Glasgow's West End: Ian R Mitchell: Writer and Mountaineer
Ian R. Mitchell
New Course - This City Now
(Course GC 106) of walks and illustrated lectures on Glasgow's older working class areas starts on 22 April. Details from Department of Adult and Continuing Education (DACE)
Information:dace-query@gla.ac.uk or Telephone: 0141 330 1835.
Mountain Days and Bothy Nights - Celebrating 21 years in print.
West End Festival 2008 - Walks
Ian will also have walks on Maryhill, North Woodside and Govan in the West End Festival in June, as well as a talk Walking through Glasgows History on 19 June in The Tryst, Hillhead Baptist Church at 7.30 pm. Tickets will be available from usual West End Festival stockists.
Latest article by Ian Mitchell Easterhouse - Altered Images - April, 2008.
Dennistoun: No Mean Streets - 30th October, 2007.
THE OTHER EAST END OF GLASGOW
The website has published several of Ian’s articles on the history and architecture of the older working class areas of Glasgow, such as:
Unlocking Maryhill - Glasgow's Venice.
John Maclean's Pollokshaws - On the anniversary of his death in 1923, Ian R. Mitchell looks at the place where John MacLean was born and died.
Around Brigton Cross - Glasgow's Changing East-End
The Gorbals - a look at historical developments in The New Glasgow Suburb
In recent years Ian has become very interested in urban walking, especially that on offer in his native Glasgow. Many articles in the website have come from this interest - Walks around Glasgow.
These were brought together in 2005 , with other pieces, in his highly-received work, This City Now: Glasgow and its Working Class Past (Luath Press).ISBN 1-84282-082-6 @ £12.99.
Available at all major book shops or Purchase at Amazon
Copyright remains with the author unless otherwise stated
The Heart of Govan Beats Again Govan - The Pearce Institute Centenary Book January, 2007.
Between Gorbals and Govan- the centenary of Scotland Street School, part of Charles Rennie Mackintosh Festival. - August, 2006.
The Paisley Pattern - article by Ian Mitchell. August, 2006
Govan's Pearce Institute: Conservation and Social Inclusion - March, 2006.
Barga, Tuscany. April, 2005. Chianti, Culture and Chips
Originally from Aberdeen Ian has lived in Glasgow since 1973, and has moved on from his career as a history lecturer to become a prolific and successful writer. He has drawn on his extensive walking and mountaineering experiences to produce a number of books. Combining a steady output with quality Ian has achieved a number of awards and his work has generated many rave reviews, leading him to be described as "one of Scotland's most distinguished mountain writers" (The Great Outdoors)
Ian took to the hills and mountains in the 60s when he began walking and climbing in the Cairngorms. He moved on to other countries to discover the outdoors of Norway, the Austrian Alps, Iceland and the Pyrenees, as well as the Caucasus and the Rockies of Canada and the USA. In 1991 he completed the Munros. His extensive knowledge of the outdoors and passion for the Scottish Mountains is matched by his writing skills. Ian's first book (co-author Dave Brown) 'Mountain Days and Bothy Nights' has become a classic of the genre and has been reprinted 12 times since it appeared in 1987. Its enduring appeal was demonstrated when it was shortlisted as the book "which says most about Scotland today" for World Book Day in 2003.
In 1991, when 'A View from the Ridge' ( also co-authored with
Dave Brown) won the Boardman-Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature,
Ian's reputation as a mountaineering writer was truly
established:
"if you buy any one mountain book this year make sure it this one" Kevin Borman (High)
Ian's other books include:
- Second Man on the Rope, (1992.) "Chris Bonington crossed with James Kelman" (Scotland on Sunday)
- The First Munroist, (1993.) A.E.Robertson's life and climbs.
- Mountain Footfalls, (1996.) "A masterpiece of its kind, or indeed of any kind" (Usual Suspects, BBC Radio)
- The Mountain Weeps, (1997.) Mountaineering short stories.
- On the Trail of Queen Victoria in the Highlands (2000) "entertaining and well researched by a distinguished author"(The Times)
- Walking through Scotland's History(2001)
- Mountain Outlaw (2003) "A marvellous oddity - a classic" (Scotland on Sunday)
Ian's talent and knowledge have been widely recognised and he is a regular contributor to a variety of newspapers and magazines, including:
- Scots Magazine
- West Highland Free Press
- High
- Herald
- Scotsman
Getting to know Glasgow
Ian has produced some fascinating articles about Glasgow, which we have featured on the site:
Promoting Scotland's Culture and History
Ian harnesses his energy and passion to promote hillwalking,
mountaineering and Scotland's culture and history through a number
of avenues. He has worked with Comunn na Gaidhlig promoting
Cultural Tourism of Loch Lomondside and offered imaginative
evenings of "Slide, Story and Song" at Folk Festivals, appearing with singer Jack Law at Killin in 2001 and Aberfeldy in 2002. He has also helped curate an exhibition of mountain art at Aberdeen Art Gallery in 1999 and worked with the establishment of the recently-opened Cuillin mountain heritage centre at Sligachan in Skye in 2003.
Ian also gives slide shows from his books, including The First Munroist, On the Trail of Queen Victoria, Scotland's Mountains before the Mountaineers, Walking through Scotland's History;2000yrs on foot, and Duncan MacIntyre, Gaelic Mountain Poet.
Scotland's Mountains before the Mountaineers
Yet another award was gained in 1998 for 'Scotland's Mountains Before the Mountaineers' (a pre-history of Scottish Mountaineering) which won the Outdoor Writers' Guild Award for Excellence. Reprinted twice this received high praise from the critics.
"Will give you much to think about next time you are up that mountain" (Guardian)
Ian's status as the leading historian of the Scottish mountains was recognised when he was invited to contribute the chapter "Timothy Pont and Scotland's Mountains" to the academic work, The Nation Survey'd in 2001.
Mountain Book Festivals.
Ian has given the Scotland's Mountains before the Mountaineers show at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival in 2002, and the Dundee Mountain Film Festival in 1999.
The fascinating story of Scotland's mountains from 16th - 19th centuries also went down well in Banff, the world's leading mountain book and film festival in November 2000.
Ian can be contacted for information regarding lectures,
broadcasts and commissions for articles:email Ian
Telephone: 00 44(0)141 353 2292
Flat 4, Gleniffer House
21 Woodside Terrace,
G3 7XH.
Signed copies of his works are available, post free from the author or you can order them from Amazon.co.uk .
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Comments
FERMIN | Mon Jan 28 2008
monique | Fri Oct 17 2008