Coming soon…
Halfway through a busy summer season, an update from the Rob on what we’ve been working on behind the scenes.
There’s been so much going on of late that it feels like an update is due. For the sake of space, I’ll spare you the details of recent rock-climbing endeavours, my foray into road cycling, or my ongoing attempts to tame the dandelions in the garden and the ever-growing piles of child-related cardboard and artwork that seem to multiply across every surface in the house. Let’s just say I thoroughly enjoyed watching spring arrive this year and, as we’ve moved into summer, I’ve appreciated the opportunity to make the most of the glorious weather (while doing my best to push the obvious questions about climate change to the back of my mind) and spend time outdoors with friends and family.
It’s been an exceptionally busy year for the Press so far. First and foremost, The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland, compiled and edited by Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost, has gone to print, and we’re expecting delivery to the warehouse at the start of October. The book, which picks up where Cold Climbs left off, presents the modern history of Scottish winter climbing—its characters, routes, ethics and evolution—told through a series of 32 evocative essays written by some of the sport’s leading activists. The accounts of ascent are brought to life by stunning photography from Hamish Frost, Ryan Balharry, and a range of other contributors. Launch activity will ramp up in the autumn, and you’ll find Guy and Hamish at both Kendal Mountain Festival and Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival in November. This book is a real treat for anyone who has climbed—or dreams of climbing—in the Scottish mountains during the winter months.
Hot on the heels of The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland, we have the Scottish Mountaineering Club’s brand-new edition of Ski Mountaineering in Scotland. This fully revised guide, covering the whole of Scotland, offers comprehensive route descriptions for over 140 tours, with new additions to classic routes, beautiful photography, and clear, intuitive maps. Whether you’re just starting out or an experienced skier looking for greater challenges, there’s something here for everyone. This new edition has been a long time coming, and we’re incredibly excited that publication is just around the corner.
I’ve always loved days out on lesser-trodden hills, so I’m especially thrilled that our final (we hope!) book of 2025 will be a brand-new edition of the SMC’s The Corbetts. Sitting alongside The Munros and The Grahams & The Donalds, it completes the series. This new edition has been fully revised from the previous version, with all routes revisited and rewritten, and features new photography and maps throughout. There’s still a bit of work to do, but we’re aiming for a pre-Christmas launch—though we may need Santa to pick them up on his way out! It’s going to be worth the wait.
Finally, we’re making excellent progress on Cleare Perspectives—an autobiography by John Cleare, and a very special project for us. We’re on track to publish in early 2026. John is often in our thoughts, and we can’t wait to share his story and photography in what promises to be a truly one-of-a-kind book.
I mentioned climate change earlier, and it certainly hasn’t escaped me that we, as a publisher of physical products, have an impact. While I haven’t written about this for a while, much has been happening behind the scenes. The Press continues to chair the Environmental Sustainability Group for Publishing Scotland, and at the beginning of the year, along with a cohort of fellow Scottish publishers, we took part in the Climate Springboard programme run by the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute. We’ve been working to identify where we can make a meaningful difference. As a team of individuals working from home with a very low operational footprint, we’ve focused on our supply chain, which represents our greatest source of emissions.
In an exciting development, and with the help of our print agent, we’ve now obtained source data to calculate the emissions generated across our supply chain—from the mills where the paper is produced, all the way to our UK warehouse. We’ve already committed to keeping print volumes low, to avoid future stock pulping, and having this baseline data is a crucial first step towards reducing the environmental impact of our books.