Plot Summary

This is the remarkable story of the origins of Scottish mountaineering and of Hugh Thomas Munro, the man whose name has become synonymous with Scotland's highest mountains. While modern-day athletes test themselves against these timeless mountain summits, Munro's enduring list of "Mountains Exceeding 3,000 Feet in Height" has evolved into a cultural cornerstone of modern-day Scotland, building a legacy that Munro himself could never have imagined. Scottish mountaineering as we know it originated in the sciences, academia and the arts. But these hill-going pioneers came across a society in the Highland glens that had only just undergone immense upheaval with far-reaching consequences. Their journeys bridged societies, language, class and culture in pursuit of the very summits we still climb to this day.