The Scottish Mountaineering Club was formed in Glasgow in 1889, as a result of correspondence in the Glasgow Herald initiated by William W. Naismith. Although other Scottish clubs existed at this time, such as the Cairngorm Club, these had only local membership and limited technical aspirations. By contrast, the founder members of the SMC included a good number who already had Alpine experience and wished to use their skills in their native country.
In the early 1960s the SMC formed a charitable trust, the Scottish Mountaineering Trust. Part funded by revenue from the SMC's guidebooks, the Trust has given support to many projects over the years, including to the National Trust for Scotland and of the John Muir Trust and to footpath maintenance projects generally. The Trust also supports Mountaineering Scotland.
Publisher's website 2018
This is a fully updated and enlarged colour edition of the very popular guidebook first published in 2000. It details some of the best scrambles, easy rock climbs and walks to be found on the Island of Skye. It is the definitive guidebook to scrambling on Skye and as such it is also an essential guide for any hillwalkers wishing to venture into the mountains of The Cuillin. The traverse of the main ridge of the Cuillin is fully described and new diagrams have been created to show the crucial sections. Although the majority of the routes are situated in the Cuillin, the magnificent range of gabbro mountains for which the island is famous, there are many other fine outings described in the neighbouring Red Hills and the dramatic landscape in the west and north of the island. A number of outings are described for the very first time.