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Hamish MacInnes

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Hamish MacInnes
OBE BEM FRSGS
Born(1930-07-07)7 July 1930
Gatehouse of Fleet, Galloway, Scotland
Died22 November 2020(2020-11-22) (aged 90)
Glen Coe, Scotland
OccupationMountaineer
Known forInvention of all metal ice-axe and MacInnes stretcher, a light-weight foldable alloy stretcher

Hamish MacInnes OBE BEM FRSGS (born McInnes; 7 July 1930 – 22 November 2020) was a Scottish mountaineer, explorer, mountain search and rescuer, and author. He has been described as the "father of modern mountain rescue in Scotland".[1] He is credited with inventing the first all-metal ice-axe and an eponymous lightweight foldable alloy stretcher called MacInnes stretcher, widely used in mountain and helicopter rescue. He was a mountain safety advisor to a number of major films, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Eiger Sanction and The Mission. His 1972 International Mountain Rescue Handbook is considered a manual in the mountain search and rescue discipline.

Early life

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MacInnes was born in Gatehouse of Fleet, in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Galloway, Scotland, on 7 July 1930.[2] His father's surname was McInnes, but Hamish, (according to his obituary in The Times) "later adopted the more distinctive Scottish spelling of the family name".[3] He was the youngest child amongst five siblings. He had three sisters and a brother who was eighteen years older than Hamish. His father served in the Chinese police in Shanghai, then returned to join the British Army and the Canadian Army during World War I.[4] He had served with National service, shortly after the Second World War, with a deployment in Austria.[5]

Mountaineering and mountain rescue

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MacInnes was exposed to mountaineering at a very early age and by the age of 16, he had already climbed the Matterhorn. He had also built a motor car from scratch at the age of 17.[6] In 1953, when he was 23, he made an attempt to scale Mount Everest, with his friend John Crabbe Cunningham and had almost made it before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay scaled the mountain.[6] He went on to complete the first winter ascent of Crowberry Ridge Direct and of Raven's Gully on Buachaille Etive Mòr in the Scottish Highlands, with Chris Bonington in 1953.[7]: 188 [8]: 148  He was also a part of the group that scaled the Bonatti Pillar on the Aiguille du Dru, a mountain on the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps. He performed this feat with a fractured skull, which he suffered after being hit by a rockfall.[9]

He is noted for bringing many innovations to mountaineering equipment, including designing the first all-metal ice axe.[10] He is credited with introducing the short ice axe and hammer with inclined picks for Scottish winter work in the early 1960s. He also pioneered the exploration of the Glencoe cliffs for winter work with the Glencoe School of Winter Climbing and led the area's mountain rescue team from 1961.[11] In the 1960s he was secretary of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland.[12] He is recognised as having developed modern mountain rescue in Scotland, setting up the Search and Rescue Dog Association with his wife in 1965[13][14] and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service in 1988.[15] He invented the eponymous MacInnes stretcher, a lightweight and specialised folding alloy stretcher, which is used for rescues worldwide.[10][16][17]

In 1972 he was part of an 11-strong team that attempted to be the first to ascend the southwest face of Everest, but their expedition did not reach the summit due to bad weather.[18] In 1975, MacInnes was deputy leader to Bonington's Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition, which included Dougal Haston and Doug Scott.[19] He had been tasked with designing equipment for that expedition but after being caught in an avalanche high on the mountain was unable to continue.[20][21] He went on to scale the overhanging prow of Mount Roraima in the mountainous regions around Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana.[9][22]

Although never an official member, MacInnes climbed extensively with the Creagh Dhu, Glasgow-based climbing club as well as with the rival Aberdeen clubs. He joined forces with Tom Patey to make the first winter traverse of the Cuillin Ridge on Skye.[10]

He was involved with a number of films, as climber, climbing double and safety officer, including The Eiger Sanction and The Mission.[1][23] He also worked on the 1975 film The Eiger Sanction and the 1986 film The Mission.[24] He was part of the production team for the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He served as mountaineering consultant, built the film's "bridge of death" and became friends with star Michael Palin.[24][25]

He wrote many books on mountaineering, including the International Mountain Rescue Handbook (1972), which is regarded as the standard manual worldwide in the mountain search and rescue discipline,[1][9] and Call-out: A climber's tales of mountain rescue in Scotland (1973), his account of his experiences leading the Glencoe Rescue team.[26]

MacInnes acquired a number of nicknames within the mountaineering community, including the affectionate "Old Fox of Glencoe",[27] "The Fox of Glencoe"[1] and "MacPiton".[28][29]

In 1994 MacInnes resigned his position as leader of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team, over a decision taken by his colleagues to let the BBC make a documentary based on their work. However, the decision changed and he returned as leader.[30]

Awards and honours

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MacInnes was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 1962 New Year Honours.[31][32] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to mountaineering and mountain rescue in Scotland in the 1979 New Year Honours.[33] He received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1992,[34] University of Stirling in 1997 and University of Dundee in 2004.[35] In 2007 he was awarded honorary fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.[36] He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and received the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture in 2008.[10][37] In 2016 he was presented with the Chancellor’s Medal from the University of the Highlands and Islands.[15]

In 2018 a documentary film was produced for BBC Scotland, titled Final Ascent:The Legend of Hamish MacInnes. Introduced by his friend, Michael Palin, it recounts the story of MacInnes's life and achievements, and how he used archive footage, his photographs and his many books to "recover his memories and rescue himself".[38][6]    

Personal life

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MacInnes lived in Glen Coe for many years. Until 1998, he resided at "Allt Na Reigh", a cottage within the glen that was subsequently purchased by media personality, Jimmy Savile.[39][40] MacInnes later said that he was hoodwinked by Savile, and pleaded that the house, which was believed not to have been the scene of any of the offences for which Savile subsequently became infamous, not be demolished;[41] however, after his death, a friend of MacInnes told the BBC that MacInnes "would have wanted" the house knocked down to "remove the stain from the landscape."[42] In June 2024, the house's current owners were granted planning permission to demolish it and replace it with a new residence, to be named Hamish House in MacInnes' honour.[43]

Illness and death

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In 2014, MacInnes suffered a urinary tract infection which, initially undiagnosed, rendered him severely confused and suffering from delirium. He was sectioned into Belford psychiatric hospital in the Scottish Highlands. From there he made multiple attempts to escape, including scaling up the outside of the hospital to stand on its roof. After around five years the infection was diagnosed and treated. MacInnes recovered, though he lost memories of his adventuring career that he sought to rebuild by reading his accounts of them.[24]

He died on 22 November 2020, aged 90, at his home in Glen Coe.[44] Writing on his death, the Scottish daily The Scotsman said, "No one man has done more to help put in place the network of emergency response efforts designed to keep climbers from harm’s way, and it seems that MacInnes took just as much pleasure in helping to rescue people as he did in making record-breaking ascents."[9]

Bibliography

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Non-fiction

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Autobiography

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  • MacInnes, Hamish (2021). The Fox of Glencoe. Aberdeen: Scottish Mountaineering Press. ISBN 978-1-907233-39-5.

Mountaineering in Scotland: Scottish Mountain Guides

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  • MacInnes, Hamish; Ian Clough; Richard Brian Evans (1969). Ben Nevis and Glencoe: Guide To Winter Climbs. Manchester: Cicerone. ISBN 978-0-902363-00-7.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1971). Scottish Climbs: A Mountaineer's Pictorial Guide To Climbing in Scotland. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0-09-457450-2.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1976). Scottish Climbs 1. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0-094-61050-7.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1977). Scottish Climbs 2. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0-094-61060-6.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1982). Scottish Winter Climbs. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0-09-463620-0.

Mountaineering in the Greater Ranges

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  • MacInnes, Hamish (1974). Climb to the Lost World. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-19041-8.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1979). Look Behind The Ranges: A Mountaineer's Selection of Adventures and Expeditions. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-18949-8.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1984). Beyond the Ranges. London: V. Gollancz. ISBN 978-0-575-03512-6.

Mountain rescue

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  • MacInnes, Hamish (1963). Climbing: A Guide To Mountaineering And Mountain Rescue. Edinburgh: Scottish Youth Hostels Association. OCLC 53800277.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1972). International Mountain Rescue Handbook. London: Constable. ISBN 978-0-09-458200-2.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1973). Callout. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-17396-1.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1980). High Drama: Mountain Rescue Stories From Four Continents. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 9780340245590.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1985). Sweep Search. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-37258-6.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1987). The Price of Adventure: More Mountain Rescue Stories From Four Continents. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 9780340263235.
  • MacInnes, Hamish, ed. (2003). The Mammoth Book of Mountain Disasters: True Stories of Rescue from the Brink of Death. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 978-0-7867-1239-7.

Hillwalking in Scotland

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  • MacInnes, Hamish (1979). West Highland Walks. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-23915-5.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1979). West Highland Walks 1: Ben Lui to the Falls of Glomach: Scenic and Historical walks in the west Highlands. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-35971-6.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1979). West Highland Walks 2: Skye to Cape Wrath: Scenic and Historical walks in the west Highlands. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-35972-3.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1984). West Highland Walks 3: Arran to Ben Lui: Scenic and Historical walks in the west Highlands. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-26912-1.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (1984). West Highland Walks 4: Cairngorms and Royal Deeside: Scenic and Historical walks in the west Highlands. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-42384-4.

Scottish culture, nature and wildlife

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Fiction

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  • MacInnes, Hamish (1976). Death Reel. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-20725-3.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (2008). Murder in the Glen: A tale of murder in the Scottish Highlands. Glencoe: Glencoe Productions. ISBN 978-0-951-43801-5.
  • MacInnes, Hamish (2011). Errant Nights: A fast action modern story of treasure and treachery. Glencoe: Glencoe Productions. ISBN 978-0-951-43802-2.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "'Fox of Glencoe' awarded honour". BBC News. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  2. ^ "Birthdays". The Guardian. 7 July 2014. p. 31.
  3. ^ "Hamish MacInnes obituary" – via thetimes.co.uk.
  4. ^ Fraser, Robbie (Producer/Director) (2019). Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes. Bees Nees Media Ltd. 19:40 minutes in. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  5. ^ "An interview with mountain-rescue legend Hamish MacInnes". Vertebrate Publishing. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes | Scotland". Final Ascent. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  7. ^ Patey, T. W. (1960). "Post-War Winter Mountaineering in Scotland" (PDF). Alpine Journal. 65: 186–194.
  8. ^ Richardson, Simon (2007). "Scottish Winter Climbing: the last 50 years" (PDF). Alpine Journal: 147–158.
  9. ^ a b c d "Hamish MacInnes was a giant among men and mountains – Martyn McLaughlin". scotsman.com. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d "Stretcher pioneer carries off win". BBC News. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  11. ^ Wilson, Caroline (9 July 2020). "Mountaineering legend Hamish MacInnes marks 90th birthday". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Mountain Rescuers warn of climbing hazards". The Glasgow Herald. 3 January 1969. p. 7. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  13. ^ Fraser, Garry (28 January 2013). "A Climber's Four-Footed Friend". The Scots Magazine. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  14. ^ Restan, Sue (21 March 2016). "Appeal for people rescued by dogs to contact SARDA". The Press and Journal. Scotland. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  15. ^ a b Kerr, David (13 October 2016). "Mountain rescue pioneer honoured by university". The Press and Journal. Scotland. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  16. ^ Munday, M. C. (3 October 1964). "New Appliances. A new stretcher". British Medical Journal. 2 (5413): 873. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.5413.873. PMC 1816242. PMID 14185644.
  17. ^ McKenzie, Steven (20 May 2016). "Challenges to making new MacInnes Stretcher". BBC News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Weather beats Everest climbers". The Glasgow Herald. 16 November 1972. p. 15. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  19. ^ "MacInnes 1975" from the American Alpine Journal Vol 20; Number 2; Issue 50; (1976) p. 357
  20. ^ Finlay, Anthony (13 September 1972). "Games people play when the storms break". The Glasgow Herald. p. 5. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  21. ^ Finlay, Anthony (2 October 1976). "Facing Everest". The Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  22. ^ Woolf, Jo (1 April 2022). "Straight up The Prow: Roraima by The Hardest Route (Roraima Part 2)". Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  23. ^ Cameron, Gwen; MacInnes, Hamish (28 January 2013). "Alpinist 41: The Cover (Back)story". Alpinist (41). Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  24. ^ a b c McIver, Brian (12 May 2019). "Infection sees Scots mountaineer lose his memory and need psychiatric treatment". Daily Record. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  25. ^ Bryan, Scott (2 October 2020). "Interview. Around the world in seven journeys: Michael Palin on his favourite trips". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  26. ^ Call-out: A climber's tales of mountain rescue in Scotland. ASIN 1911342215.
  27. ^ MacAskill, Ewen (2 October 1976). "'Old Fox' scales new heights". The Glasgow Herald. p. 5. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  28. ^ Willis, Clint (3 December 2006). "The Boys of Everest". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  29. ^ "The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection: Hi-Ten Pitons0". smhc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  30. ^ Fielding, Helen (17 July 1994). "Can TV ruin your life?: Appearing on television can be glitzy, exciting – or profoundly upsetting". The Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  31. ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 42552". The London Gazette. 29 December 1961. p. 29.
  32. ^ "British Empire Medal". The Glasgow Herald. 2 January 1972. p. 10. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  33. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette of Friday, 29th December 1978" (PDF). London Gazette. No. 47723. Published by Authority. 30 December 1978.
  34. ^ "Heriot-Watt degrees". The Herald. 14 November 1992. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  35. ^ "University of Dundee honorary degrees – Friday 2 July" (Press release). University of Dundee. 2 July 2004. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  36. ^ "Honorary Fellowship". Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  37. ^ "Dr Hamish McInnes, OBE, BEM". sshf.sportscotland.org.uk. Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  38. ^ Felperin, Leslie (9 May 2019). "Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes review – portrait of a mountain man". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  39. ^ Ross, David (1 June 2013). "Glencoe residents relieved after sale of disgraced Savile's cottage". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  40. ^ Alexander, Derek (13 January 2013). "Climbing legend who sold Scottish cottage to Jimmy Savile admits being 'hoodwinked' by the child sex abuser". dailyrecord. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  41. ^ Alexander, Derek (13 January 2013). "Climbing legend who sold Scottish cottage to Jimmy Savile admits being 'hoodwinked' by the child sex abuser". Daily Record. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  42. ^ "What next for the Glen Coe cottage tainted by Savile?". BBC News. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  43. ^ Wilson, Caroline (20 June 2024). "Go-ahead for Saville's Highland lair to be demolished". The Herald. Glasgow. p. 7.
  44. ^ Koslerova, Anna (23 November 2020). "Hamish McInnes, Scotland's greatest ever climber, dies at 90". The Scotsman.
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