He’s scaled Mount Everest, topped every one of Scotland’s 282 Munros - seven times - and is considered one of the UK’s most experienced mountain rescue experts.
Now David Whalley, born and brought up in Ayr, is toasting his latest achievement.
David, the son of the Rev Bill Whalley, ex minister of Newton-on-Ayr Church, has spoken of his pride at becoming the 16th recipient of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture.
The award is in recognition for his “inspirational work” and “tireless devotion” to public safety on the mountain ranges and it was presented to David during the recent Fort William Mountain Festival.
He now joins an elite group of previous esteemed winners who include Dave Morris, Andy Nisbet, Jimmy Marshall, Myrtle Simpson, Ian Sykes, Karen Darke and Dr Hamish MacInnes in the Excellence in Mountain Culture Hall of Fame.
David, also affectionately known in the field as ‘Heavy,’ said: “To be put forward for this award and named in the same group as the past winners of the Fort William Mountain Festival is so humbling. It is a great honour.”
It was David’s distinguished service at the forefront of mountain rescue and mountain safety education in Scotland - which has spanned more than 40 years - that made him an overwhelming recipient for the award, sponsored by JAHAMA Highland Estates.
David, a former pupil at Ayr Grammar and Belmont High School, was a member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Mountain Rescue Service for 37 years.
The team’s primary task was to attend to aircraft crashes, whilst training in the mountains all over Scotland.
He was Team Leader of RAF Leuchars, RAF Kinloss, and Deputy Team Leader at RAF Valley in North Wales.
He spent the last four years of his RAF career working in the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss.
During his time ‘Heavy’ took part in more than 1000 rescues and more than 80 aircraft incidents in mountainous areas.
This included being Senior Team Leader at the Lockerbie Disaster in December 1988 - when 270 victims of a terrorist attack lost their lives.
He was also involved in the hunt for survivors when a Chinook helicopter crashed on Mull of Kintyre in 1994 and four RAF crew and 25 terrorism experts were killed.
Heavy was also a member of the Executive of The Scottish Mountain Rescue Committee for over 20 years, serving for five years as the Accident Statistician and three years as Chair.
He has been awarded the BEM, an MBE and the Distinguished Service Award for Service to Mountain Rescue.
He is both an Honorary member of the Torridon and Kinlochewe MRT and President of the Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland.
David, now 70, has climbed in most parts of the world, he has completed Scotland’s 282 Munros seven times, and was a member of the successful 2001 Everest North Ridge Expedition.
Alvance British Aluminium Managing Director, Tom Uppington, said: “As the sponsors of this prestigious Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture, we are delighted that Dave ‘Heavy’ Whalley has been recognised for his inspirational work and tireless devotion to public safety.
“JAHAMA Highland Estates, part of Alvance British Aluminium, based in Lochaber, greatly values the hugely significant impact that Dave’s enduring public service to those in need across the Mountains and Moorlands of Scotland has had on so many people.”
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