Thursday, 5th December, 2002
They may not be in the Thomas The Tank Engine league - yet! - but the two funicular carriages that have been travelling up and down CairnGorm Mountain for the past year are about to achieve literary fame.
For, as from today (5th December), the carriages - already named "Coire" and "Cairn" thanks to a competition for local schoolchildren – are set to become the heroes of new children's book entitled "Adventures on Cairngorm", published by Glowworm Books and aimed at the Christmas market. The book gives the carriages personalities as well as identities and, remarkably, despite being Swiss-made and having only arrived in Scotland just over a year ago, the carriages speak to each other in distinctly Scottish voices!
Written by Pat Gerber, and lavishly illustrated by her stepdaughter Sue, "Adventures on CairnGorm" tells the story of the first year of the funicular in an entertaining and educational style, starting with the carriages arriving in Aviemore and being met by huge crowds, including Spud The Piper. Commissioned in time for Christmas, they then carried skiers and non-skiers to The Ptarmigan and onto the slopes during last year's skiing season. But the other seasons bring different types of people and events to Cairngorm Mountain, including school trips and birdwatching expeditions, ramblers and casual visitors - and all of these feature in the book as well.
Among the highlights mentioned is the first Mountain Railway wedding when Stroma The Driver became Stroma The Bride ... and the real-life Stroma, now Mrs Stroma Frew and still working at CairnGorm Mountain, was on hand today to help local schoolchildren launch the book. Pat Gerber, the author, was also present in the traditional role of an author – signing books.
The final adventure in the new book involves Coire and Cairn cutting a birthday cake to celebrate the anniversary of their first run on 23rd December last year and, to mark the launch, a similar mountain-shaped birthday cake, sporting miniature funicular carriages, was cut by Sean Macdonald and Jordan Orr from Kincraig Primary School, assisted, of course, by Stroma The Driver.
Said Bob Kinnaird, Chief Executive of CairnGorm Mountain Ltd.:
“Children have been fascinated by the funicular since its arrival and interest among school groups has been very high. This book not only entertains but, in a subtle way, also explains some of the operational aspects of the railway as well. We have already had a very positive reaction from several children with whom we test-marketed the book and are confident that it will be a very popular stocking filler this Christmas as well as a souvenir for people visiting the hill throughout the year.”
"Adventures on CairnGorm" is available from local bookshops as well as at CairnGorm Mountain's Visitor Information Centre and The Shop at The Top where, in the latter, shoppers are being offers complimentary glòwhein and hot chocolate during the Festive Season. The book will be "rolled-out" nationally in February.
|
