Author: Gary Latter
Publisher: Pesda Press

As pointed out in our recent review of Scottish Rock Volume 1 (South); the current financial climate, coupled with the weakness of the pound is likely to sway consumers toward arranging shorter breaks and even extended trips closer to home. Consequently, climber “Joe” is unlikely to want to outlay large sums on numerous guide book volumes, thus making the selected rock climbing guide an evermore attractive proposition… enter Volume2.

Scottish Rock Volume 2 (North) is the keenly anticipated sidekick to complete Pesda Press, and more specifically, Garry Latter’s Scottish Rock double act. With Volume 1 being widely acclaimed as one of the best guides of 2008, Volume 2 looks set to keep the standard high for 2009.

When flicking to any page of Volume 2, the concise layout (A5ish) and visuals are instantly evident, whilst the attention to consistency in the stylization is correctly adhered too. In an aid to differentiating the two volumes, Volume 2 uses an orange theme to back its headers and intro banners – rather than the green used in Volume 1. Whilst the excellent use of image fade-outs and bleeding adds to the over all class of the guide.

Once again, the cartography is top draw, and virtually unequaled in terms of detail and accuracy. Don Williams, of Bute Cartographics, has again been enlisted to create the maps, and it has to be said he certainly deserves plenty of praise for his efforts. Again, a good balance has been struck between the incorporation of plenty of in-depth knowledge and personal touches, and the ease-of-use of the more generic, and wholly symbol orientated Rockfax-style guidebooks. The crag shots are also clear and shot in good light, with the overall crag topography being well laid out and easy to use.

Click on the image below to check out sample pages of Scottish Rock V2 (North)

The route descriptions seem well researched; offering FA details and dates, pitch lengths and a colour coded numbering system - allowing for a rough grade assessment of a crag at a glance. The harder and/or more serious routes even offer details on exact nut and cam sizes, for the more serious/strenuous sections.

Overall another great guide from Garry Latter and Pesda Press, and well worth purchasing if you ever intend to visit the north of Scotland for the purposes of rock climbing, or are looking for some motivation to visit the area. In the interest of balanced journalism, if I were to pick out one gripe, it is the lack of full page action shots (I think I counted two). With so many expansive and panoramic crags on display this seems something of a missed opportunity, but as I say this is a minor point which takes little off the gloss of this great book.

Overview
Over 2400 of the regions best routes from Moderate to E6
Sport Climbs from F5 to F8b+
Accessible multi-pitch mountain routes and scrambles
250 full colour photo-topos
Scale area maps with highlighted approach

Areas in this volume:
Isle of Skye, Applecross, Torridon, Gairloch, Coigant & Assynt, Sutherland, Caithness, Outer Hebrides, Barra Isles – Pabbay & Mingulay and the Northern Isles - Orkney.

Purchase Scottish Rock Volume 2 (North) here.