For anyone who has ever struggled to explain the allure of venturing underground, Paul Savage recommends taking awhistle-stop tour beneath the Highlands in the company of one of Scotland’s best-known cavers.
To say Alan Jeffreys is an expert on Scottish caves is somewhat of an understatement. Alan (or Goon, as he’s better known in caving circles) started the only pan-Scotland caving club – the Grampian Speleological Group – in 1961 and he’s still caving today; Alan has helped put Scottish caves on the map (in many cases literally). Hidden Inside the Highlands, part memoir, part instruction manual (and part pamphlet on why caving is so great) is an insight into the infectious enthusiasm that Goon has for the sport and camaraderie of caving.
If you’ve ever struggled to explain to your family or friends why you willingly choose to go underground, give them this book to read. The introductory section contains the best description of caving that I have ever read, expertly capturing the enjoyment derived from passing a tricky squeeze, the teamwork involved in ascending a slippery climb, the eventual reward of awesome scenery and a post-cave beverage, and helps assuage some of the common misconceptions and worries that are often associated with the sport. Honestly, this section alone is worth the price.
The second part is a whistle-stop tour of Scottish caves, chosen by Goon to give a flavour of the range of experiences that can be ‘enjoyed’ inside the Highlands. Some of these caves sound decidedly like collectors’ pieces so perhaps if you are intending to give this book to your non-caving friend or family member, get them to stop reading before the Foss Caves entry as it might put them off ever wanting to go caving!
Each entry describes a single visit to each cave from Goon’s memoirs, interwoven with information about the exploration history and speleogenesis of the site. These visits are written in a style not unlike MR James’ Edwardian ghost stories and this is no bad thing! I almost expected to read that our caving protagonist had stumbled across a half-buried ancient whistle and subsequently fled from some unknowable shape. Fortunately the only terrors were from particularly gnarly ducks (the watery, not feathery kind).
All too soon the book reaches its final section, which provides a short guide to the best ways to safely try caving. And this brevity, I would say, is my only complaint! I finished Hidden Inside the Highlands comfortably in one sitting, and was left wanting more colourful tales of Scottish subterranean exploration and adventure.
Hidden inside the Highlands
Alan L Jeffreys
Published 2023 by the Grampian Speleological Group
126 pages with 25 mainly colour photos.
ISBN-13 : 978-1739763527
£10.00
Copies are available from Mike Moore Books and direct from the author.
