A journey through Britain’s uplands, weaving nature, history, and human connection to mountain landscapes. Fascinating and lyrical . . . A beautifully written celebration of a lifelong passion' – Stephen Venables The relationship of people with hills and mountains has been complex, rich and varied – from awe and wonder to fear and loathing, from spiritual longing to peaceful acceptance. As he explores our high places, Ian Crofton conjures up those who have been there before: Neolithic axe-makers, mass trespassers, shepherds, quarrymen, botanists, poets and pioneering cragsmen and women among them. At the same time, he is ever attuned to the present moment – a flash of bright moss in a bog, the swoop of an eagle above a skyline, a winter sun sinking into a sea of cloud. Following an arc from the gentle Downs of southern England to the wild peaks of Scotland’s far north, Upland combines personal experiences with a keen curiosity about the history and nature of mountain landscapes, and the people who once worked and wandered among them. The result is a meditation on the enduring yet ever-changing hills, on the transience of human experience, and on the shifts and twists of time itself. Locations included: Chilterns (following The Ridgeway) Malverns Snowdon Peak District Pennines Lake District Ben Nevis The Cuillin, Skye Assynt (Suilven) Cairngorms A fascinating and lyrical exploration of what the hills mean to those who have lived and worked among them, and to those who walk and climb among them today . . . A beautifully written celebration of a lifelong passion' Stephen Venables Ian Crofton was born in Edinburgh and worked for Collins in Glasgow before moving to London, where he has been a freelance writer and editor for 25 years. Previous books include Brewer's Dictionary of Curious Titles; Brewer's Britain and Ireland (with John Ayto); Brewer's Cabinet of Curiosities, A Dictionary of Art Quotations, History without the Boring Bits; Science without the Boring Bits; A Dictionary of Scottish Quotations.