NI man quits legal profession to follow mountain path

After more than two decades in the legal profession, Newtownards man Andrew McCluggage felt the need to give up a job that wasn’t “advancing the world in any way”.

The 46-year-old quit his profession as a lawyer, bravely setting foot into the publishing world in order to bring to life the mountain ranges enjoyed by himself and his young family.

Andrew spoke to the News Letter as his seventh walking guide, published as Knife Edge Outdoor Guidebooks, was about to go to press.

He explained his unconventional career path: “I was a lawyer for 22 years, I quit about two years ago to set up a publishing company to make walking guidebooks.

“We set out to do something a bit different. When I quit, the reason was all the guidebooks that existed in most of the UK were pretty dull, they’d no proper mapping in them.

“The guidebooks were text-based and you would have to go through pages and pages of words to find out where you were going. We’re completely the antithesis of that.

“What we’ve done with all our books is license the mapping – in the case of the Mournes, it’s Ordinance Survey Northern Ireland.

“We’ve printed that in the book so people get the mapping without having to buy it separately which makes it easier to walk and plan.

“We’ve used gorgeous photos to present these guidebooks more like glossy brochures rather than boring old word-based guidebooks.

“Our books have all the maps, the routes, details of accommodation is in there, recommendations of what to wear, what to pack – you can buy the book and just go.”

He commented: “I never felt as a lawyer I was doing anything creative or anything that was advancing the world in any way.

“Now one of the greatest pleasures for me is that I’m doing something that people like, something that they’re getting something out of, something positive that helps people do something that they like to do or they want to try. That’s priceless.”

Asked if it was a difficult decision to leave what is widely assumed to be a well-paid career as a lawyer, Andrew said: “When you’re doing something that you’re pretty good at, and you’ve got two young kids, it pays the bills, it keeps them on Cornflakes, you’ve got to think about it long and hard.

“I’m pretty enthusiastic about what I do. I thought it would work but it’s always a risk. You’re not going to retire a millionaire in this game, but you just want to make sure you feed your family.

“Hopefully it will work out for us, we’ll see, it’s still early days, nothing’s guaranteed.

“At the end of the day I felt that what was out there (in terms of guidebooks) was not commensure with the advances in graphic design and modern technology.

“You just have to open a magazine to see how glossy and pretty places look. The guidebooks just didn’t do that.

“I was pretty sure there was an opportunity to do something different with guidebooks that people would love. The reviews we’ve been getting through sites like Amazon have been amazing.”

Beyond the published guidebooks, Andrew started up a Facebook group called Hiking In The Mourne Mountains.

The group draws together like-minded individuals to discuss all things related to the Mournes which featured in the fourth outdoor guidebook from Knife Edge.

Andrew said: “I started the Facebook group about 18 months ago to let people know about the Mournes guidebook. It’s become this amazing community rather than about me or the publishing company. Everyone is asking questions to each other, sending photographs. They’ve embraced it and taken it on.

“The Facebook group has become so popular, it’s inspiring people to go out into the Mournes, it’s so lovely to see.”

The Newtownards man had a head for heights long before he began training as a legal eagle: “I’ve been hiking for a long, long time.

“I did a bit when I was younger with the Duke of Edinburgh, when I was at Sullivan (Upper School), things like that, but it was only really when I went on a trip to New Zealand and I did a couple of walks that I really caught the bug.

“When I came back it just really took off from there.”

Andrew, who is married with two children aged five and eight, said: “Anyone can use these books. For example in the Mournes book there’s something in there for everybody, from beginners’ walks right up to doing the entire Mourne Wall which is a big undertaking.

“The same goes for the trekking books, generally anyone who is reasonably fit could do these treks.”

Andrew said his young children have been on lots of the walks featured in the books: “Many of the pictures you’ll see in the guidebooks were taken were on days when the kids were there.

“We holiday in the Alps every year – we’re a walking family, that’s what we do.

“They’ve been going to the Alps since they were babies. As babies they were getting carried up the mountains in baby carriers.

“At six months our eldest boy had been up 3,000 metres.

“They’re used to it, it’s part of their lives.”

If you could only do one walk...

The first outdoor guidebook published by Andrew’s Knife Edge company focused on Ecrins National Park in the Alps.

He has gone on to produce several Alpine guides as well as a book highlighting the top 30 walks in Co Down’s Mournes Mountains for walkers of all ages and abilities.

He lists his top Mournes walk as The High Mournes Epic Circuit, walk 11 in his book.

He said: “If you could only do one walk in the Mourne Mountains, then this would probably be it.

“The route passes through some of the most spectacular scenery on the island of Ireland.

“It starts with a traverse of the Brandy Pad, an old smugglers path and one of the true highlights of these wonderful mountains.

“Then it proceeds to climb the range’s two highest peaks, Slieve Donard (849m) and Slieve Commedagh (765m).

“And finally, the return journey takes you along one of the best preserved and scenic sections of the Mourne Wall.

“The views throughout are utterly exquisite. This is not a walk to be missed.”

Hen Mountain and Slieve Bearnagh make up Andrew’s top three Mourne walks.

Andrew’s book on the Mourne Mountains is understood to be the only guidebook containing real OSNI maps (scale 1:25,000).

The book is available at www.knifeedgeoutdoor.com, Amazon, Stewart Miller and other retailers, priced at £13.99.

Follow Andrew on Facebook or Instagram (@knifeedgeoutdoor) or join his Facebook group ‘Hiking in the Mourne Mountains’