The Living Mountain: A Celebration of the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland
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- Create Date：2022-01-11 00:51:00
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Nan Shepherd
- ISBN：0857861832
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Serena R
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Bellissime descrizioni， paesaggi incredibili， sensazioni， percezioni， suoni。。。 una vera immersione a 360° nella montagna。
Sam Porter
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I thought the introduction was heavy going， but the book itself is beautifully written and inspiring。 I will take Nan Shepherd's advice and rather than rush to the top of the mountain， I will wander more， experience the whole and use all my senses。 I thought the introduction was heavy going， but the book itself is beautifully written and inspiring。 I will take Nan Shepherd's advice and rather than rush to the top of the mountain， I will wander more， experience the whole and use all my senses。 。。。more
Jonathan Gill
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A beautiful elegy to the Cairngorm mountains written just after the second world war but still feeling fresh today。 Nan Shepherd does not just walk in but totally inhabits the mountain range from the molten crust， the scree and precipices， the birds and plants and the relentless changing weather。 Has definitely inspired a trip to view the spring waters so clear that are the very essence of water that cannot be imagined。 Recommended for lovers of walking， nature， Scotland， folk history and mounta A beautiful elegy to the Cairngorm mountains written just after the second world war but still feeling fresh today。 Nan Shepherd does not just walk in but totally inhabits the mountain range from the molten crust， the scree and precipices， the birds and plants and the relentless changing weather。 Has definitely inspired a trip to view the spring waters so clear that are the very essence of water that cannot be imagined。 Recommended for lovers of walking， nature， Scotland， folk history and mountain dreamers。 。。。more
Lavinia Curletta
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Exquisite。 Every paragraph a treasure。 Oh， please read this！ The best way to describe this book has already been written in Jeanette Winterson's brilliant afterword:"Reading it seems to me to explain why reading is important。 And odd。 And necessary。 And not like anything else。"And:"。。。it takes a very particular and tiny subject and finds in it， or pulls out of it， a story about how we can understand the world。"And:"We don't remember the books that have mattered to us by the chronology of their s Exquisite。 Every paragraph a treasure。 Oh， please read this！ The best way to describe this book has already been written in Jeanette Winterson's brilliant afterword:"Reading it seems to me to explain why reading is important。 And odd。 And necessary。 And not like anything else。"And:"。。。it takes a very particular and tiny subject and finds in it， or pulls out of it， a story about how we can understand the world。"And:"We don't remember the books that have mattered to us by the chronology of their story-telling， but by the impression and effect of the story and of the language used to tell it。" 。。。more
Sally
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I have the audio version of this， and at first， I struggled to get into it。 I was interested in the subject matter and could appreciate the beauty of the writing， but I couldn't settle into it。And then I decided to listen to it on my walk one day。 I have headphones that don't block out the surrounding noise。 And that was the way into the book。 I didn't try retaining it， I just let the words run past me as I walked。 I don't know the Cairngorms， but as I walked through my Welsh hills， with the win I have the audio version of this， and at first， I struggled to get into it。 I was interested in the subject matter and could appreciate the beauty of the writing， but I couldn't settle into it。And then I decided to listen to it on my walk one day。 I have headphones that don't block out the surrounding noise。 And that was the way into the book。 I didn't try retaining it， I just let the words run past me as I walked。 I don't know the Cairngorms， but as I walked through my Welsh hills， with the wind in the trees， drizzle on my skin， the sheep， the birdsong and the water running down from the springs， that didn't really matter。 The description resonated with my experience of my own beloved mountains in Eryri/Snowdonia。 This doesn't mean that the particular was lost - but as Robert Macfarlane said in the introduction - the particular meets the universal。 It's a beautiful book and I think I'll need to buy a paper copy。 。。。more
Alex Wray
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Beautiful geo poems about a place obviously very dear to the authors heart。 It reminds you why you read and the travels reading can take you on。
Adrián Suárez López
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En "La montaña viva"， Nan Sheperd revela （casi como si de un confesión íntima se tratase， teniendo en cuenta la cantidad de años que este ensayo permaneció en un cajón desde que fue escrito hasta que fue publicado， ya al final de la vida de la escritora） el amor y la pasión que ella sentía por la geografía de los Cairngorms escoces cercanos a su tierra natal。 Un sentimiento elevado， sublime， espiritual， casi místico， y prácticamente inefable， que en este texto trata de explicar con palabras。 El En "La montaña viva"， Nan Sheperd revela （casi como si de un confesión íntima se tratase， teniendo en cuenta la cantidad de años que este ensayo permaneció en un cajón desde que fue escrito hasta que fue publicado， ya al final de la vida de la escritora） el amor y la pasión que ella sentía por la geografía de los Cairngorms escoces cercanos a su tierra natal。 Un sentimiento elevado， sublime， espiritual， casi místico， y prácticamente inefable， que en este texto trata de explicar con palabras。 El resultado es una obra delicada， preciosista， plenamente conocedora de aquello de lo que habla， （precedida además de un acertado prólogo de Robert Macfarlane）， convertida en un clásico del "nature writting"。 No obstante， como quizás acostumbran los libros de este género， la minuciosidad de las descripciones visuales y objetiva de la Naturaleza y el paisaje （al fin y al cabo inimaginables para el lector que no conoce esa geografía）， restan protagonismo a los pasajes reflexivos que， aun siendo más esporádicos， son los que elevan de verdad la calidad de la obra。 La consecuencia es un texto brillante en su comienzo y su final， con destellos esporádicos en sus capítulos centrales， y bastantes páginas centrales más insustanciales。En todo caso， la percepción y concepción que Sheperd tiene de la montaña como un ente vivo resulta lúcida， evocadora y sugerente。 Comprendiendo la finitud humana， a menudo tan impotente， en el espacio-tiempo infinito de la vida， esta escritora y montañista supo apostar por el localismo y el "parroquialismo" （como formula de manera muy interesante en el prólogo Macfarlane） para poder canalizar su vida y el amor por la Naturaleza que se desbocaba en su interior。 Porque al fin y al cabo el valor de nuestra existencia reside en la riqueza de significados， en la agudeza de nuestra sensibilidad （para Sheperd el necesario punto de encuentro entre el cuerpo y el alma， la materia y el espíritu）， en la apreciación de los matices， en la creación de símbolos propios de una mitología personal， y， sobre todo， en la comprensión de que ahondar en la profundidad es más valioso que extenderse en la amplitud， porque es en el fondo donde reside la sustancia， la pulpa， los manantiales subterráneos de la vida。 。。。more
Matthew
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I enjoyed reading this book。 Her description of walking among the peaks of the cairngorm is very interesting。
Shannon Pearl
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A gorgeous book。 Nan is queen of the wilderness and her accounts are truly enchanting。
Klimtchick
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Listened to this as an audiobook narrated by the incomparable Tilda Swinton while travelling between Ottawa and Montreal。 Made me want to walk， walk， walk。。。and notice， notice， notice。
Angie Smith
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Having just spent a few days in the mountains I do understand the appeal and draw to them。 I look forward to thinking about Nan Shepherd when I hike in Scotland。 This book was written in 1940 and not published until 1970。 ❤️ Nan 🏴 We have come increasingly to forget that our minds are shaped by the bodily experience of being in the world- it’s spaces， textures， sounds， smells and habits- as well as by genetic traits we inherit and ideologies we absorb。 We are literally losing touch， becomi Having just spent a few days in the mountains I do understand the appeal and draw to them。 I look forward to thinking about Nan Shepherd when I hike in Scotland。 This book was written in 1940 and not published until 1970。 ❤️ Nan 🏴 We have come increasingly to forget that our minds are shaped by the bodily experience of being in the world- it’s spaces， textures， sounds， smells and habits- as well as by genetic traits we inherit and ideologies we absorb。 We are literally losing touch， becoming disembodied， more than any previous historical periodA readiness to accept uncertaintyHer book is a hymn to ‘living all the way through’: to touching， tasting， smelling and hearing the world。 If you manage this then you might walk ‘out of the body and into the mountain’One can not know the rivers til one has seen them at their sourcesYet often the mountain gives itself most completely when I have no destination， when I reach nowhere in particular， but have gone out merely to be with the mountain as one visits a friend with no intention but to be with him Powerfully argued in The Living Mountain is the need to be physical， to be in the body， and toLet the senses and the soul work in harmony with the mind。 This seems a long way from lying in bed and reading a book but it isn’t far at all。 Reading stills the body for awhile， allowing rest without torpor and quiet without passivity。 Reading is not a passive act。 Engaged in the book in the company with the writer the mind can roam where it will。 。。。more
Caitlin Sumner
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A lovely book。
Hilary
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Literally about a mountain。 Incredible descriptions but did not hold my attention as I found the continuous descriptions a little tedious
MountainAshleah
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This is a very slender， old fashioned narrative that has fallen out of favor in a time when the reading public wants gritty memoirs with lots of bodily imagery and sensation。 In this narrative the author/speaker is more of a presence narrating what she sees， smells， hears etc， with scant awareness that she's actually on the mountain or how she trudged up five hours thirsty and soaked in sweat and arguing with her travel partner she hooked up with online and how her mommy mistreated her blah blah This is a very slender， old fashioned narrative that has fallen out of favor in a time when the reading public wants gritty memoirs with lots of bodily imagery and sensation。 In this narrative the author/speaker is more of a presence narrating what she sees， smells， hears etc， with scant awareness that she's actually on the mountain or how she trudged up five hours thirsty and soaked in sweat and arguing with her travel partner she hooked up with online and how her mommy mistreated her blah blah blah。 It's not that kind of book。 The introduction by Robert MacFarlane is excellent， just like his books， which I highly recommend， especially Mountains of the Mind。 I'm a huge fan。 The afterward I found quite jarring， as if the author didn't even read Nan Shepherd's book。 It's a meditation on reading， fair enough， but to me out of place following the primary narrative， which I recommend wholeheartedly。 。。。more
Joe Payne
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pseudocerebral stuff like this is pretty pretentious imo
Jackie M
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I was very touched by this book。 I feel that I read it at the perfect time - somewhat acquainted with the Cairngorms and rather dismissive of them （compared to Assynt and the West Coast…what’s to compare I thought！） But this book really crept under my skin and made me feel so excited to explore the rest of the Plateau…B and I have yet to summit Ben Macdui and I will think of Nan Shepherd when we do。 I cried at both the beginning and the end， odd to have it bookended like that but I just knew whe I was very touched by this book。 I feel that I read it at the perfect time - somewhat acquainted with the Cairngorms and rather dismissive of them （compared to Assynt and the West Coast…what’s to compare I thought！） But this book really crept under my skin and made me feel so excited to explore the rest of the Plateau…B and I have yet to summit Ben Macdui and I will think of Nan Shepherd when we do。 I cried at both the beginning and the end， odd to have it bookended like that but I just knew when I read her introduction about clearing out her possessions as an old woman that it was going to be perfect。 I feel like going into National Library of Scotland and fishing out her correspondence with Neil Gunn。 Nostalgic and stirring and beautiful。 。。。more
Grim-Anal King
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Special writing， but always with the suspicion that she is overegging it， the experience wasn't really that vital （maybe that's me seeing the world through a cynical neurodivergent prism though）。 Alas also a bit of a wander into mystical gibberish towards the end （see above）。 Special writing， but always with the suspicion that she is overegging it， the experience wasn't really that vital （maybe that's me seeing the world through a cynical neurodivergent prism though）。 Alas also a bit of a wander into mystical gibberish towards the end （see above）。 。。。more
Pam
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This contains some of the most beautiful prose I’ve read in a long time but is not going to please everyone。 In spite of talking about little else than nature， it is far more an interior rumination on the author’s part。After reading the introduction by Robert MacFarlane， a renowned nature writer himself， I wasn’t sure I was going to really like this。 I’m not particularly interested in Shepherd’s having been influenced by Buddhism， Taoism and the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty， a contem This contains some of the most beautiful prose I’ve read in a long time but is not going to please everyone。 In spite of talking about little else than nature， it is far more an interior rumination on the author’s part。After reading the introduction by Robert MacFarlane， a renowned nature writer himself， I wasn’t sure I was going to really like this。 I’m not particularly interested in Shepherd’s having been influenced by Buddhism， Taoism and the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty， a contemporary of hers。 However， in this book one can dig into the more intellectual/philosophical approach if wanted， or like me glance off the spots that don’t necessarily interest。No doubt this is gorgeous nature writing。 Shepherd lived her entire life near the Scottish Cairngorms， a place generally accepted as the wildest spot in the British Isles。 I get the impression she spent every spare moment there。 Her story of her beloved mountains is not for a reader who wants to get from here to there。 It is more a circular trip if anything。 In the introduction MacFarlane calls her trip “circumambulatoy。” She’s not particularly interested in conquering the heights。 She prefers to feel “inside，” for instance inside the light or inside the granite。 It sometimes feels almost hallucinogenic and is a very personal book。 She deeply appreciates “her” mountain but sometimes my own appreciation of her book is limited to the beauty of her language and her talent。 。。。more
Georgie Fay
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I really enjoyed the introduction by Robert Macfarlane and the Afterword by Jeanette Winterson but found I couldn’t quite get into Nan Shepherd’s style of writing - which might be my own rush to read my books before the end of the year and not giving it the quiet patience it deserves because there were beautiful passages， particularly about birds and man’s connection to the landscape。 Too many mentions of places I did not know but it did make me want to visit the Cairngorms！
Honey
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A seemingly modest book packed with beautiful poetic prose and profound love for the outdoors。Nan Shepherd's description of her beloved Cairngorms breathes on the ethereal side; her imagery is so vivid that I feel I am taken to this magical place where I can touch the icy waters on my hand and feel the rocky terrain under my feet。It borders on the philosophical/meditative side and less on scientific facts （it is a memoir/homage after all）， which at times made me feel as if I'm intruding the auth A seemingly modest book packed with beautiful poetic prose and profound love for the outdoors。Nan Shepherd's description of her beloved Cairngorms breathes on the ethereal side; her imagery is so vivid that I feel I am taken to this magical place where I can touch the icy waters on my hand and feel the rocky terrain under my feet。It borders on the philosophical/meditative side and less on scientific facts （it is a memoir/homage after all）， which at times made me feel as if I'm intruding the author's personal space and journey， but it's also so intoxicating to read。 I can imagine one feeling quite special to be taken to this rather intimate journey。A really fine piece of nature writing。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Lisa Doran
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I've been wanting to read this book for year， since my first visit to the Craingorms。 I wish I could step back to Shepherd's time of writing this to see it so untouched still by man。 Beautiful。 I feel like I was walking， climbing， drinking and sleeping in the mountains with her。 I've been wanting to read this book for year， since my first visit to the Craingorms。 I wish I could step back to Shepherd's time of writing this to see it so untouched still by man。 Beautiful。 I feel like I was walking， climbing， drinking and sleeping in the mountains with her。 。。。more
Agnes Jackson
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This is a short book and not my usual fare but it is a lovely read。 I too walk in the hills but rarely in my native Scotland。 I prefer the beautiful Appuane and Appenine Alps ofTuscany but I recognise the feelings one achieves in the forests and valleys。 The descriptions are wonderful。 I especially liked her description of walking barefoot。
Issi
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Loved this poetic book about the beauty and splendeur of the Cairngorms。 So beautifully written。
Katey Magill
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Beautiful， attentive observations。 A little too mystical for me
Tolga Aktas
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The Living Mountain was and still is a phenomenal book！ Nan Shepherd truly was in a class of her own when she wrote this。 To truly connect to the natural world beyond imagination and share it so fluidly and effortlessly with us readers is absolutely amazing。 I felt with each of this pages of this short book that I too experienced everything Nan did on The Living Mountain。I highly recommend this book for anybody that is a lover of nature， and want's to experience great literature surrounding the The Living Mountain was and still is a phenomenal book！ Nan Shepherd truly was in a class of her own when she wrote this。 To truly connect to the natural world beyond imagination and share it so fluidly and effortlessly with us readers is absolutely amazing。 I felt with each of this pages of this short book that I too experienced everything Nan did on The Living Mountain。I highly recommend this book for anybody that is a lover of nature， and want's to experience great literature surrounding the wilderness！ 。。。more
Szymon
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I set out on my journey in pure love。 [。。。] It was a journey always for fun， with no motive beyond that i wanted it。 [。。。] This process has taken many years， and is not yet complete。 Knowing another is endless。 Nan Shepherd's painting of the Cairngorms provides an expansive experience of nature writing。 I don't know what to say， except for that my highlighter was in use almost on every page， and Shepherd's prose made me long and tear up for a place I have not visited （yet）。 Loved it。 （Yes， i I set out on my journey in pure love。 [。。。] It was a journey always for fun， with no motive beyond that i wanted it。 [。。。] This process has taken many years， and is not yet complete。 Knowing another is endless。 Nan Shepherd's painting of the Cairngorms provides an expansive experience of nature writing。 I don't know what to say， except for that my highlighter was in use almost on every page， and Shepherd's prose made me long and tear up for a place I have not visited （yet）。 Loved it。 （Yes， it is confusing in parts， when she discards the reader and delves into namedropping but I want to combat this lack of knowledge on my part by watching the BBC docuseries asap。） Can't wait to discuss it in our seminar。 。。。more
Steve Shilstone
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How to be on and of a mountain， the world， the universe
Kris
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Lots of descriptions of mountains。 Nothing particularly life changing。 In the same vein as Pilgrim at Tinker Creek。 Lots of descriptions of mountains。 Nothing particularly life changing。 In the same vein as Pilgrim at Tinker Creek。 。。。more
Allyson Roche
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I will be re-reading and re-reading and re-reading and re-reading this。
Ⓜ️4️⃣✝️✝️
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