Vivienne Crow

Short Biography

Vivienne is an award-winning freelance writer and photographer, specialising in the outdoors. A journalist since 1990, she gave up her desk job as a newspaper sub-editor in 2001 to go travelling in Asia. On her return to the UK, she decided to focus on the activities she loves the most – hill-walking, writing, nature, travel and photography. Needless to say, she's never looked back! Now, as well as writing guidebooks, she is a regular contributor to several magazines and newspapers, produces web content/blogs for a range of organisations and does copywriting/interpretation work for tourism and conservation bodies.

Professional Activities

Vivienne is a regular contributor to TGO (The Great Outdoors), Lakeland Walker, MMM, Camping and Caravanning Club magazine, Cumbria, Cumbria Life and Lancashire Life. She writes weekly outdoors columns in The Cumberland News, the Times & Star and The Whitehaven News. Her travel and outdoor features have also been published in Countryfile, Country Walking, Walk (the Ramblers’ magazine), The Sydney Morning Herald, Scanorama (SAS’s inflight magazine), The Scotsman and several other titles. Web content and blog clients include Cumbria Museum Consortium, Harringtons pet food, cumbria.com and the Royal Geographical Society. She's written copy for interpretative leaflets, booklets, information panels and walking routes for tourism/conservation organisations, including Scottish Natural Heritage, Nurture Eden, North Pennines AONB, Eden Rivers Trust, East Cumbria Countryside Project and various local councils. Other clients in recent years have included the National Trust, the AA, Dorling Kindersley, Lake District Hotels and TripAdvisor.

Recent Publications

• Walking in Cumbria’s Eden Valley, second edition (Cicerone, 2018);
• Tea Shop Walks (Northern Eye Books, 2018);
• Walking in Northumberland (Cicerone, 2018)  – winner in the Best Guidebook category, OWPG Awards for Excellence, 2018;
• Wales Coast Path Official Guide: Snowdonia & Ceredigion Coast (Northern Eye Books, 2017);
• Wales Coast Path Official Guide: Pembrokeshire (Northern Eye Books, 2015); Lake District High Level and Fell Walks (Cicerone, 2015);
• Lake District Low Level and Lake Walks (Cicerone, 2014);
• Lake District Woodland Walks (Northern Eye Books, 2013);
• Walks with History (Northern Eye Books, 2013);
• Settle to Carlisle Way (Rucksack Readers, 2012);
• Pub Walks (Northern Eye Books, 2012);
• Walks to Waterfalls (Northern Eye Books, 2012);
• Walks to Tarns (Northern Eye Books, 2011);
• Frommer’s Scotland, 12th edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2011), co-author with Lesley-Anne Rose and Michael Macaroon;
• Walking in Cumbria’s Eden Valley (Cicerone, 2011) – shortlisted for the Lakeland Book of the Year Awards 2012;
• Short Walks in the Lake District (Questa Publishing, 2011);
• Easy Rambles in the Langdale Valleys (Questa Publishing, 2011);
• Cadogan Britain: The Lake District (Cadogan – New Holland, 2010) – winner in the Best Guidebook category, OWPG Awards for Excellence, 2010;
• Easy Rambles Around Coniston and Hawkshead (Questa Publishing, 2010);
• Easy Rambles Around Patterdale and Ullswater (Questa Publishing, 2010);
• Easy Rambles Around Keswick and Borrowdale (Questa Publishing, 2008);
• Easy Rambles Around Grasmere and Borrowdale (Questa Publishing, 2008);
• major contributor to Crimson Publishing’s The Best of Britain: The Lake District (2008);
• Walk! The Lake District North (Discovery Walking Guides, 2006)

Awards

• 2018 – OWPG Awards for Excellence (Best Guidebook): Walking in Northumberland, published by Cicerone
• 2018 – OWPG Awards for Excellence (Best Outdoor Feature): Autumn in the Valleys, published in TGO magazine
• 2013 – Winner of the ‘Outdoor Book of the Year’ award as voted for by readers of TGO magazine: Walks with History, published by Northern Eye Books
• 2013 – OWPG Awards for Excellence (Best Guidebook): Walks to Waterfalls, published by Northern Eye Books
• 2012 – OWPG Awards for Excellence (Best Outdoor Feature): First on the Scene, published in TGO magazine
• 2012 – Shortlisted for the Lakeland Book of the Year Awards: Walking in Cumbria’s Eden Valley, published by Cicerone
• 2010 – OWPG Awards for Excellence (Best Guidebook): The Lake District, published by Cadogan
• 2010 – OWPG Awards for Excellence (Best Outdoor Feature): Special Report – Skiddaw House, published in Lakeland Walker magazine