Myrtle Lillias Simpson (née Emslie; born around 1930) is a Scottish skier and the tenth woman to receive the

Polar Medal The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to individuals who have outstanding achievements in the field of polar research, and particularly for those who have worked over extended periods in harsh climates. It ...

. She has been called the "mother of Scottish skiing". She was the first woman to ski across Greenland on an unsupported expedition. She was president of the Scottish Ski Club in the 1970s and has written several books.

Early life

She was from

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alde ...

and moved to

Fort William, Highland Fort William ( gd, An Gearasdan ; "The Garrison") formerly ( gd, Baile Mairi) and ( gd, Gearasdan dubh Inbhir-Lochaidh) (Lit. "The Black Garrison of Inverlochy"), ( sco, The Fort), formerly ( sco, Maryburgh) is a town in Lochaber in the Scottis ...

age 21. She qualified as a

radiographer Radiographers, also known as radiologic technologists, diagnostic radiographers and medical radiation technologists are healthcare professionals who specialise in the imaging of human anatomy for the diagnosis and treatment of pathology. Radio ...

and worked at the

Belford Hospital Belford Hospital, locally known as The Belford, is a rural general hospital in Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. It is managed by NHS Highland. History The original hospital, which was financed by a legacy from Andrew Belford and designed ...

Skiing

She was part of the Edinburgh Andean expedition in 1958, climbing various routes with Hugh Simpson and Bill Wallace. The group made seven ascents, including the first British ascent of

Huascarán Huascarán () ( Quechua: Waskaran), Nevado Huascarán or Mataraju is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay (Ancash Department), situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the western Andes. The southern summit of Huascarán (Huascarán ...

, which at 6,768m is the fourth-highest mountain in the Americas. In 1965 she skied across Greenland with four others on an unsupported expedition, the first woman to achieve this. She was president of the Scottish Ski Club in the 1970s. She was an experienced climber. She wrote several books about her expeditions and on other subjects. She lives at Kincraig.

Awards and honours

In 1969, she and her husband Dr Hugh Simpson were awarded the

Mungo Park Medal The Mungo Park Medal is awarded by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject ...

by the

Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

. In 2013 she was given the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. In January 2017 she was awarded the

in recognition of her arctic achievements. Her husband Hugh had been awarded the Polar medal fifty years previously. She received the medal at a ceremony in London in May. That year, she became one of the

Saltire Society The Saltire Society is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland. Founded in 1936, the society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland’s ...

's Outstanding Women.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Myrtle Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Female recipients of the Polar Medal Scottish female skiers Scottish mountain climbers Scottish women writers Scottish travel writers British women travel writers Recipients of the Polar Medal Female climbers