The Mountaineering Council of Scotland

Scottish Mountain Safety Forum

In the Beginning

The Scottish Mountain Safety Forum (SMSF) is an umbrella organisation concerning mountain safety in Scotland. The Forum has developed from the Scottish Mountain Safety Group (SMSG). This group was set up on an initiative of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) in 1988. Thereafter, the Group was administered as a committee of the Scottish Sports Council (SSC). The Group was formed from those outdoor bodies with a direct interest in the safety of walkers and mountaineers in the Scottish hills. The first meeting in 1988 was chaired by then President of the MCofS, Graham E Little and was composed of The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland, The Scottish Sports Council, the Scottish Office and Northern Constabulary. The Scottish Office agreed to direct £21K of ring-fenced funding to the Group to be used for education work in mountain safety. The Group was chaired by Graham Little (1988 – 1989), Duncan Ross (1989 – 1991), Eric Langmuir (1991 – 1993) and Ian Collie (1993 – 1999).

Initiatives undertaken by the Group included:
  • Leaflets
  • Posters
  • Advice to Ministers regarding mountain safety statements
  • Glen Arna Navigation Self Study Pack
  • Pilot study for an Interactive CD-Rom for Navigation
 

Representatives from the member-bodies of the Scottish Mountain Safety Group meeting at Balmoral, 1996.

The Scottish Mountain Safety Forum Today

In 1998, under agreement between the Scottish Sports Council and the Scottish Office, the functions of the group were transferred to the MCofS, as the lead representative body for walking, climbing and mountaineering. The funding (currently £42K) remains ring-fenced for safety work. The SMSG ceased as a group in its original form and the MCofS set up an umbrella group of interested organisations as the Scottish Mountain Safety Forum (SMSF). This Forum has an enlarged membership of organisations. It was chaired by Kate Ross (1999 – 2002) and Bill Crabb (2002 - 2004) and Mary Webster (2004 onwards). The MCofS now employs a Mountain Safety Adviser (currently Roger Wild). This post handles the administration of the Forum as well as undertaking safety initiatives of the MCofS. The remit of the Forum is:
  • To act as a liaison group between the MCofS and other bodies with a key role in mountain safety
  • To act as a forum to advise government on mountain safety issues
  • To advise and assist the MCofS on mountain safety priorities
  • To ensure the common purpose of safety initiatives regarding mountaineering ethos
  • To liaise and consult with other bodies outside the SMSF on matters relating to mountain safety and the public

A wide spectrum of organisations and bodies are represented on the Forum. These are:
  • Army HQ Scotland
  • Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland
  • Association of Mountaineering Instructors
  • British Association of Mountain Guides
  • British Association of Ski Patrollers
  • British Mountaineering Council
  • Forestry Commission Scotland
  • Glenmore Lodge National Outdoor Centre
  • Mountain Leader Training Scotland
  • Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
  • Mountaineering Council of Scotland
  • Ramblers' Association (Scotland)
  • Scottish Accident Prevention Council
  • Scottish Activity Holiday Association
  • Scottish Advisory Panel for Outdoor Education
  • Scottish Cyclists' Union
  • Scottish Executive
  • Scottish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Federation
  • Scottish Mountain Bike Leaders' Association
  • Scottish Natural Heritage
  • Snowsport Scotland
  • Sportscotland
  • Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service
  • VisitScotland

This page is part of the old website of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
To visit the new website, click on
www.mcofs.org.uk

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