Outline and History
Moffat Mountain Rescue Team was originally Founded as Moffat Hill Rescue Service in January 1969 The idea of forming a mountain rescue team in Moffat came from the late Hugh Sinclair who was a well known GP in Moffat at the time.
His suggestion was prompted by a number of accidents in the area not least of all a fisherman who broke his ankle at Loch Skene, a mountain loch. The fisherman was rescued and carried down an icy path in darkness by Dr Sinclair, the local policeman and a number of volunteers wearing wellington boots and golf shoes.
A public meeting was held in the Balmoral Hotel inviting all interested parties and agreement was reached that a team should be formed. Willing volunteers signed up and the team was born. Howard Taylor a keen climber who lived in Moffat at the time was appointed team leader. A collection was held to raise funds for equipment and the princely sum of £100. 0s .4d was raised.
The members quickly set about gathering the equipment we felt we needed, our first stretcher was made by a couple of the team members and served well enough in the early days. Howard scrounged a couple of ropes from somewhere and set about the painstaking task of teaching people who new nothing about ropes belays etc. how they should be used safely.
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The first training exercise
Loch Skene - Moffat Hills
January 1969
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