The Moray Mountaineering Club was established in 1931 with the declared aim ‘to encourage mountaineering and serve as a bond of union amongst lovers of the Scottish hills’. Membership is centred on the Elgin, Forres, Nairn and Inverness areas but enthusiasts from Keith, Fochabers and further afield attend meets.
Club activities include monthly Bus and Weekend meets, Climbing meets and Social events. The main interest centres on summer and winter hill walking, but there are also rock climbers, winter mountaineers, ski tourers, cavers, kayakers, …
Bus Meets
Bus Meets normally take place on the third Sunday of every month and are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and have a great day out in the hills. It is up to you what you do on the bus meet; it could be a gentle stroll around a loch, a strenuous day taking in multiple summits or a short trip to a bothy. The outward bus journey provides an opportunity to discuss plans and maybe join a group with similar plans. One of the main advantages of the bus is that you don’t have to get on and off at the same place. This offers opportunities for traverses through the hills that would otherwise be logistically challenging.
Weekend Meets
Weekend meets normally occur on the first weekend of the month throughout the year and are a fantastic opportunity to explore destinations that are generally a bit too far to reach in a day-trip. A bunkhouse, mountaineering hut, village hall or campsite will normally be booked for the Friday and Saturday nights. Most people travel in shared cars after work on Friday and return on Sunday afternoon, but the timing is flexible.
Climbing Meets
The club has a strong summer and winter climbing / mountaineering scene. There are regular evening sessions throughout the year; indoors during the winter and outdoors during the summer. Members also undertake various other climbing adventures. Every Wednesday evening throughout the summer, as long as daylight and weather permits, a group of enthusiasts meet to climb. The usual venue is the sea-cliffs near Cummingston where there are a fine variety of short routes on sandstone. Other destinations include Huntly’s Cave, Logie Head and Covesea. During the winter months, the climbers meet on Wednesday evening for indoor climbing sessions.
Social Events
The club arranges various social events throughout the year, including ceilidhs, photography competitions, quiz nights, curry nights, formal dinners, films, etc.
Becoming a member
The Moray Mountaineering Club are actively recruiting new members. Joining the Moray Mountaineering Club is easy. All we ask is that you come along to one of the bus meets, weekend meets or climbing meets as a guest. If you still want to join then complete an application form and hand it to a member of the committee. The completed application form will be presented for approval at the next committee meeting. The annual membership fee is £28, which runs from the end of July. There may be a discount for members joining mid-way through the year.
Member Benefits
There are lots of benefits to becoming a member of the Moray Mountaineering Club. For a full list of member benefits click here. The Moray Mountaineering Club is affiliated to the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS). Club membership fees include affiliated membership of the MCofS.
If you are interested in finding out more about our Club and becoming a member please contact Jenny our membership secretary at moraymc@btinternet.com.