'Most works of mountain literature are written by men, and most of them focus on the goal of the summit.  Nan Shepherd's aimless, sensual exploration of the Cairngorms is bracingly different.' - Robert Macfarlane

In this masterpiece of nature writing, Nan Shepherd describes her journeys into the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland. There she encounters a world that can be breathtakingly beautiful at times and shockingly harsh at others.

Her intense, poetic prose explores and records the rocks, rivers, creatures and hidden aspects of this remarkable landscape. Shepherd spent a lifetime in search of the 'essential nature' of the Cairngorms; her quest led her to write this classic meditation on the magnificence of mountains, and on our imaginative relationship with the wild world around us.

Composed during the Second World War, the manuscript of The Living Mountain lay untouched for more than thirty years before it was finally published.

Why Novel North Recommends

‘An inspiration to engage with the majesty and intricacies of the natural world. Nan Shepherd’s writing is evocative and observed, taking us with her to peaks, inlets and glass like surfaces.  It’s a nourishing read, capturing the vibrancy of seasons, even in the seemingly dreariest of moments.  An invitation to pause.’

Author : Nan Shepherd

Edition : Canongate, Paperback, 114 pages

ISBN : 9780857861832

An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky

What We See in the Stars Kelsey Oseid is a richly illustrated guide to the myths, histories, and science of the celestial bodies of our solar system, with stories and information about constellations, planets, comets, the northern lights, and more.

Combining art, mythology, and science, What We See in the Stars is a tour of the night sky through more than a hundred magical pieces of original art, all accompanied by text that weaves related legends and lore with scientific facts.

This beautifully packaged book covers the night sky's most brilliant features such as constellations, the moon, the bright stars, and the visible planets, as well as less familiar celestial phenomena like the outer planets, nebulae, and deep space. Adults seeking to recapture the magic of youthful stargazing, younger readers interested in learning about natural history and outer space, and those who appreciate beautiful, hand-painted art will all delight in this charming book.Author : Kelsey Oseid

Edition : Pan Macmillan, Hardback, 160 pages

ISBN : 9780752266510

Published : 5th October 2015

Weight: 620g
Dimensions: 210 x 210 x 18mm

'And all of a sudden the world was strange

With the strangeness of things that seem

More familiar the more they change,

Like the queer, familiar forms that range

Through the wide lands of dream.'

- Nan Shepherd, The Flood

 In Shepherd's only poetry collection, she captures the essence of what is to be in the isolation and wilderness of Scotland's breathtaking Cairngorms, her words speaking to the soul of anyone who loves to explore the outdoors.

Author : Nan Shepherd

Edition : Galileo Paperback, 64 pages

ISBN : 9781903385333 

'By speaking of greater forces than we can possibly invoke, and by confronting us with greater spans of time than we can possibly envisage, mountains refute our excessive trust in the man-made. They pose profound questions about our durability and the importance of our schemes. They induce, I suppose, a modesty in us.' - Robert Macfarlane

Enchanting and transporting.  Mountains of the Mind engages all senses, inspiring awe and wonder through Macfarlane's wonderfully observed perceptions.  Challenges both mind and physical self.

Author : Robert Macfarlane

Edition : Granta, Paperback, 320 pages

ISBN : 9781847080394