Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection open week

There’s a rare chance over the coming week to see a host of rare artefacts from Scotland’s mountaineering history.

Items include Tom Weir's bonnet, camera and ice-axe; Tom Patey's surgery desk and piton hammer; Harold Raeburn's altimeter; the full range of Hamish McInnes's legendary ice-axes and hammers, and a unique selection of 'home-made' items created in the living rooms, garden sheds and shipyards of Scotland.

They’re all part of the Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection, which is housed principally in the barn and other outbuildings at Bohuntin, in Glen Roy, just north of Fort William.

The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection is a charitable trust dedicated to the collection of mountaineering and miscellaneous outdoor gear, and comprises over two-thousand items of mountaineering memorabilia from Scotland and around the world constituting possibly the only mountaineering museum in the United Kingdom, though unfortunately, it is not yet on permanent display.

Besides items from Scottish climbing heritage, from further afield there are Everest oxygen sets, Antarctic anoraks, Whillan's Whammers and a wide range of Alpine axes. The trust’s ski collection is also probably the best in the UK, with over one-hundred pairs of wooden skis, some dating back to the 1890s, and all stored and displayed in a custom-built ski hut. To compliment this there is a wide selection of vintage clothing coupled with a unique archive of photographic material from around Scotland and the UK which gives a story to the tale.

The collection is not generally open to the public, but is viewable on-line at www.smhc.co.uk. However, the trust was asked to participate in the Highland Archaeology Festival 2017,  which takes place in early October, and has agreed to open the 'Collection' to the general public at:

7 Bohuntin, Glen Roy for the period Friday September 29th to Sunday October 8th (inclusive) on a daily basis from 9am to 5pm

Anyone interested in the great outdoors is welcome to attend, and entry is free, although donations are always welcome. Space and parking is limited so school groups and larger parties should call in advance to discuss arrangements, at 01397 712356.