Out with the old and in with the new as they say, as both the British Mountaineering Council and Mountaineering Council of Scotland change their names

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) has today (25 July) announced that it shall now go forth as ‘Climb Britain’. In conjunction with this The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has also revealed a name change, now wishing to be known as Mountaineering Scotland.
The BMC has said that the intention has been to “unite all members under one ‘Climb’ banner – whether you’re climbing hills, mountains, rock, ice or indoor walls”.
Its new name will be phased in over the next year, with official launch events at the Kendal Mountain Festival and on 2 December – the 72nd birthday of the BMC. As part of the re-branding BMC Cymru/Wales will change to Climb Cymru which will have its own individual logo.
CEO at the BMC Dave Turnbull commented: “The word ‘climb’ is evocative, something ingrained in us as children when we climbed our first tree or hill. It’s also a word that unites hillwalkers and all forms of climber. Now, whether you’re climbing a hill, a snowy mountain, a vertical rock face or an indoor wall – Climb Britain will be there to help.”
The move has been supported by legendary mountaineer and Everest summiteer Sir Chris Bonington, who says the BMC needed to ‘move with the times’.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCoS) has stated that its rebranding to Mountaineering Scotland has come about following consultation with its members.
“The MCofS has represented the interests of its clubs and members since 1970,” said David Gibson CEO of the MCoS. “We are proud of our heritage and achievements, but we recognise that times are changing and tailoring our brand and communications to new audiences is essential.”
He added: “In September 2015 we launched ClimbScotland, an innovative brand which is succeeding by inspiring more young people to climb, enjoy the sport, and learn how to develop their skills. We’ve learned from our experience with ClimbScotland that a simple and progressive brand can enable us to communicate our key message that mountaineering activities – hillwalking and climbing – and our membership offer are accessible to all.”
The MCoS will be implementing its new name over the next few months.