Mountain rescue legend's pride at Excellence Award recognition from his peers
He’s scaled Mount Everest, topped every one of Scotland’s 282 Munros - seven times - and is considered one of the UK’s most experienced mountain rescue experts.Now David Whalley, born and brought up in Ayr, is toasting his latest achievement.David, the son of the Rev Bill Whalley, ex minister of Newton-on-Ayr Church, has spoken of his pride at becoming the 16th recipient of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture.The award is in recognition for his “inspirational work” and “tireless devotion” to public safety on the mountain ranges and it was presented to David during the recent Fort William Mountain Festival.He now joins an elite group of previous esteemed winners who include Dave Morris, Andy Nisbet, Jimmy Marshall, Myrtle Simpson, Ian Sykes, Karen Darke and Dr Hamish MacInnes in the Excellence in Mountain Culture Hall of Fame.David, also affectionately known in the field as ‘Heavy,’ said: “To be put forward for this award and named in the same group as the past winners of the Fort William Mountain Festival is so humbling.
It is a great honour.”The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.It was David’s distinguished service at the forefront of mountain rescue and mountain safety education in Scotland - which has spanned more than 40 years - that made him an overwhelming recipient for the award, sponsored by JAHAMA Highland Estates.David, a former pupil at
