Dumfries and Galloway memorial to be unveiled to Scottish mountain rescue pioneer
A blue plaque is being installed in Gatehouse to honour Hamish MacInnes, who scaled the Matterhorn aged just 16.
A special memorial is to be unveiled to the man seen as the father of Scottish mountain rescue.
Hamish MacInnes was born in Gatehouse and scaled the Matterhorn at the age of just 16.
He also made four expeditions to Mount Everest, founded mountain rescue teams and pioneered mountain rescue techniques.
He based himself in Glencoe, where he died in 2020 at the age of 90.
Now, a blue plaque is set to be unveiled at 21 Catherine Street in Gatehouse where he was born.
Gatehouse Community Council is behind the project, with Deputy Lord Lieutenant Chris Walker unveiling the memorial on June 19.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
As well as guests from mountain rescue, there will be a walk to the Mill on the Fleet to give people a chance to see display boards about Hamish and one of his mountain rescue sledges.
Hamish was involved in the founding of Glencoe Mountain Rescue and was also involved in the Search and Rescue Dog Association Scottish Avalanche Information Service.
He invented the world's first all metal ice-axe and the collapsible lightweight stretcher still used in various forms by today's mountain rescue teams.
Hamish wrote the International Mountain Rescue Book and worked on films with stars such as Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery.
He received the British Empire Medal in 1962 and an OBE for services to mountaineering in 1979.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
16 hours ago
- Scotsman
Honouring a little piece of Scotland in a not so foreign field
Contalmaison Cairn, France, honouring the 16th Royal Scots, McCrae's Battalion who died on July 1, 1916 Last week I bumped into Jack Alexander. Jack is the author of an extremely informative book about the First World War's McCrae's Battalion and is vice-chairman of the McCrae's Battalion Trust. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... He told me that he was in the throes of organising this year's visit to the commerative cairn in Contalmaison, France, which is undertaken every year and which, once again, is fully booked. He wrote yesterday to inform me that 'this year the first of July falls on a Tuesday and on that date, the tiny village of Contalmaison will be welcoming a host of bleary-eyed visitors from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and Germany. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The focus of everyone's attention is a humble cairn, built from Elgin Sandstone by Scottish craftsmen and adorned with four handsome bronze plaques, designed in Edinburgh, sculpted in Kirkwall and cast in a foundry in Nairn. 'The cairn stands on a platform of Caithness slate, imported from Scotland just over 20 years ago with the rest of the materials. Truly a little piece of Scotland in a not so foreign field.' I was lucky to represent the city at the unveiling of the Cairn in 2004, which was attended by a crowd of over 1000 people, all to see the memorial to the 16th Royal Scots, first proposed in 1919 and finally completed more than 80 years later. Jack said that 'The 16th Royal Scots was McCrae's Battalion and was raised from volunteers in 1914 during the opening months of the Great War. Players and supporters from Hearts and Hibs joined the ranks, along with others from Raith Rovers, Falkirk and Dunfermline. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'McCrae's was the original 'Football Battalion' and was tragically destroyed in less than an hour on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. 'In spite of dreadful losses McCrae's penetrated further into the German trenches than any other unit, reaching the outskirts of Contalmaison before they were pushed back.' Since the unveiling of the cairn in 2004 the McCrae's Battalion Trust, based in Edinburgh, sends a full coach of 'pilgrims' out to France to the ceremony, which is held in the village every year on 1 July to remember those who fell. Jack reminded me that an agreement between Edinburgh and Contalmaison was forged 'which cemented the friendship of a city of 500,000 with a village of 100 souls. The people of Contalmaison are unfazed by that and care for the Cairn as if it commemorates their own sons.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I have always been impressed by the commitment and passion demonstrated by the McCrae's Battalion when managing these events, particularly when it comes down to 'engaging with the locals.' Jack writes on the Trust's website that 'The Battle of the Somme has become synonymous with slaughter. On the opening morning alone nearly 20,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers gave their lives. A further 40,000 were wounded. The first of July 1916 is often referred to as the blackest day in the history of the British Army.' The service lives long in the memory and a more moving ceremony I have yet to witness. Standing alongside supporters from other football clubs and villagers from the picturesque village of Contalmaison, as the sound of the piper's lament was carried by the breeze across the fields of France, was a truly emotional experience.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Falkirk Council has three times as many complaints as national average
By far the biggest cause for complaint was 'ongoing or incomplete repair times' Falkirk Council has three times the number of complaints compared to the Scottish average, members of its Scrutiny committee heard today (Tuesday). The largest number related to 'ongoing or incomplete repairs' (1030), but in the top ten reasons were also complaints about waste collection (364), staff conduct (206) and housing repairs (188). Stage 1 complaints in Falkirk also included council tenant advice & support (144) and 131 for household waste assisted collections. But the report was keen to highlight that while the council receives a higher number of complaints, "it is quicker to respond and more successful at early resolution". In 2023/24, Falkirk Council received 34 complaints per 1000 of population, compared with the national average of 11.5. The average time it took to respond was six working days, three days quicker than the national average. For stage two complaints, it took on average 20 days, compared with the Scottish average of 22. Of the stage one complaints, in Falkirk ten per cent were fully upheld - compared with the Scottish average of 32 per cent. At the first stage, 30 per cent of complaints were resolved quickly, compared to the Scottish average of 14 per cent. Stage 2 outcomes saw eight per cent of Falkirk's complaints being fully upheld, compared to the Scottish average of 26 per cent. Of the 47 complaints that have gone to the Scottish Public Ombudsman Service, just one was upheld. Members were also cautioned that not all councils provide the same services so making direct comparisons is not always possible. Some local authorities do not have housing or building maintenance departments, while these are by far the most common areas for complaints to Falkirk Council. Last year, 1030 stage one complaints concerned 'ongoing or incomplete repairs'. Members heard that "a lot of activity" is ongoing to improve the repairs procedure, which has already led to a fall in complaints, from 1347 last year. Members were told that ongoing training to give the workforce "bolt-on skills" is expected to have a big impact on improving customer satisfaction, as will a recently introduced booking system for appointments. The Director of Place Services, Malcolm Bennie, added that it was important to see the figures in context. "Every year we carry out around 40.000 repairs so the 1300 complaints you see before is actually 2-3 per cent. "I'm not saying those complaints are not important. We will drive service improvement wherever we can but it's important when you see a large number like that you have to understand the context that tens of thousands of repairs are happening. "We do tenant satisfaction checks with tenants about how happy they are with the repairs that are carried out and typically the scores are very high. "The BMD service is actually working well, on an improvement journey, and we are looking forward to coming back to Scrutiny later this year with a full suite of information." With just one year's figures to compare, Councillor Gordon Forrest was concerned at the lack of data from previous years, which would allow them to "see the bigger picture". He was told it had not been retained due to data protection rules but anonymised data that has been collated will be kept from now on to make future comparison. Councillor Alf Kelly also wanted to fully understand why complaints were dropping, saying: "If we don't know why complaints are dropping, we don't know where we are succeeding." Councillor Lorna Binnie said she was particularly concerned to see 206 complaints about staff conduct and wanted to understand more about the reasons for these, and how many had been upheld. Director of communities, Karen Algie, assured members that all complaints about staff conduct are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. The figures are reported to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) which says councils must have processes in place to learn from complaints and use this learning to improve service delivery.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Cat missing for two years reunited with Scots family thanks to microchip
Spot the cat vanished from her home in Aberdeen in 2023. A pet cat has been reunited with her Scots owners after going missing for two years - thanks to the power of a microchip. Spot the cat vanished from her home in Aberdeen in 2023, leaving her family heartbroken. Unbeknown to them, the feline had been making her way around the countryside, surviving on her own. But on February 11, a member of the public found Spot with a leg injury in the Whitecairns area of the city. They called in officers from the Scottish SPCA, who were able to discover her microchip during a routine check. Within hours, Scottish SPCA were in touch with her owners, leading to a heartfelt reunion two years in the making. Her story has been shared as part of National Microchipping Month - a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of keeping pet microchip information current. Microchipping is the most effective way to identify a lost pet and increases the chances of reuniting with their owner. Scottish SPCA Animal Rescue Officer Lynn Cruickshank said: 'This is exactly why we always encourage pet owners to microchip their animals and keep their contact details current. "Spot's story could have ended very differently if she wasn't microchipped. Thanks to that small chip, she's now back where she belongs.' Spot has since had to have one of her legs amputated. She is recovering well at home and is adjusting brilliantly to life on three legs. Her family shared: 'She's doing great and absolutely loving being back home. She's coping well and is now living a happy life as a house cat.' Director of Innovation and Strategic Relations, Gilly Mendes Ferreira said: 'We believe it should be mandatory to microchip cats not just dogs and any other animal where it is deemed appropriate. We also believe that there should be one national microchipping database. 'Due to the roaming nature of cats, they can get lost, be mistaken for strays or return to another area after moving house, where other people may take them in. "Mandatory microchipping would help identify owners and keep people and their pets together. 'Scotland needs to implement this to stop owner disputes, cat theft and to help identify negligent owners. The Scottish SPCA is actively promoting the benefits of microchipping cats and encouraging owners to get their pet's microchipped. 'While it's not yet a legal requirement for cats in Scotland, we strongly recommend it for the safety and well-being of cats. 'We include microchipping as a standard procedure before rehoming cats and provide information on the importance of keeping contact details up to date." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
