Unremembered Places

Shortlisted for the The Great Outdoors Awards – Outdoor Book of the Year 2020Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature 2020There are strange relics hidden across Scotland’s landscape: forgotten places that are touchstones to incredible stories and past lives which still resonate today. Yet why are so many of these ‘wild histories’ unnoticed and overlooked? And what can they tell us about our own modern identity?From the high mountain passes of an ancient droving route to a desolate moorland graveyard, from uninhabited post-industrial islands and Clearance villages to caves explored by early climbers and the mysterious strongholds of Christian missionaries, Patrick Baker makes a series of journeys on foot and by paddle. Along the way, he encounters Neolithic settlements, bizarre World War Two structures, evidence of illicit whisky production, sacred wells and Viking burial grounds.Combining a rich fusion of travelogue and historical narrative, he threads themes of geology, natural and social history, literature, and industry from the places he visits, discovering connections between people and place more powerful than can be imagined.

'An evocative tome detailing his adventures in tracking down some of Scotland's most remote monuments to history ... the lost relics and secret places of Scotland's wild, wild past', 'Grippingly told…each of his journeys fills with atmosphere and emotion', 'Good nature writers can create such strong images that we almost feel that we are standing on the same windswept moors, gazing out over the same landscapes. Patrick Baker is such a writer, and this book is perfect for armchair travel', 'A lyrical exploration of Scotland's regions of "rumour and folklore," of hidden places and often-forgotten tales, that makes a compelling argument for a greater examination of "wild histories" beyond the most well-trodden narratives of adventure' , 'The Unremembered Places breaks [the] mould. It describes Patrick Baker’s refreshingly quirky explorations on foot or kayak, often with his children, of remote and obscure locations'

Patrick Baker has worked in the publishing industry for many years and is currently writer for an investment management company. He is a keen outdoor enthusiast and has walked and climbed throughout Scotland and Europe. He is the author of The Cairngorms: A Secret History.