Most Important Scottish Writers

[Wildfisher]

Who do you consider  the most important Scottish writers of the past 40 years?

OK, that's a big question so let's limit it to hill walking and wild fishing since that is really what the core values of this   site are.

For me there is no question that the two most important by a long chalk are :

Fishing : Bruce Sandison - reason – no one else  has come even close to writing such an important and useful book as Rivers and Lochs of Scotland. I cannot imagine how I ever managed without it and that must be the measure of a great work.  Bruce is also,  quite simply,   a great and entertaining writer with a vast knowledge of his homeland.

Hills : Hamish Brown. – reason – his Book Hamish's Mountain walk , a day to day diary of his self propelled non-stop journey round all the Munros in the mid 1970's is now rightly recognised as a classic. It is a book based on a love of the hills and a deep knowledge  of his homeland.

[Pearly Invicta]

Can't disagree with you on Rivers and Lochs.
For the hills, and for similar reasons, its the SMC Hillwalkers Guide to the Munros edited by Donald Bennet. It was the first hillwalking book I bought and as a young man with a demanding job it was priceless to be given information on access points and routes. I used to leaf through it on a Friday night with my pals deciding where to go the next day. My copy is well worn as I used to stuff it in my rucksack. Guidebooks should always be well worn.

I've a soft spot for Hamish Brown's coast to coast describing his route from west coast to east coast. I more or less followed his route a few years ago with tent on my back but I added in a few more mountains along the way. 232 miles later, enjoying a pint in Arbroath I realised I had dropped the book somewhere on the last stretch.

But its definitely the SMC guidebook for me.

[Wildfisher]

I would add W.H.Murray for Undiscovered Scotland and Mountaineering in Scotland

A classic indeed, but  more than 40 years old Davy!  

[Malcolm]

No doubt at all that Bruce Sandison is the most influential of the last 20 years or so and the Trout Lochs of Scotland especially is a wonderful book (even if I never seem to match the average fish!) but if you look a little further back then WB Currie and Moray Maclaren were hugely influential. When I first saw this thread I had a look at the bookshelves and picked up The Fishing Waters of Scotland which is co-authored by the two of them and it's been my evening reading for the last two days. It's all from their own personal knowledge and is brilliant. I've  mentioned Moray Maclaren elsewhere and he has my nomination for the best  Scottish (well mainly Scottish) fishing book written; a Singing Reel which is not unlike Negley Farson's "Going Fishing". However it's a close run thing with "Days and Nights of Game fishing" by WB Currie.

[haresear]

"Days and Nights of Game fishing" by WB Currie.

Malcolm,

You a

I used to really enjoy reading Bill Currie. He was a great thinking angler and had a nice easy going writing style with it.
Anybody have any idea if he is still with us?