The Mountaineering Council of Scotland represents climbers, hillwalkers and mountaineers north of the border

Membership of the body that represents mountaineers north of the border broke the 10,000 mark this year, according to its annual report, released today.

The website of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland is also now getting 10,000 unique visitors each month. The organisation’s president Chris Townsend gives an upbeat view in his summary, saying its work is increasing its appeal to mountaineers of all types.

Despite the economic recession, the council’s chief officer David Gibson says it is in good financial health, with a growing membership. This contrasts with the Ramblers Scotland, which is facing closure of its Scotland office and drastic reduction in its staffing, with a budget cut of £300,000 for its operations north of the border.

Mr Gibson said: “There is a lot of good news to present to members at our AGM this year.  We are delighted that despite the credit crunch our membership is rising and that we are able to expand our range of membership benefits.”

Mr Townsend backed up the view. He said: “The MCofS is in good shape. We are carrying out vital work in safety and training, access and conservation, with climbing walls, and youth events, and in a whole host of other areas. This work is generating a lot of interest and it is great to see that mountaineers of all disciplines are visiting our website and joining the MCofS.”

But treasurer John Irving said financial support may change following the next election, despite all politicians agreeing there should be greater participation in active pursuits. The man in charge of the MCofS purse said: “sportscotland is keen to increase participation in outdoor activities and sports. MCofS shares this vision and needs to demonstrate how this is achieved. Public policy could change with the next election threatening our financial support. However I would remain optimistic that mountaineering, climbing and hill walking will always be an important part of Scottish life.”

Chris Townsend: 'MCofS is in good shape'

Access is still proving problematic in certain areas, despite the Scotland’s land-reform legislation, which gave walkers, climbers, cyclists and paddlers the best access rights of anywhere in the UK. Hebe Carus, access and conservation officer for the council, reports: “Implementation of some of the provisions of The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 is still suffering from lack of adequate resources.

“This has been due in part to the statutory nature of Core Paths Plans, which have been prioritised by access authorities, together with issues relating to physical barriers, which received a large number of reports.

“Consequently, issues of importance to mountaineers require effort to move them up the priority agenda, requiring a good deal of commitment from volunteers and staff. During the year we raised 124 unique enquiries and the majority of these have been dealt with.”

The MCofS also administers the £42,000 funding for the Mountain Weather Information Service, founded by Geoff Monk; it appointed a new mountain-safety adviser Heather Morning, and part funded the Hillwalking Essentials DVD, along with the British Mountaineering Council and Mountain Leader Training England.

The MCofS annual meeting will take place at Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore, on 5 September. The full annual report can be viewed via the council’s website.