Why Bidean?

Why choose Bidean as the first walking guide?

Bidean is a fascinatingly complex massif, consisting of two Munros and a further seven subsidiary summits. The whole range dominates Glen Coe and includes iconic peaks such as the three sisters, the evocatively named lost valley and the sinister gash of Ossian’s cave on Aonach Dubh. This is mountain architecture at its very best. We could, of course, have gone with the equally compelling Ben Nevis for the inaugural book, but we decided on Glen Coe first for the sheer stunning variety of interesting routes. A second book is already in the planning stage, which will include the rest of Glen Coe, including Aonach Eagach and Buachaille Etive Mor. After that, who knows? We have already had votes for the Mamores and the Cuillin, so perhaps our readership will decide…

A definitive look to the walking guides

We also had a definite vision of how the guidebook would look, both in its aesthetic and for the information contained within, and Bidean fitted the bill perfectly. This being the birthplace of mountaineering in Scotland, Glen Coe fitted with our old school approach seamlessly. Classic mountain heritage deserves a classic look, and that decided our design for the book throughout.

After a good eighteen months of working on the project, my love for the massif has only grown, and I think that is a huge testimony to the mountain. I could quite happily reach for my boots now and spend another eighteen months exploring, sketching, photographing and describing this remarkable mountain maze called Bidean nam Bian.