The Cairngorm hills of Scotland

A review by Joe Dorward

The Cairngorm hills of Scotland (1925)

By 1925 the ornithologist, and writer Seton Gordon had been visiting the Cairngorms for almost two decades. Over those years he had developed such an intimate knowledge of the Cairngorms (it seems probable) that no other writer in the country was more qualified to write on the subject.

This book gives fascinating insights into life among the Cairngorms in the early 20th century.  At that time they were entirely on 'private' estates.  Seton Gordon shares his intimate knowledge of the area, and it's people, acquired over those two decades.  He acquired that intimate knowledge by spending a great deal of time exploring the Cairngorms, and from befriending, and talking to the people who really knew them best - the ones who actually lived, and worked among them.

The following passages from the book show how well he knew the Cairngorms.  They give us a keen insight into the landscape itself, and the lives of the people who lived, and worked among the Cairngorms at the beginning of the 20th century.

Caledonian Forest

In nearly all the high glens of the Cairngorms one sees relics of the Old Caledonian Forest.  The tree line at its greatest height - namely, in Glen Derry and Glen Quoich - now barely touches the 2,000 feet contour, but in past ages trees grew much higher.  In Glen Giusachan and Glen Lui Beg one finds mighty stumps half embedded in peat almost up to 2,400 feet.  They were fine trees, but they have left no successors, and now there is not a fir tree in all the upper reaches of these glens

- Gordon (1925) (p13)

There are partially exposed stumps, well over the 2,000 ft. contour, in all the upper glens, not just the ones Seton Gordon mentions.  In July 2009 - I wasn't looking, but I noticed exposed stumps not far below the Coire Etchachan Shelter ; and in Gleann Dhé just below An Garbh-choire.

Donald Fraser

There are a few clearings in the forest near Derry Lodge, and I well remember how old Donald Fraser, the stalker at the Derry, used to play golf here in his spare moments - and in winter there were many.  Fraser was a great personality ; he must have been known to thousands of mountaineers, for he had always a cheery greeting for the climber after a long day on the hill.  On his home course he was a cunning golfer, although I do not suppose he had every played on any links away from his glen ... now Donald ''is lost to the mountain ; is gone from the forest,'' and I doubt if it would be possible to find the old course

- Gordon (1925) (p64)

Donald Fraser died in 1913 - and until his death he was the resident-stalker at Derry Lodge where he lived with his wife Elizabeth, and daughter Mary.  This quote gives a good idea of how well, and how early Seton Gordon had gotten to know Donald Fraser.

Zeppelin L20

In the summer of 1921 one of the Mar stalkers discovered on the hill-side about his house what he imagined to be a bomb dropped by the Zeppelin.  The Prince of Wales, who was stalking in the forest at the time, sent the supposed ''bomb'' to the Air Ministry for identification.  Here it was recognized as a flare used to ascertain whether an airship were over land or water : it was undoubtedly dropped by L20 on her last ill-fated voyage

- Gordon (1925) (p75)

This stalker was Sandy MacDonald who lived at Luibeg Cottage, and the 'bomb' is actual, physical evidence of the Zeppelin flight.  This is one of the most interesting episodes in the history of Mar Forest - imagine being there on the night of 2nd May 1916 when the Zeppelin flew over.

Charles Robertson

Old Charles Robertson, who for many years was watcher at the Corrour bothy in Glen Dee, in his spare hours searched assiduously for Cairngorm stones.  On one occasion he and another stalker were crossing the face on Monadh Mor.  There was a deer drive in Glen Giusachan that day, at which the late King Edward was present, and the two stalkers were hurrying, when suddenly they saw some fine Cairngorm crystals peeping above the ground in the sand be side a small burn.  There was no time to dig out the crystals, but the spot was hastily marked and a few days later Robertson returned thinking to find the stones.  No trace of them could be seen, not were subsequent searches more profitable

- Gordon (1925) (p189)

Charles Robertson died in 1933 at the age of 99 years.  This story, must have been one of the many Seton Gorndon heard from Charles Robertson during the many evenings spent in front of the peat, and bog-fir fires at the bothy when Seton Gordon based himself there.