7a Max - Scottish sport - a Guide to Sport Climbs

Scotland’s first sport climbing guide is now in its second edition!

146 Full colour topos to get you psyched.

Access & approach maps for every cliff. No roadmap needed.

QR code and icons

Smart phone QR-barcode instant mapping. Simply scan and go!

Icons

Clear informative icons. Essentials at a glance.

Public transport info. Leave the car at home!

The second edition of 7a Max covers mainland Scottish sport crags with routes up to 7a+ and keeps you up-to-date with the ever increasing number of Scottish sport climbs. With a plethora or rock types Scottish sport offers great variety and routes of all difficulty, from the northern Highlands to the Lowlands. Routes of greater difficulty are also featured, particularly classics, so you will never run out of projects.

7aMax Boltfund projects

Massive thankyous to everyone who donated to the 7aMax Boltfund, or bought the book (from which a tithe goes into the fund).

Neil and Callum donated their time to upgrade the worn-out loweroffs at Benny Beg. The three of us made good time and managed to fix up all the routes of the crag in one day. The left sector now has custom made ‘bolt-products’ belay hangers, while the right sector has Fixe ring hangers (thanks to Needlesports for the discount!). All studs were inspected, and replaced as required. Loose blocks were identified and bypassed. On some routes the first really bomber rock was a little below the top, so they now stop just below the lip.

There is also a practice lower-off by the tree at the left of the crag, so anyone can practice safely re-threading before they have to do it for reals.

Benny’s Groove was assessed and deemed too unstable for a beginners crag, so we de-bolted the whole line before someone got killed.

Please make sure to place your own biners or quickdraws on the lower-offs when top-roping to avoid wearing them out!

There are more re-equipping projects underway, and we will report on them here and our facebook page as they are completed.

Have fun folks, check your knot and climb safe!

Buy the book

You can buy a copy of 7a Max Scottish Sport for £16.99 from many outdoor sports retailers, bookstores, Cordee or direct from us, the authors!

ISBN : 9780954190651
Size : 250pp
Format : Pocket size (12.7 x 17.8cm) paperback
Distributed by Cordee

About the book

Scotland is home to around 1500 sport routes found from the Lowlands to the remote northern Highlands, and on hillsides to sea-cliffs. Scottish geology and topography is complex, which has resulted in great variety of rock types and climbs.

Describing all of Scotland’s mainland crags with routes up to 7a+, 7a Max is aimed at ‘weekend’ and visiting climbers. This focus has allowed for a pocket sized guide that details routes of most interest, is easy to use, and guides you effortlessly to your chosen routes.

Why not try our 7a Max Top 30 routes, a sure way to have your own Scottish sport climbing adventure! Routes are chosen to take you on a journey through the best the country has to offer.

We have travelled the length and breadth of the country, courting frostbite and tendon damage to verify grades, and risking life and limb to get those ‘impossible’ topo photos! During our adventures we have discovered Scotland’s fantastic sport climbing, the country’s warm hospitality, and its spectacular natural beauty.

7a Max is truly pictographic – ‘a picture tells a thousand words’. In addition to showcasing Scotland’s landscapes throughout its pages, crag information is described with informative icons, climbs are detailed with full colour photo topos and access and approaches are shown with maps for every crag. Unique to 7a Max, you can also simply scan QR-codes on your smart phone and let your sat-nav do the rest! The illustrative style is easy to use, including by those with little or no English.

Here are a few sample pages:

Contact Us!

Any questions? Got a comment about the book or a request for an update? Drop us a line using the form below.

The Scottish Bolt Fund

In 2013 we set up an informal bolt fund to support the much need re-equipping of aging sport routes in Scotland. The BMC fund only allows applications from England and Wales, and Mountaineering Scotland does not currently administer a fund. Recent re-bolting has been carried out by members of the SMC and individual climbers, which is often self-funded.

The informal 7a Max fund has contributed to the maintenance or re-bolting of Black Rock, Balgone, Glutton Crag, and various other crags in the Northern Highlands. Re-equipping Applications can be made using the form below for projects involving the replacement of old and/or inadequate fixed gear. We are not funding new developments. If you would like to contribute to the fund, press DONATE below.

10% of profits from the sales of this book will be collected in the fund, and allocated as funds allow. We welcome applications from individuals as well as organisations. Just fill out the form and send to us by email address (on the form)

Download application form

Find out more about bolt funds at ukboltfund.org