In September 2024 a group of seven Imperial students and alumni, as well as three friends, embarked on an expedition to the West Coast and Inner Hebrides of Scotland, with the aims of exploring existing climbing, and to scout, explore, and develop new climbing routes. The areas provide a wealth of climbing crags ranging from mountains to sea-cliffs, offering multi-pitch and single-pitch across a variety of rock types including gabbro, gneiss, and granite.
The expedition was undertaken on the islands of Skye, Gometra, Mull and Erraid in West Scotland, as well as Invernesshire and Glen Nevis. In Skye the group explored climbs in the Cuillins, Neist and Elgol areas, after which the team travelled to Invernesshire to undertake routes in Huntly’s Cave. Then the group made their way to Gometra, an island off the Isle of Mull, on which very little climbing had been recorded, and this enabled some new routes to be accomplished. The team travelled to the Fidden Beach on Mull and then to Erraid, a tidal island off Mull where further new climbs were made and submitted to the Scottish Mountaineering Club.
In addition to funding provided by the Exploration Board this expedition was supported by the Lord Mayor's 800th Anniversary Awards Trust, the Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust, the Old Centralians' Trust and the Royal College of Science Association Trust.