Mountain Training Scotland

About us

Mountain Training Scotland (MTS) has been central to the delivery of walking and climbing qualifications in Scotland for over 60 years.

It was established as the Scottish Mountain Leader Training Board (SMLTB) in 1964 to create a leadership course that reflected Scotland’s unique summer and winter mountain conditions. Its first training courses at Glenmore Lodge in 1965 and 1966 laid the foundations for what are now the popular and well-respected Mountain Leader and Winter Mountain Leader qualifications. In 2001 it became a registered charity and limited company. In 2003 changed its name to Mountain Leader Training Scotland to align with UK and Ireland counterparts. ‘Leader’ was dropped in 2012 to better reflect the full range of qualifications offered.

Today, Mountain Training Scotland is one of five awarding bodies across the UK and Ireland working under the collective identity of ‘Mountain Training’, ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery of skills courses and qualifications. It is overseen by a Board of volunteer Directors, elected by a Council of Members representing Scottish organisations with a shared commitment to the Mountain Training qualifications. A small staff team, led by an Executive Officer, manages daily operations working closely with colleagues within Mountain Training to develop and deliver the qualifications through a Scotland-wide network of approved providers.

Today, Mountain Training Scotland aims to be a resilient and forward-thinking organisation that leads the way delivering the skills courses and qualifications in Scotland. It is committed to fostering a dynamic community of leaders, instructors, and coaches, one that reflects the diversity, energy, and passion of an active society.

The qualifications administered by Mountain Training Scotland are:

Camping Leader
Lowland Leader
Hill and Moorland Leader
Mountain Leader
Winter Mountain Leader
Indoor Climbing Assistant
Bouldering Wall Instructor
Climbing Wall Instructor (including Abseil module)
Climbing Wall Development Instructor
Rock Climbing Instructor
Rock Climbing Development Instructor

The skills courses administered by Mountain Training Scotland are:

Hill and Mountain Skills

Hill Skills
Mountain Skills

Rock Skills

Introductory Rock Skills
Intermediate Rock Skills
Learn to Lead sport climbs
Learn to Lead trad skills

What we do

Mountain Training Scotland is the awarding body that oversees nationally recognised Mountain Training skills courses and qualifications in Scotland. As one of five national Mountain Training organisations, our aim is on consistent quality across delivery, wider participation, and the resilience of the organisation.

At its heart is a flourishing, diverse, inclusive and active community of Course Providers and practitioners, made up of inspirational leaders, instructors and coaches which is representative and well-supported.

Mountain Training Scotland principles:

Open, welcoming, and accessible to all who have a shared interest.
Collaborative and progressive, working with partners and relevant organisations to meet common goals and advance shared agendas.
Support for equal access for people from all backgrounds; everyone has the potential to develop leadership and coaching skills if trained appropriately.
Encouraging diversity; seeking to remove barriers to involvement for participants, leaders and instructors.
Supporting sustainable and sympathetic use of the outdoors by all users.
Innovative approaches in working practices (including creation of development projects).
Promoting a coaching culture to include a variety of leadership approaches; developing confidence and a range of competences as well as technical and decision-making skills.

Key Mountain Training Scotland activities

Overseeing skills courses and qualifications for participants, instructors, leaders and coaches to promote the safe and responsible enjoyment of walking, climbing and mountaineering.
High quality training and assessment courses delivered by experienced and supportive Providers and practitioners.
Opportunities and pathways for progression and skill development.
Sharing resources and guidance; highlighting standard and exemplary practice.

Ultimately, Mountain Training Scotland supports the development of independent walkers, climbers and mountaineers to practice and encourage safe, sustainable and sympathetic use of the outdoors by all users.

Staff team

George McEwan

Executive Officer

Email: george@mountain-training.org

George started working for Mountain Training Scotland in 2012 when he began the role of Executive Officer. He has had an involvement in the mountaineering and climbing world for over 35 years.

George has worked for Outward Bound, been a self-employed Mountaineering Instructor running his own business, and worked at The Scottish National Outdoor centre Glenmore Lodge from 1996-2012. First as a Senior Instructor and then as Head of Mountaineering.

George is based in Strathspey where he lives with his wife and child.

Catherine Rose

Administration and Finance Assistant (part-time)

Email: scotland@mountain-training.org

Catherine Rose has been with Mountain Training Scotland for 7 years.
She also has a full-time job is as Finance Manager for a local charity but she enjoys the variety of challenge working within Mountain Training Scotland also brings.

She lives locally in Boat of Garten and enjoys exploring the area on her road or mountain bike.

Sandy Paterson

Technical Officer (part-time)

Email: sandy@mountain-training.org

Sandy is based in the North East of Scotland where he lives with his wife and two children.

Sandy works year round as a Mountaineering and climbing Instructor and International Mountain Leader - splitting his time working between the Scotland and the Alps. He runs his own company (Scotch on the Rocks Guiding) and is involved in delivery of the majority of the qualifications from Lowland Leader to Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and the International Mountain Leader.

Mountain Training Scotland Board 2025-2026

Dr Mhairi Anne Crawford

Chair

(Appointed 3/10/2022; appointed Vice Chair 23/2/2023. Elected Chair 25/5/2023)

Mhairi has been walking, mountaineering and climbing in Scotland and Europe since an early age. A huge for anything outdoors guides her, be that solo trips or leading groups. When not able to get into the hills, she’s swimming, cycling or running. Mhairi brings a range of experience to MTS from more than ten years in industry building on her Physics doctorate, combing interests in STEM, business and equalities and eight as a third sector leader focussed on equalities.

Marie Dignam

Treasurer

(Appointed Treasurer 23/2/2023; elected Treasurer 25/5/2023)

Marie is an experienced senior financial reporting manager who has worked across a variety of industries. For the last eight years she has worked in financial services delivering both financial and ESG reporting. With a passion for hill and coastal walking, she is driven to support MTS’s aim to encourage sustainable and sympathetic use of the outdoors by all users.

Craig McLaren

Director

(Appointed Director 24/5/2023; elected as a Director 23/5/2024)

Craig’s experience in the outdoor sector, spanning over two decades, is invaluable. He began his journey volunteering with Venture Scotland, where he discovered a passion for mentoring groups in outdoor settings. This experience inspired him to successfully obtain both his Summer and Winter Mountain Leader qualifications. For 18 years, he’s been serving as the Assistant Outdoor Education Officer for Falkirk Council. In this role, he combines his love for the Scottish hills with his enthusiasm for leading and teaching people in dynamic environments throughout the year.

Richard Gammage

Director

(Appointed Director 21/3/2025; elected as a Director 22/5/2025)

Richard has spent 40 years exploring Scotland’s mountains, leading and training others. A keen cyclist and athlete, he combines a passion for the outdoors with a background in outdoor education, teaching, youth work, and the armed forces. He has and continues to be an advocate for safe outdoor exploration and its benefits. He holds the Mountaineering Instructor Certificate and two master’s degrees. Since 2013, he has worked in the third sector—across sport, education, homelessness, and social housing—as a senior executive and non-executive director. With extensive governance experience, he thrives on making a difference.

Council of members

The Council of Members are stakeholder organisations with a significant interest in the Mountain Training qualifications and skills courses managed and overseen by Mountain Training Scotland. They contribute actively to the governance and management of Mountain Training Scotland by monitoring its activity and giving guidance to the organisation. This includes helping to set policy, deﬁning and setting targets and evaluating performance, via thrice-yearly Council of Members Meetings.

Each Member organisation can appoint up to three nominated persons to attend meetings provided the individual is an appropriate representative of the organisation. Each organisation has one vote.

An additional three organisations are classed as ‘Advisors’, with the right to speak but do not have a vote at any Mountain Training Scotland Council of Members Meetings.

Glenmore Lodge National Centre
Joint Services Mountain Training Wing Ballachulish
sportscotland.

Scottish Key Partners

Scottish key partners have significant strategic, operational and/or financial relationships with Mountain Training Scotland.

Strategic partners in Scotland

Strategic partners have significant operational and/or financial relationships with Mountain Training Scotland.

sportscotland logo

sportscotland

sportscotland, the national agency for sport, works with partners (including Mountain Training Scotland and Mountaineering Scotland) to build a world-class sporting system for everyone in Scotland. sportscotland supports the development of outdoor and adventure sports through its range of national centres, including Glenmore Lodge.

sportscotland’s key outcomes include increased participation and progression in sport. In relation to these, sportscotland invests in Mountain Training Scotland to support its development and implementation of new initiatives and projects. Crucially, this investment enables Mountain Training Scotland to operate beyond basic provision of its core business.

Mountaineering Scotland

Mountaineering Scotland aims to inspire and encourage people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to enjoy mountaineering activities responsibly. This is achieved through educational programmes and provision of relevant information concerning mountain safety, access, and conservation. Many Mountain Training qualification candidates are drawn from this community of active hillwalkers, mountaineers, and climbers. The profile of Mountain Training qualification candidates reflects the demographic of this community. A common aim of both organisations is to work together to broaden its diversity, both by ethnicity and gender.

Provision of educational programmes and safety training significantly relies on qualified leaders, instructors, and coaches, whether as volunteers or as professionals. Mountain Training Scotland supports the mountain safety, access and conservation aims of Mountaineering Scotland by providing trained and qualified leaders, instructors, and coaches through the Mountain Training qualifications. Mountain Training Scotland is also uniquely placed, with its wider links to UK-wide and Ireland-wide organisations through MTUKI, to provide support and advice relating to matters of mountain safety and training.

Glenmore Lodge

Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre, operates within the sportscotland family of national centres. Glenmore Lodge defines its core function as supporting and developing leaders, coaches, guides, and instructors. Glenmore Lodge recognises governing body qualification pathways as a key enabler for quality participation in outdoor sport.