Mountaineers welcome funding for MWIS
- Thursday 15th September 2016
Talks back on track for “sustainable and enhanced service”
Mountaineering Scotland, the body which represents hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers in Scotland has welcomed the news that the future of a crucial mountain weather forecasting service has been secured.
It was confirmed last night that the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS), which has been funded by sportscotland since 2007, will receive funding at present levels for a further three years. MWIS Lead Forecaster Geoff Monk had previously warned that he had been told funding was to cease at the end of this year.
Mountaineering Scotland’s Chief Executive Officer, David Gibson, said he was delighted at the news. He said: “This is a vital and much valued service for everyone who resorts to Scotland’s mountains, “We had spoken over the weekend to both Geoff and sportscotland to encourage them to sit down around the table again, and we met with the Scottish Government this week to provide evidence of the value of the MWIS forecasts and to express our concern that a satisfactory solution should be found which safeguards the forecast.
“We welcome the intervention of the Minister, Aileen Campbell, which provided the impetus for a solution to be found and it’s good news that a three year period of funding has been secured. We now look forward to being involved in the ongoing discussions which will ensure a sustainable, long-term and enhanced service.
Geoff Monk, lead forecaster at MWIS, said: "It is great news that we have reached this agreement and I'm pleased sportscotland is to continue investing in MWIS at the same financial level as in previous years.
"There was a misunderstanding about investment beyond 2016 and now we have a resolution to cover the development phase before a sustainable, long-term service is up and running. We can focus on continuing to provide a quality service to help people enjoy the mountains safely and we look forward to working with sportscotland to support the development plans.
The Mountain Weather Service and forecasts can be found here www.mwis.org.uk/home