What’s in store for 2025
An introduction to the year ahead — which is shaping up to be a very exciting one — from Publisher and Chief Executive of the Press, Rob Lovell.
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I hope you’ve all had a smooth start to 2025. After a damp lead-up to Christmas, the weather has been absolutely fantastic for winter climbing, with routes being tackled all over Scotland. I managed just one route during the cold spell, but it was one I’d been wanting to climb for years – a memory that will certainly stay with me. These days, my winters seem to be characterised by only managing to get out a handful of times, and it feels like this season will be no different. My goal this year is to stay motivated for winter and rock climbing, as well as mountain biking, all at the same time – while being as flexible as possible to make best use of whatever weather we have. However, as any climber knows, it’s so difficult to stay excited about winter climbing once you’ve touched rock… fingers crossed the cold conditions return!
It’s been a while since I updated you on our work here at the Press, so here’s a bit of news about what you can expect over the coming months. From a publications perspective, we have two books launching imminently. Northern Horizons, our first foray into running in the hills, will be launched at the Fort William Mountain Festival (more on the festival later). Advance copies have arrived from the printer, and it looks fantastic. The book came about after a conversation with a contributor to our very first Press book, The Great Sea Cliffs of Scotland. What Will Herman has created is truly special. The book provides both inspiration and detailed guidance for some fantastic journeys through the hills of Cumbria and Scotland. It weaves narratives exploring the history, social and environmental factors of these landscapes, alongside stories of those who have travelled through them, all paired with stunning imagery that will transport you to the mountains. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one.
In March, we’ll be releasing our very first work of fiction, which also happens to be our first book for children. I Don’t Do Mountains is an eco-adventure that tells the story of a group of children who head to the hills on a school trip, only to find themselves alone and witnesses to a wildlife crime. Kenzie and her friends – who don’t initially get along – must work together to survive their journey into the mountains and uncover what happened to their mountain leader. Aimed at 8–12-year-olds, the book introduces young readers to a range of topics associated with the mountains, and author Barbara Henderson has done a brilliant job with this exciting page-turner and early reviews have been fantastic! We’re already organising events for this publication, so if you’re interested in Barbara visiting a school near you, do get in touch.
Looking further ahead, we have at least three new SMC guidebooks in production, covering scrambling, climbing, and ski mountaineering. These are expected to be released over the course of the year. We’ll keep you updated and will share more information soon. We also have a healthy pipeline of guidebooks planned for the coming years, with contributors hard at work on projects for both summer and winter. Guidebooks are incredibly complex to produce, so we’re hugely grateful to our authors and everyone providing pictures and information. These books truly are a team effort!
The final book we’ll be publishing in 2025 is the much-anticipated The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland. The book is now in production and will be released in time to inspire you for the 2025/26 winter season. We’re planning an exciting series of events around this launch, beginning with an exclusive preview at the Fort William Mountain Festival. At this event, you’ll have the chance to see parts of the book, hear from authors Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost, and the exclusive opportunity to pre-order a copy.
Lastly, I’d like to remind you about the Fort William Mountain Festival. This three-day event is a wonderful gathering for everyone who loves the mountains. This year, we’re running five presentations, three workshops, and an exhibition space in and around Fort William. You can find out more in this article, and it would be lovely to see you at some of our events, which range from book launches and interviews to spoken word and musical performances. If you can’t make it to the events themselves, do stop by the Nevis Centre and say hello – our exhibition will be open all weekend. Hopefully see you there!
Cover image: Slioch and Torridon from A Chailleach, from Northern Horizons.