An Unlikely Friendship

The jagged peaks of the Cuillin mountains on Skye dominate much of the island's incredible scenery. Looking at them is one thing, but hiking them is another matter entirely. Even though many locals would have no doubt climbed these peaks over the centuries, by the 19th century the area was still largely unmapped with few recognised routes or official names.

That was until Professor John Norman Collie and John Mackenzie struck up an unlikely friendship and conquered these mountains. Collie was a scientist and experienced hiker, travelling around the world to climb, but constantly being drawn back to Skye. While gazing out from the Sligachan hotel during a fishing trip with his brother, Collie decided he had to adventure up the Black Cuillins.

He was defeated twice by the mountain range and realised he was going to need some local knowledge. That was when he came across Mackenzie, a local crofter who climbed from a young age and would go on to become Skye's first professional mountain guide.

Over the next 45 years, the pair climbed all over the island, mapping and recording the area to pave the way for those who followed. They left a lasting impression on the mountain range in features such as Collie’s Ledge, Norman’s Peak (Sgúrr Thormaid) and MacKenzie’s Peak (Sgùrr Mhic Choinnich).

It was a time of stark social divides, but the crofter and the chemist became close friends, bonded by a mutual respect for the other's skills and a shared love of climbing. Collie eventually retired to Skye and became a permanent resident of the Sligachan Hotel. Mackenzie died in 1933 and when Collie followed 9 years later, his dying wish was to be buried right next to his hiking companion.