The Scottish Mountaineering Trust (SMT) will be the sole beneficiary of the £446,000 estate of Hamish MacInnes, one of the great Scottish mountaineers and innovators of the 20th Century.

In addition to the projects SMT has traditionally supported such as access, skills training and mountain rescue - all of which will continue - this big donation means that the trust is also in a position to help organisations that open up the mountains to young people, and to those from socially disadvantaged communities.

"We are delighted that the MacInnes trustees have decided to pass Hamish's legacy to the SMT" said SMT Chairman, David Broadhead.

"We recognise that this is a big responsibility, as Hamish was a complete individual steering his own course through life, and the SMT will ensure that his values and memory will live on through the projects we support."

Hamish MacInnes, who died in 2020, climbed the Matterhorn as a teenager, and later joined Chris Bonington's Everest expedition in 1975. Alongside his climbing exploits over decades, he was a gifted inventor, credited with inventing the first all-metal ice axe and a lightweight stretcher still used around the world today.

He assisted the founding of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, which he led for a number of years, and participated in establishing the Search and Rescue Dog Association, and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service.

Since 1990 SMT have donated £1,982,000 to a wide variety of organisations and individuals that support and promote physical and mental health and empowerment, education and training, and public recreation through hillwalking, rock climbing, winter mountaineering and ski touring in Scotland's mountains.

Projects have included upland footpath repair, mountain rescue equipment and facilities, mountain hut renovation, life enhancing mountain experiences for disadvantaged communities, training in mountain safety and skills, publishing guides and information about the mountains, and expeditions with clear scientific or educational objectives.

Kevin Lelland from The John Muir Trust, an SMT Grant beneficiary, said:

"We have nothing but praise for the SMT. We have enjoyed a relationship for almost 25 years and received about £200k that has enabled us to make the mountains accessible to everybody."

For more details on Scottish Mountaineering Trust Grants and to apply see here. Submission for the next SMT Grants meeting should be made by Friday 21 March 2025.