The Cairngorms

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The Cairngorms
Author Adam Watson
Illustrator James Renny
Country Scotland
Language English
Publisher The Scottish Mountaineering Trust
Publication date 1928
Media type Hardcover
Pages 302

The Cairngorms is a book published in various editions from 1928, intended as wide-ranging ‘handbook’ for walkers and climbers, that describes the geology, and geography of the mountainous region of Scotland known as the Cairngorms, and its surrounding areas.

[edit] Editions

Year Details Pages
1928 First edition - written by Henry Alexander 218
1968 Major revision - by Adam Watson, J C Donaldson, G Scott Johnstone, I H M Smart
1975 Rewrite - by Adam Watson 302

[edit] 1975

Although entitled The Cairngorms, this edition at least, covers the whole north-east of Scotland. It is a useful reference for finding places, and place-names in the Cairngorms that don't appear on any maps, or are miss spelled. Adam Watson has paid special attention to correct spelling of these places, and place-names, and giving local pronunciations for them - emphasising local:

The most accurate pronunciations are given by older local people who have lived all their lives in a small area and who's parents also lived there

Watson (1975) (p21)

It is interesting that he is not giving the Gaelic pronunciations, which could be obtained from any authority on the language, but he has collected the local-Gaelic pronunciations of these places, and place-names. For example - when discussing Beinn a' Bhùird he gives the local-pronunciation as Paing Bòrd when the wider typical pronunciation is more like Ben a Voord.