Cumbria climber to complete 20-year isles quest Published duration 10 November 2017

image copyright Simon Yates image caption Simon Yates is known for his climbing adventures

An acclaimed climber and writer is poised to complete a 20-year quest to visit Scotland's inhabited islands.

Simon Yates became a household name in the 1980s following a harrowing expedition to Peru with climbing partner Joe Simpson.

Their experience, which saw Yates cutting a rope to Simpson, is recalled in the book and Bafta-winning film, Touching the Void.

This weekend, Yates is to visit Cumbrae, the last isle on his list.

His challenge has included a trip to Arran with his wife Jane to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, and a cycle trip the couple made of Western Isles' island chain, which includes Barra, Uist and Harris.

He has also visited the Shetland Islands, including its isles of Foula and Fair Isle, accompanied by his family.

Cumbria-based Yates, who is visiting Ayrshire's Isle of Cumbrae for the start of a new lecture tour, said: "I've lost count of how many islands we've visited.

"We set the parameters of the challenge to Scotland's inhabited islands that have a fairly regular ferry service.

"Highlights have included Orkney and a trip to Foula in the Shetland Islands. Foula, with its dramatic sea cliffs, feels like a mountain sticking up out of the sea."

image copyright Simon Yates image caption Yates family fun on Shetland

Yates added: "One of my favourite islands is Eigg.

"I have been going there since the 1990s and seen how the place has changed since it was under the ownership of an absentee landlord to being taken over by the islanders in a community buyout.

"The community has so many characters. I always have a good time on Eigg."

Yates, who is also to visit Glasgow, Dundee, Stornoway, Lerwick, Ullapool, Portree and Kirkwall as part of his My Mountain Life lectures, is more often found on some of the world's highest mountains than islands.

Last month, he was in Nepal and early next year is to travel to Chile to climb San Lorenzo in Patagonia.

In 1985, Yates and Simpson climbed Siula Grande in the Andes.

They got into difficulty while making their descent and Yates was forced to make a life or death decision.

Believing Simpson to be dead on the end of the rope, and being slowly pulled off the mountain while losing all feeling in his hands, Yates cut the rope that joined them in order to save his own life.

Simpson survived and went on to write Touching the Void, which was later adapted for a film.