11 hours ago
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.
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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.
