Our Month: Mountaineering Scotland in August 2024

The Shared Rural network programme continues to roll out, seeking to place expensive 4G digital telecommunications masts in the wild mountainous areas of Scotland, while some areas that need digital connectivity still struggle with limited services. We are listing the mast proposals that are currently in the planning system seeking consent to be built, so that everyone can see what is happening, and to become involved if you wish. 

The coalition of concerned groups and individuals has written to the new Minister in the UK Government responsible for the programme asking him to pause to review the purpose and effectiveness of this programme. The letter, with 46 signatories from outdoor recreation and conservation organisations, community councils and trusts, and land owners and managers has also been copied to the new Secretary of State for Scotland bringing his attention to this issue and requesting a meeting to discuss options.

Meanwhile, proposals for new woodlands keep springing up, which we scrutinise for their impact on public access.  We have been in discussion with forestry consultants for a plan for native woodland in Glen Lednock in Perthshire, which hosts some great climbing and bouldering venues. We have been assured that there will be gates in any deer fences on routes to the various climbing locations to maintain public access, and also for ascent of Ben Chonzie.

We have also been consulted on a plan for selective planting of trees in Coire na Ciste to assist with woodland regeneration in lower gullies of the Northern Corries. The consultants have identified the walkers’ routes up and down the hill and assure us that much of the total area will remain unplanted and there will be no fencing, tree guards or other protection used. No planting will be done close to the main paths in and around the area – however the Ciste is a great location for snowsports touring, with long snow lie, and the interests of ski touring also need to be taken into account here, as downhill skiing lines will be different from walking routes.

Brendan Hughs (Director of Mountain Safety), Stuart Younie (CEO) and I started the month with interviews for the part-time Mountain Safety Advisor role to replace Ben Gibson.  I would like to thank everyone who took the time to apply and to those who came to interview. It was great to have such a strong pool to choose from. We’ll be introducing the new Mountain Safety Advisor very soon!

Meanwhile, Kirsty Pallas has also been out in all weathers teaching navigation to members in both the Campsie fells and the Ochil hills.

Kirsty and I have also been supporting Mhor Outdoors with their ‘Connect Outdoors’ programme which works to connect people with the outdoors, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual identity, physical ability of personal circumstances.

Along with Communications Officer Fiona McNicol, I also attended a sportscotland Smartphone Video Production Course at Caledonia House in Edinburgh. The course, run by Emma Baker of Comsteria, provided an insight into the power of video on social media and how organisations can use this to get more people engaged with their sports. Look out for lots of great Mountaineering Scotland Reels coming soon! 

On August 15th, Maree Todd MSP visited the National Bouldering and Performance Centre in Inverness Mountaineering Scotland and sportscotland attended to discuss the facility's development, as identified in Mountaineering Scotland’s Facility Strategy. Maree even tried climbing herself, leaving energised and impressed by the ongoing work in the sport.

Finally, a huge congratulations to Toby, Erin, Hamish, and Molly for their incredible performances in the lead and boulder combined event at the Paris 2024 Olympics!  Toby, Erin, and Hamish made it to the finals, with Toby securing Gold after an outstanding lead performance! Huge well done also to all the coaches and staff who made this possible!

The month began with the quarterly Clubs Connect Zoom call, a chance for clubs to get together and talk about current issues, ask questions and share knowledge. CEO Stuart Younie and Director for Access & Environment Pete Crane provided an update on some of the key issues in in access and planning in mountain areas including the impact of the National Planning Framework 4, the Shared Rural Network and Pumped Hydro Storage Schemes. There was also discussion about club insurance and legal frameworks and a call for clubs to get involved in a Clubs Focus Fortnight coming up soon. Club committee members, please check your emails for details!

The latest issue of our digital members publication Mountain Matters should now be in your inbox, packed full of great features, videos and our 2023-24 Annual Report which is also available to view on our website. If you haven’t dipped into Mountain Matters yet please do – we think you’ll enjoy all the content and would love to hear your views in a short survey. 

Planning for our winter safety campaign ThinkWINTER started this month, with colleagues from Scottish Mountain Rescue, Glenmore Lodge, Police Scotland and Mountain Training joining us at The Granary in Perth for an all day session.

And in the August members e-zine, we invited Mountaineering Scotland members to come and join us for a litter pick on Ben Lomond on 29 September, to raise awareness of our TakItHame campaign. And if you can’t join us there, we’re encouraging clubs and individuals to organise your own litter pick and help us keep Scotland’s mountains litter free. Find out more about TakItHame Day on our website.