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Mountain Writing Competition 2024

Entries for the 2024 Mountaineering Scotland Mountain Writing competition will open on 18 January 2024.

This year entries will be through an online application portal with an entry fee of £7.50 per entry (adults) per category. There is no fee for the Young Poet category. The competition is open to both Mountaineering Scotland members and non-members. 

There are three categories - Poetry, Prose and Young Poet. 



  • Closing date for all entries is 5pm on Friday 15th March 2024. 
  • Entries must be related to mountains and/or mountaineering.
  • All entries should be submitted using the online application portal. No written or emailed entries will be accepted.
  • There should be nothing identifying the author in the submitted work.
  • Previous winners at any level may not re-enter the same category.
  • You may enter more than one category but only one entry per category is allowed per individual. If you submit more than one entry per category, your first entry will be the one that goes through to the judging round.
  • Young poet category
    • Entrants should be aged between 11-17 years at time of entry.
  • Word count:
    • Prose entries - maximum 1,500 words
    • Poetry and young poet entries – maximum 150 words
    • There is no minimum length for either category.
  • Entry fee:
    • Prose/poetry: £7.50 per entry per category
    • Young poet: FREE

  • All submissions must be the author's own work and not copy or plagiarise any other work.
  • The Mountain Writing Competition is open to anyone resident in the UK and to both members of Mountaineering Scotland and non-members. Members are asked to provide their club name or individual membership number.
  • Mountaineering Scotland reserves the right to reject any submissions it deems inappropriate or not the authors own work.
  • The judges decisions are final.

  • Winners will be notified in May 2024 and will be asked to provide a photograph and short biography of themselves to be published alongside their winning entry.
  • Mountaineering Scotland reserves the right to publicise the prize-winning entries in Scottish Mountaineer magazine (space allowing) and on other Mountaineering Scotland communication outlets (eg website, social media). 

Prose category:

1st Prize - £200 + prize bundle:

2nd Prize - £100 + prize bundle:

3rd prize - £50 + prize bundle: 

Poetry category:

1st prize - £200 + prize bundle: 

2nd prize - £100 + prize bundle

3rd Prize - £50 + prize bundle

Young Poet category:

1st prize - £100 + prize bundle

2nd prize - £50 + prize bundle 

3rd Prize - £25 + prize bundle