Our Month: Mountaineering Scotland in January 2025

Our CEO Stuart Younie started January meeting with our President Anne Butler and outgoing Chair Jo Dytch to review some of the issues which had been ongoing in the run up to the holidays and starting to plan ahead for the rest of 2025. On the 9^th he also met with members of the senior team to review the latest version of our draft strategy and discuss the operational priorities over the next 4 years and how progress can be reported to Directors and our members around four key strategic themes: delivering financial sustainability, delivering our members priorities, developing our community, and growing our partnerships. 

Stuart was also accepted onto the sportscotland 'Inclusive Leaders' management development programme and spent two days at the Stirling Court Hotel in January with a cohort of CEO peers from other Scottish sports governing bodies as well as senior managers from the local authority and trust sector. The programme is about challenging current thinking as well as revising some fundamental leadership topics. A key theme over the two days was the concept of creating a sense of belonging which was applicable to both the paid workforce but also through our volunteers and our wider membership of Mountaineering Scotland. 

Alongside Helen Gestwicki, Stuart met with Paul and Helen Webster from Walkhighlands to discuss how we could work more closely to promote the #ThinkWINTER campaign and he also Chaired the meeting of the Mountaineering CEO Co-ordination Group attended by the CEO’s of the BMC, Mountaineering Ireland, Mountaineering Scotland and Mountain Training UK & Ireland. This regular meeting allows sharing across the home nations with key themes around developing our membership offers, the emergence of coach licencing and the financial pressures each organisation is managing. Finally, we are waiting for formal confirmation of our sportscotland funding for the next four years, and are hopeful we may secure some additional resources which will allow us to revise our staffing structure to align to the new strategy. We hope to be able to update on this in the near future!

Date to remember: It was 20 years ago, on the 9^th February 2005, that the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force. Part One of the Act was created to place our traditional freedom to enjoy the outdoors on a solid statutory basis; clarifying for access users and land managers alike what can and cannot be done as well as where our rights are not exercisable. The Act made clear that access rights and obligations are not an absolute right but must be exercised responsibly, and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code was produced to explain what it means for users and land managers.

Deer stalking- hind cull: If you’re planning to be out and about at this time of year, walking or ski touring, it’s important to be aware of when and where deer stalking is taking place, especially on the run up to the end of the hind culling season on 15th February.  The busiest stalking periods are influenced by the natural seasonal breeding cycle and movements of red deer, as well as welfare considerations.

Deer managers are working hard to reduce deer numbers and achieve their cull targets, with some estates shooting daily to reach their hind cull targets, to keep the impacts of deer under control. Plan ahead and take extra care to minimise the chance of disturbing stalking. Find out more here.

Nesting birds and climbing crags: Seems very early in the season to be looking into disturbance of birds at crags, but some birds like golden eagles and peregrine falcons may be prospecting for nest sites this early, and climbing activity could deter them from breeding, without alternative suitable sites available to them.

At this time of year it is helpful to be aware of bird activity at or around your chosen crag, and have an alternative venue in mind in case nesting behaviour is seen. Eagles and peregrines have special protection and it is a criminal offence to disturb them. Find out more about nesting birds >>