For many years, the sport of rock climbing had been assumed to have been invented in the English Lake District but now a BBC 2 film now claims that the sport might actually have originated in Scotland.
The Scots have certainly invented quite a number of useful ideas over the years from the light bulb, Tarmac and Penicillin to slightly more debateable levels of usefulness such as golf. There are even some claims that that bastion of English sport – football – was invented in Scotland!
Lake District claim: Returning to the matter in hand – the original claim for the first recreational rock climb was an ascent of Napes Needle on Great Gable in the English Lake District in 1886. It rather begers belief that anyone in their right mind would attempt this today, never mind with the primitive equipment available back then, but that is a documented fact.
Scotland Claim: The Scottish claim is that infact the first recreational climb was actually by 3 men from Lewis who climbed Great Stac of Handa, Sutherland, in 1876 – 10 years before anyone thought about Napes Needle, which rather ironically sounds the more Scottish of the two.
To prove the case, three modern day climbers have recreated the climb using authentic equipment from the time to successfully show that the original men’s claim was indeed possible.
TV programme: Viewers in Scotland will be able to judge for themselves as The First Great Climb airs at 19:00 on 22nd November on BBC Two Scotland. Whether this will be available on BBC iPlayer we’re not too sure, but hopefully the BBC will give the English a chance to check for themselves.
Location: For those unsure of UK geography, can we just point out that contrary to what many have told this author of Cumbrian origins – Cumbria and the Lake District are not in Scotland or Wales, although Cumbria does border with Scotland.
More Scottish Resources:
Lots of things to see and do in the Highlands of Scotland
Hotel accommodation in the Highlands of Scotland
Self-catering in the Scottish Highlands
