, philosophers, conservationists, campaigners, geologists – and a cast of landscapes that show the richness and diversity of our mountain culture, all entwined with the author’s own upland journeys.
The ‘time’ of the subtitle has several strands – the eons of geology, prehistoric time when stones were erected and white horses carved whose purposes we can only guess, historical time with many characters and attitudes to the hills, and the author’s own lifetime. The author flows between these expertly and entertainingly.
This rich mix of subjects is wonderful, a complete look at everything the hills have to offer rather than an account of a walks or a climb. The author muses on his own life too and how he has changed, just as the hills have changed.
In the introduction the author asks if we should live up to our responsibilities as guardians of the land rather than exploiters and conquerors. The author’s answer is clear, his writing capturing his passion and love for the hills. His concern is explicit in the afterword where he discusses rewilding and quotes the great American environmentalist Aldo Leopold’s land ethic. He discusses access too and laments how limited it is in England and Wales.
This book is excellent with much to enjoy and to learn. I’ll be reading it again. Highly recommended.
Upland: A Journey through Time and the Hills is published by Birlinn (paperback, £18.99 )
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