About Mountain hare adventures
Guided expeditions and ecotherapy journeys through the Highlands of Scotland by public transport.
For those who don't have a car, or so those that do can leave it behind.
Reconnect with the natural world. Reset your mind.
For those who don't have a car, or so those that do can leave it behind.
Reconnect with the natural world. Reset your mind.
I am Marcus Risdell, a mountain leader and ecotherapist based in the Highlands of Scotland.
For most of my life I have visited mountains in the UK, Alps, Atlas, Andes and beyond. For most of my life I lived in London, and for most of my life I have experienced mental health issues, anxiety and bouts of depression. By embarking on long journeys of self-discovery through hills and mountains I have found a way towards healing. I decided to move closer to my favourite mountains in Scotland, and share my discoveries with others. In 2025 I completed a post-graduate certificate in Outdoor and Adventure Therapeutic Practice at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Along the way I discovered that it is autism that under-lies my fragile mental health.
I became a volunteer Ranger with the Cairngorms National Park, within whose mountains, forests and glens I find I am particulaly at home: many of the journeys I offer will take you there.
The journeys I offer usually include at least one night out on the hill, and all are reached using public transport. I feel this is the only way forward if we are to protect our fragile upland environment. I call this "slow mountaineering." The journey may take a little longer, but it helps us slow down and absorb more of the land, its history and the nature that resides there.
As Nan Shepherd put it in The Living Mountain:
"No one knows the mountain completely who has not slept on it."
What others say about me:
"Marcus is an accomplished outdoorsman who takes on adventures within his and the group's abilities and does not take undue risk. He is also very passionate about - well just about everything - but in particular the outdoors. Everything from the history of mountaineering, the wildlife and geology, right up to the present day issues concerning our wilderness. So whether you want to explore the high tops of craggy mountains or the quagmires of boggy wetlands you will always come back knowing more about the places that you've been to than if you had not gone with Marcus!"
Lucy
"Having been on several trips to Scotland with Marcus he had always been a knowledgeable and experienced guide and we ventured to some remote, wild and beautiful areas that I will never forget. I would certainly recommend going on a mountain adventure with him!"
Kathy
"Marcus is an exceptional mountain guide whose passion for the outdoors is contagious. He manages to make every trip one of those adventures that really makes you feel alive, without ever compromising on safety. He is a fountain of knowledge on local wildlife, geology, history and local lore. Thanks to Marcus I have been fortunate to explore some of the most beautiful and remote places in Scotland, and I cannot recommend him highly enough!"
Leane
"Marcus is an accomplished outdoorsman who takes on adventures within his and the group's abilities and does not take undue risk. He is also very passionate about - well just about everything - but in particular the outdoors. Everything from the history of mountaineering, the wildlife and geology, right up to the present day issues concerning our wilderness. So whether you want to explore the high tops of craggy mountains or the quagmires of boggy wetlands you will always come back knowing more about the places that you've been to than if you had not gone with Marcus!"
Lucy
"Having been on several trips to Scotland with Marcus he had always been a knowledgeable and experienced guide and we ventured to some remote, wild and beautiful areas that I will never forget. I would certainly recommend going on a mountain adventure with him!"
Kathy
"Marcus is an exceptional mountain guide whose passion for the outdoors is contagious. He manages to make every trip one of those adventures that really makes you feel alive, without ever compromising on safety. He is a fountain of knowledge on local wildlife, geology, history and local lore. Thanks to Marcus I have been fortunate to explore some of the most beautiful and remote places in Scotland, and I cannot recommend him highly enough!"
Leane
