How many of us and how many times have we driven headlong between Glasgow and Fort William and looked at the mountains on either side of the road and thought “that looks good” but carried on in haste anyway? Well this is the book that finally tempts us to delay our journey and gives us all we need to know to venture away from the road and explore some alternatives.

Ronald Turnbull’s book is designed to accompany The West Highland Way and offers a series of alternatives to the official route of The Way, offering walks of all different standards that will appeal to many. It also has chapters offering backpacking advice and some multi day backpacking routes.

As anyone familiar with Ronald Turnbull’s writing will expect, the routes are given with sufficient detail that all you really need is a map and compass to have a good day out. The book is also written with an amusing and easy style. Any guidebook that includes the instruction -Crossing the dam requires climbing over an entrance gate marked ‘no admittance’ - strikes just the right approach for me!

All the route descriptions are accompanied by clear maps, and support information: distance, ascent, approximate time, maximum altitude, terrain, length and difficulty.

This is followed by a route summary then the route itself; everything is perfectly clear and is supported by some photographs that make the routes look really tempting.

At the beginning of the book the introduction explains very clearly the purpose of the book and how to make the best use of it and at the end are three appendices with useful information about access, ‘useful information’ – accommodation, shops, public transport etc. and lists for further reading.

Altogether this is a useful, informative and entertaining book and I know that it will find a place in the glove compartment for every journey I make to the north and that I will be adding some extra journey time to go exploring.

Richard Winter