Winter Comes to the Hills

Leave your cosy armchair to brave, if you dare, the beautiful, treacherous Scottish mountains in a snowy winter in 1946. An incredible frozen waterfall sparkles in the sun with shards like stalactites, frozen vistas gleam with pristine snow, and deer scurry at the sound of your steps. Travel from Loch Lomond through Stirlingshire, stopping at Kingshouse and the majestic Buchaille Etive Mor to reach the Cairngorms, in this beautiful amateur colour film from David Sime.

David Sime was a pharmacist, photographer and President of the Scottish Countryside Club, which promoted the enjoyment of nature and the outdoors, hillwalking and rambling, as well as holding social events such as an annual concert and garden parties, with much hilarity in evidence. The club travelled all over Scotland, but many walks were held near to the central belt, with outings to locations such as the Trossachs and Loch Lomond proving popular. Mr Sime’s films depicted traditional industries such as farming and fishing, as well as scenic landscapes and walks. Many of these landscapes remain unchanged, but the style and the gear of the walkers is very different to the equipment of today’s adventurers.