W.H. Murray Literary Prize


Every year, articles in the Journal may be judged for the W.H. Murray Literary Prize. Along with the obvious warm glow which winning this brings, a cheque for £250 and an invitation to the following annual SMC Dinner follows.

As a tribute to the late Bill Murray, whose mountain and environment writings have been an inspiration to many a budding mountaineer, the SMC, from 1998, hold a writing prize, to be run through the pages of the Journal. The basic rules are set out below.

The deadline for entries is the end of April.

Previous Winning Articles


2023
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Tim Pettifer

2022
A Stance on Parnassus
Gavin Anderson

2021
Crack Addict
Olly Stephenson

2020
Taking the Easy Way?
Michael Jacob

2019
Magrathea, Creag an Dubh Loch
Julian Lines

2018
The Seam, The Seam
Roger Webb

2017
Parishes of the Infinite
Steve Hindley

2016
Going,going,gone
Phil Gribbon

2015
The Hills Are Alive…
Ian Crofton

2014
Opening The Church Door
Ian Taylor

2013
Lines From The Russian: Anti-Matter In The Cuillin, 29 July 1931
Graeme Morrison

2012
No Prize awarded (see Rule 3)

2011
Strange Happenings at Ben Alder Cottage
Paddy Buckley (Split Prize)

2011
Night in the Big Bedroom
Robert Richardson (Split Prize)

2010
No Prize awarded (see Rule 3)

2009
Sgurr Thuilm
Hamish Brown

2008
A Tale of Dangerous Obsession
Gordon Smith

2007
Bouldering with Ghosts
John Watson

2006
Final Destination
Guy Robertson

2005
Coming of Age on the Lammergeier Spire
Graham E. Little

2004
Climbing and Writing: The Victorian Way
Robin N. Campbell

2003
The Second Sight
Peter Biggar

2002
Climbing in the Cold
Mick Fowler

2001
Centurion Solo on Two Cheeseburgers
Alan Mullin

2000
W.H. Murray Revisited
Des Rubens

The Rules


  1. There shall be a competition for the best entry on Scottish Mountaineering published in the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal. The competition shall be called the 'W.H. Murray Literary Prize', hereafter called the 'Prize.'

  2. The judging panel shall consist of, in the first instance, the following: The current Editor of the SMC Journal; The current President of the SMC; and two or three lay members, who may be drawn from the membership of the SMC. The lay members of the panel will sit for three years after which they will be replaced.

  3. If, in the view of the panel, there is in any year no entries suitable for the Prize, then there shall be no award that year.

  4. Entries shall be writing on the general theme of 'Scottish Mountaineering', and may be prose articles of up to approximately 5000 words in length, or shorter verse. Entries may be fictional.

  5. Panel members may not enter for the competition during the period of their membership.

  6. Entries must be of original, previously unpublished material. Entries should be submitted to the Editor of the SMC Journal before the end of April for consideration that year. Any contributor to the SMC Journal is entitled to exclude their material from consideration of the Prize and should notify the Editor of this wish in advance.

  7. The prize will be a cheque for the amount £250.

  8. Contributors may make different submissions in different years.

  9. The decision of the panel is final.

  10. Any winning entry will be announced in the SMC Journal and will be published in the SMC Journal and on the SMC Web site. Thereafter, authors retain copyright.