Mountaineering Scotland press release:

Hillwalkers and climbers are being challenged to put their passion for the wild places into words.

Mountaineering Scotland’s annual literary competition is now open for entries.

And with the number of climbers and walkers who have been unable to get to the hills since lockdown started, it’s a great opportunity for people to express in words what the mountains and crags mean to them.

It may be prose or poetry, fact or fiction, it may be a fondly remembered walk or an imagined vertical adventure – it could well be prose or poetry about not being able to get to the hills.

Whatever you choose to write about, as long as it has mountains and mountaineers at heart, the Mountaineering Scotland Writing Competition 2020 is seeking contributions, with the aim of finding the best in new mountain writing.

First prize in both prose and poetry sections is £200. Second and third prize winners in each section will receive £100 and £50 respectively.

As well as the cash prizes, winners will see their entries published in ‘Scottish Mountaineer’, the quarterly Mountaineering Scotland magazine which goes out to its more than 14,000 members.

Winning entries are also published on the Mountaineering Scotland website.

Run since 1987, the competition is open to members and non-members alike and regularly attracts entries from all over the UK, with all contributions having some connection with mountains and mountaineering, rock or ice climbing, walking or ski-mountaineering.

Prose entries should be a maximum of 2,000 words long. Poetry entries should be a maximum of 200 words.

Entries should be sent by email to the MWC Coordinator, Tommy McManmon, by 31st August at the latest, at article@mountaineering.scot

Full details and rules of the competition are available on the website at www.mountaineering.scot/members/members-benefits/scottish-mountaineer-magazine/mountain-writing-competition