The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) is the national representative body in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 that exists to protect the freedoms and promote the interests of climbers

Climbing

Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...

, hillwalkers

Hillwalking

In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...

 and mountaineers

Mountaineering

Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...

, including ski-mountaineers. Its headquarters are in Perth

Perth, Scotland

Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...

.

History

The MCofS was formed in 1970 by the Association of Scottish Climbing Clubs to represent the views of the mountaineers of Scotland, and represents 127 affiliated clubs with 7,000 members based in Scotland as well as nearly 3,000 individual members from all over the UK and abroad.

Aims

Its aims are:

• To act as the representative body for mountaineers, including mountaineers on ski, climbers and hill walkers in Scotland
• To protect the ethos of mountaineering in Scotland
• To safeguard and secure access to hill and crag
• To protect the mountain environment
• To initiate and encourage safe practice in the mountains
• To promote the views and interests of its members
• To co-operate with other organisations with common interests

Responsibilities

The Council has an authoritative website and produces a quarterly magazine "The Scottish Mountaineer" and provides a range of benefits to its members.

Key areas of activity include encouraging safe practice in the mountains; safeguarding access to upland areas following the introduction of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and Scottish Outdoor Access Code, and a commitment to ensuring conservation of the upland environment.

Elected by the membership in June 2007, the President of the Council is outdoor journalist Chris Townsend. The Council has four committees responsible for Access and Conservation; Membership Services; Mountain Safety and Sports Development.

See also

• The British Mountaineering Council
  British Mountaineering Council
  The British Mountaineering Council is the national representative body for England and Wales that exists to protect the freedoms and promote the interests of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, including ski-mountaineers...
  
  (or BMC) is the national representative body for England and Wales.

External links

• Mountaineering Council of Scotland YouTube channel