The Black Ridge
Amongst the Cuillin of Skye
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The Black Ridge
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Narrated by:
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Richard Burnip
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By:
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Simon Ingram
About this listen
‘Will undoubtedly become a classic narrative of this scenically magnificent, legend-rich and geologically unique part of Scotland’ Cameron McNeish, The Herald
Rising a kilometre out of the storm-scoured waters around Scotland’s Isle of Skye is a dark battlement of pinnacles and ridgelines: the Cuillin.
Plagued by ferocious weather and built from rock that tears skin and confounds compasses, a crossing of the Cuillin is the toughest mountaineering expedition in the British Isles. But the traverse is only part of its lure. Hewn from the innards of an ancient volcano, this mountain range stands like a crown on an island drenched in intrigue. While nineteenth-century climbers flocked to the Alps, the ridge lay untrodden and unyielding. When a generation of mountaineers did come, they found a remarkable prize: the last peaks of Britain to be climbed – peaks that would be named after those who climbed them. Along the way, many others, from artists and poets to mystics and wanderers, have been lured by the Cuillin’s haunting beauty and magic. Those who have been seduced by the deadly magic of these mountains attest to the complexity of humans’ relationship with the intrigue of our wildest, most dangerous places.
The Black Ridge is a journey through the history and into the heights of the Cuillin of Skye – from the ridge’s violent birth to the tales of its pioneers, its thrills, its myths and its monsters. From a night spent in a cave beneath its highest peak to the ascent of its most infamous pinnacle, this is an adventure on foot through all seasons across the most mesmerising mountain range in Britain.
©2021 Simon Ingram (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedCritic Reviews
‘Thrilling’ Guardian
‘Delicious… evokes the weather and the rocks and the people of the Skye I know better than anything else I’ve encountered’ Neil Gaiman
'An utterly enthralling tale to read. About passion, love, mystery, human nature… an important addition to the canon of mountaineering literature about Skye.’ The Great Outdoors magazine
‘The depth of research is extensive, yet his writing is so poetic that the pages fly by.’ Rosie Morton, Scottish Field
‘[Ingram’s] Cuillin journey makes riveting reading … It’s unputdownable’ Maggie Fergusson, Spectator
‘Brilliant’ Jamie Collinson, Caught by the River
What listeners say about The Black Ridge
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jacimac
- 03-10-2021
Scenic, exciting, historical Scottish mountains
Equally enthralling whether you are a climber or not. The narrators warm pervasive voice draws you in and keeps you by his side showing the human as well as the awesome side of the Cuillin of Skye. He describes the fabulous scenery, changing weather conditions, the camaraderie & total trust in fellow climbers. He looks back to the history of those like John Mackenzie who blazed the trails in shepherd’s boots and tartan wraps & who had mountains named after them for their legendary skills. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
One to read again and again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kirsty
- 12-12-2021
Fascinating Book
This book is a fascinating mix of history, geography, and geology, bound together with personal narrative. It has been my companion while washing walls and painting them, lifting me well beyond the boring and mundane, able to view the soaring vistas in the company of the author, the early mountaineers he references and the people of Skye who he meets as he explores this magnificent isle. My memories of Skye are very few - hiring bikes on a wet and misty day, or exploring Dunvegan Castle and its grounds with my then small children, they being much more fascinated by the seals than the history. I am grateful to the author for taking me to a majestic mountain range in an awesome island and allowing me to experience vicariously his highs and lows, the beauty he sees, and the dramas he encounters.
My only quibble is I would have preferred a narrator with a Scottish accent for a lot more of the book. The few glimpses of the Scottish tongue were excellent, but I would have loved a lot more.
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1 person found this helpful