‘HORRID, INDELICATE CREATURES’: THE HIDDEN VOICES OF SCOTLAND’S MOUNTAIN WOMEN

Scotland’s hills draw in tourist and climber alike, their variety and changing weather providing challenge and delight in equal measure. Victorian photographs of rugged men and rugged rocks show how they drew in proponents of the then new sports of mountaineering and climbing. But where were the women?

Petticoats and Pinnacles: Scotland’s pioneering mountain women, an exhibition at the National Library of Scotland, seeks to find them and reveal their voices.

For centuries, the hills in Scotland have provided inspiration and solace to women from all walks of life. Whether a long-ago dairymaid wandering on a hot summer evening or a working mum training for her trip to climb in the Himalayas, their stories can inspire us. As authors and walkers, the achievements of these women have been ignored, undervalued and lost over time. Each woman featured in the exhibition has a link to Scotland, either living or climbing here. tells their stories through their own books, journals, diaries and letters, as well as photographs, film and even their climbing equipment. Women were