Calls were growing last night for clarity around the future of a crucial mountain weather forecasting service.
Leading mountaineers, a Munro-bagging politician and more than 4,000 people on an online petition have added their voice to a growing clamour regarding the future of the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS).
It emerged at the weekend that funding for the crucial service from Scottish Government agency SportScotland will be withdrawn at the end of the year.
Lead forecaster Geoff Monk warned that the service could be withdrawn without the annual support of £36,000 the vital forecasts would have to stop at the end of the year.
Yesterday leading mountaineers Cameron McNeish and Chris Townsend added their voice to concerns about the possible loss of the service.
Newtonmore-based Mr McNeish compared the situation to the controversial ban on wild camping in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, saying the “views of the people who actually go out and do this stuff are being omitted”.
He said the MWIS forecast was “extremely important” to the climbing and walking community.
Writing on his blog, mountain writer Chris Townsend said: “Whatever the causes of the dispute that is obviously going on it needs resolving fast.
“The first winter storms will soon be here. Given the amount of work Geoff Monks has put into MWIS it would be a shame if the service ceases. What is most important though is that we continue to have a dedicated mountain weather forecast service at least as good as MWIS. Nothing else is acceptable. This is a safety issue.
Conservative Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP and Munro bagger, Liz Smith, has also called for the funding to be protected.
She said: “MWIS has a first class record. It is used regularly by thousands of mountaineers and walkers – myself included – and, as such, has become an essential part of the preparation stage before tackling a route in the Scottish mountains.
“As the last few winters have shown, Scotland’s mountains can be a dangerous place and it is important that every step is taken to minimise the risk. A good mountain weather forecasting service can be the difference between life and death. The future of MWIS needs to be secured.”
SportScotland called the claims by MWIS “misleading and disappointing” and said that the agency has been in talks with Mr Monk and the Met Office for more than a year about “building a resilient and development-focused mountain weather forecast.”
