Mike Newbury

Honorary membership conferred 2007

By John Irvine

Mike Newbury was born in Burton-on-Trent. He began climbing on Derbyshire gritstone and in Wales in his teens. His initial climbing in Scotland was hampered by a serious fall off Tower Ridge when in his early twenties .Having lived and worked in different parts of Scotland he moved to Linlithgow and has been an active member of the Forth Valley Mountaineering Club for 25 years.

The Munros were completed in 2000 on Buchaille Etive Beag. The other area of interest has been the Julian Alps, visiting every year since 1986. He completed and published the first guidebook in English ‘Walks and Scrambles in the Julian Alps’ in 2003.

The contribution to MCofS has been in access and conservation in two ways; as secretary of the Access and Conservation Committee for 14 years (1996-2008) and advising and inspecting path-work through the British Upland Footpath Trust (BUFT).

He has inspected and provided reports (with photographs) on paths in Wales, England and Scotland and his advice on path-work is still sought after by a variety of public bodies. During his tenure of the post of secretary, the Scottish Access legislation was passed. He was actively involved in the consultations, meetings and lobbying, leading to the passage of the act of parliament.

Honorary membership was therefore an appropriate award in recognition of Mike’s work.