'˜Mother' of Scottish skiing honoured by the Queen

She is regarded as an ambassador for Scottish skiing and mountaineering, admired for her long distance feats of endurance as much as her infectious enthusiasm for the slopes of the Cairngorms.

Myrtle Simpson is a prime example of someone for whom retirement hasnt meant hanging up her ski boots. Picture: Contributed

Now, one of Scotland’s veteran skiers has been recognised by the Queen for her pioneering achievements.

Myrtle Simpson has been named as the latest recipient of the Polar Medal, an historic award that has previously been given to the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The 86-year-old has been recognised for her expeditions in the Arctic during the 1960s, when she made headlines around the world.

In 1966, she became the first woman to ski across Greenland, travelling with four others on an unsupported expedition. The 450-mile journey across the ice cap from Tasiilaq to Kangerlussuaq took the party 33 days, during which they ate rations of porridge, buttered biscuits, and chocolate bars.

Three years later, she attempted to ski to the North Pole. Although she fell short of her ultimate goal, she succeeded in getting further north than any woman before her and recounted the experience in her 1970 book, Due North.

The Polar Medal, approved by the Queen, recognises Ms Simpson as an “explorer of Arctic regions, sea canoer, climber and writer.”

Her husband, Hugh, who accompanied her on her Arctic journeys, was awarded the same honour in the 1960s. It means they have become only the second husband and wife team to both be awarded the medal, following in the footsteps of Sir Ranulph and his late wife, Virginia.

Originally from Aldershot in Hampshire, Ms Simpson moved to Scotland at the age of 21 and worked as a radiographer in Fort William’s Belford Hospital, but it was not long before her wanderlust took her further afield.

As well as her Arctic expeditions, the former president of the Scottish Ski Club was an accomplished climber who tackled treacherous routes at home as well as in China, New Zealand, and Peru. During her travels in the Andes, she documented each step with a series of dispatches published in The Scotsman.

Ms Simpson, fondly known as the mother of Scottish skiing, chronicled the sport’s origins in her book, Skiisters: The Story of Scottish Skiing.

In 2013, she became the sixth recipient of The Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. The accolade was presented at the Fort William Mountain Festival.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority was among those to pay tribute to Ms Simpson, describing her as an “inspiration”.