ClimbScotland’s Robert Mackenzie has been named as the winner of the Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. Nevis Landscape Partnership and the Fort William Mountain Festival are delighted to reveal Robert, 25, as The Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture.
The award, established in 2015, is part of a wider project between the two organisations to celebrate adventurous young people, the landscapes they choose to explore and the outdoor pursuits in which they excel.
Nominated by the public and his peers as a young mountain hero who celebrates achievement, accomplishment and the spirit of adventure, Robert joins Zeki Basan (2015) and Natalie Berry (2016) as the next Youth Ambassador in the Fort William Mountain Festival Hall of Fame.
A bit about Robert
Inverness born and bred Robert has been climbing since he was three. Aged nine, he started entering climbing competitions and enjoyed great success. He moved up the ranks, winning the British Lead climbing Championships four times and placing 15th in the World Youth Championships and 8th in the European Championships, as part of the GB Junior climbing Youth Team.
At 19, Robert moved to Glasgow for university, where he got a job coaching the Glasgow Climbing Youth Squad. He become head coach four years later. The squad now has 42 young athletes from around Glasgow, two of whom Robert coached to GB team status.
Robert left the position of Head Coach of the Glasgow Climbing Centre Youth Squad in October 2016 to take up a new Regional Development role for the west of Scotland at ClimbScotland.
Robert wins prestigious award
Mike Pescod, Chairman of The Highland Mountain Culture Association Limited, organisers of The Fort William Mountain Festival, said: “Our previous ambassadors have been outstanding young people and with Robert Mackenzie there is no exception to that level of excellence. He represents an exemplar in influencing other young people by showing it is possible to achieve high levels of personal and sporting success through his own passion for climbing and Scotland’s outdoors.”
Robert will be presented with his award in Fort William on February 9 at the Fort William Mountain Festival. Hamish Brown also receives his Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture in the film festival’s 10th anniversary year.`