MOUNTAINEER Sir Chris Bonington spoke of his love for Scotland's wild places as he opened a book festival in an historic country house.
More than 50 authors, including Richard Dawkins, Jeremy Paxman and Rory Bremner, will appear at the fifth Lennoxlove Book Festival this weekend with a mixture of fiction and non-fiction events.
Novelists Maggie O'Farrell, Kate Mosse, Christopher Brookmyre and William McIlvanney are among those taking part in the event at Lennoxlove House near Haddington in East Lothian.
Non-fiction events include BBC Radio 4's James Naughtie on Barack Obama, politician Lord Hurd on Benjamin Disraeli and a wine-tasting session with Helen McGinn, author of The Knackered Mother's Wine Club.
Sir Chris opened the event with a personal appreciation of Scotland's wild places when he gave the John Muir Lennoxlove Lecture last night, marking the Year of Natural Scotland 2013.
Events today and tomorrow include Lauren St John, Sally Gardner and Sally Magnusson and free activities for children including Bookbug Rhyme and Storytime Sessions provided by East Lothian Libraries, and a Where's Wally-spotting competition.
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