Hilary has been a stalwart of Carnethy for some considerable time, joining in the very early days in 1985. She has been treasurer for, as she says, "more years than I care to remember". For me, she is one of those central people who make Carnethy what it is. My first memory of her is running in the Affric Tops and doing her hundredth Munro. She is very quiet, with the ability to look at you as if she can see through to your spine. A very tough lady in the hills, with an ability to cover long distances apparently easily, with a big pack and in all weathers. A recent trip to Iceland enhanced my regard for her in that respect. It was time she was interviewed.

You are an Edinburgher, born and bred. Have you lived anywhere else? No. In retrospect, I would have liked to have lived elsewhere, if only for the experience of coming back to Edinburgh to live! But then if I hadn’t gone to Edinburgh University, I might not have started orienteering, running and fell running. So life generally and my social circle would have been quite different.

I’ve heard you mention ‘my Ayrshire connection’. What is it and how did you come to learn Tam o’Shanter by heart? My paternal grandparents retired to Ayr. I spent a lot of time there in the school holidays. My great and I would walk up the Doon to Alloway, the Auld Brig and Burns’ cottage. My other companions were imaginary horses, the girl in the bedroom mirror and a Burns book. Learning Tam o’Shanter and Holy Willie’s prayer were challenges I accomplished about the age of 10. I also have a big repertoire of hymns!

Tell me about your family and your upbringing. I grew up in Joppa and Duddingston, where my parents still live. They were both maths teachers, so maths runs in the family. I have one brother, two years younger, whom we see at occasional Carnethy Socials when he visits from Virginia. At George Watson’s (girls only, until we joined up with the boys in my last year), I didn’t meet Robin Morris but his aunt taught me French. I generally enjoyed school, but didn’t socialise with the other pupils out of school, until my last year (funny coincidence that - work it out!). Ah! The apple, the serpent and biochemistry. My social life centred on the Portobello Swimming Club, Guides, Church Badminton Club and Youth Fellowship - most of these had a better gender balance (Scouts and Guides met on a Friday night). There you go again! At school we had to play hockey in winter. I hated it; bare legs in the sleet, hail and rain. Later on we could choose between games and needlework. It had to be needlework because the teacher was senile and we could skive off.

Teenage holidays were spent in Carradale, Kintyre.The routine was fishing, golf (to be avoided), the beach or knitting when it rained. When we were about 14, it was the barbecue on the beach with illicit cans of lager, stumbling home at 3am. The different circle of friends there only ever saw each other on holiday or under the clock at Murrayfield at half time!

Your personal history in the Archives describes a wide interest in sport. so you are really a sporty type, despite school doing it’s best to put you off. I was always a keen swimmer. My dad taught at the Royal High in Regent Road, so we got the pool to ourselves on Saturday mornings. In 6^th year I taught swimming at the Royal Blind School. A University summer job at Edinburgh baths gave opportunities to have the pool to myself. At the Portobello club I made the B-team. I ran the Church junior badminton club, playing in various leagues, until leaving school. Golf I took up in last year at University but gave up in1985 - not enough time. Hill walking started with the Guides and the School (first Munro Stob Binnean). One memory is the Pennine Way, a PE teacher leading (from the back usually). Our English teacher drove the heavy kit to the next Youth hostel. I think that was when it first dawned on me that I had stamina and could keep going for ever! Orienteering formed the basis of my social life at University. We called it cunning running, being quite scathing of those who only ran. Nowadays my brain needs a rest. My occasional forays into orienteering shows it’s well rested!

Despite the alarming experience I know you had in an Edinburgh race (tell me about that), you are a long distance runner – witness your St. Cuthbert’s Way success this year. My Edinburgh experience - 3 laps of Arthur’s Seat in 1982 - was a good lesson in preparation. I was training for the first Glasgow marathon that October. My colleagues thought I was mad, running home from jobs in Fife. My first ever 10 mile road race was to be on a Sunday in July. One Friday night I went out with friends for a curry and a bucket full of red wine, then tried to cure my hangover with a cooked breakfast on the Saturday. Radio Forth said that the race was starting in half an hour . . . . . . . It was in the high 80s, I was dehydrated to start with and completely out of it on the last lap. Onlookers say my language was not something I learned at George Watson’s Ladies College! Suffice it to say I woke up in Casualty on a drip, hallucinating, having collapsed 100 yards before the finish. I did the Marathon that October and the next, and would like to do another one day to beat 3.5 hours.

You have completed the Munros. Was that an important thing to do or a way of discovering the Scottish Highlands? It started as discovering the Highlands, but got a bit silly in the last year with a mad rush, no matter the weather. There are several I’d like to do again in decent conditions - except the Skye ridge, which I may never set foot on again! I’ve resolved only to do Corbetts when I can see the view...and broken the resolution!

You joined Carnethy when you met Andy (at University? I know he has a Maths degree as well as you). You were already an orienteer, knowing Bill Gauld and Eddie Harvey. Andy studied at Nottingham, then moved to Edinburgh to work, where we met on the Committee of Interlopers Orienteering Club. I joined Carnethy in 1985 after watching him compete at Ben Lomond. I was astounded. The Fife lads spent all evening in the pub talking him up to me: that was it! I did Goat Fell later that month, so that I could impress him when he landed on Arran in the Boat race.

Recall some of the incidents in the early days of Carnethy, from 1985. Your first hill race, for example. People in the Club then . First race, Goatfell. Many of the current stalwarts were there - Keith Burns, JBF, Jim Barton, Eddie, Bill, Pete Fettes, Andy. Robin Morris sang the old school song as I drove back from Troon after the Boat race to keep me awake! Lesley Kirkwood was the only other woman that day. Those were the days when they stopped Ann Curtis crossing the finishing line at Eildon! Some prominent folk I remember are no longer in the Club; David Shepherd, a colleague as well as clubmate, and Peter Brooks, both now dead. Others I hope we’ll see again - Janet and Jim Darbie and Beverly Redfern, World Cup winner. For fond memories and amusing incidents see the Hillenium Book.

Marshalling for the Islands Peaks Race has been a long-term commitment of yours . Having the long distance ability, why haven’t you run it? I’d need to get some experience in a small boat and I suppose that’s possible. The real reason is that, if I landed on Jura in the dark, I fear I’d have to say "No"

What's good about the Club and what’s bad about it? The good things are g ood friends, good company, good experiences, enjoying fresh air and scenery whatever the weather and snuggling into a sleeping bag in at the end of the day, a really enriching of life. Bad - all the SAF bureaucracy and the bad feelings currently being generated. There doesn’t seem to be a likely "Win-Win" on the horizon

How do you think the Club should develop? I like the broad church, which epitomises Carnethy, catering for frequent and occasional runners, serious racers, and those who enjoy a day or an hour in the hills. It’s good to see so many girls and juniors are coming on. Besides athletic prowess, I am continually impressed by the rich knowledge, literary and musical skills we see in Club members. I even discovered in Iceland that Keith is cultural as well as being an Engineer! Of course, I knew you were, Alex! An engineer? What an insult! I’m a physicist.

And the subject I go on about – motivation and enthusiasm. Where does yours come from and do you ever worry it will go away? Motivation - to get up a hill in the wind and sun or rain to blow the cobwebs away, knowing there’s a hot bath at the end of it, or a warm sleeping bag and a brew. This brings enthusiasm of its own accord. Yes, I worry it will evaporate and sometimes it does. That almost always means I need to tear myself a way from the desk and up a mountain to regain my sense of perspective, and return refreshed.

Tell me about your year travelling round the World. Special places and memories. How long have you got? Or did Bill expect to be short of copy? India’s rich culture, ancient history and the experience of travelling vast distances by steam train was so different from anything I’d encountered before. I loved it - we’re going back at Christmas. The people were wonderful, the scenery overwhelming, the Buddhist culture a big pull for me. We got really fit walking the Annapurna Circuit and into the Sanctuary in deep snow. In New Zealand we backpacked and ran for 10 weeks and loved it - fantastic, varied scenery. Fiji was another interesting cultural experience, with wonderful coral and fish spoiling us for snorkeling since. We drove 13,000 miles in Canada and the States (my third visit) seeing the National Parks.

How do you see Scotland when you come back from a big trip to the Himalaya, Ladakh, Kilimanjaro, Iceland? We climb up Caerketton or Salisbury Crags at twilight to watch the streetlights come on and think what a wonderful place Edinburgh is - culture, politics (don’t start me on that) and easy access to the hills

Where to next ? South India at Christmas. Darjeeling sometime. The Cook Islands and South Pacific in the steps of Robert Louis Stevenson.

You can dance, even do the foxtrot and the quickstep. Are you a musical person, do you play an instrument? My brother’s very musical and I was very much in his shadow, failing Grade 1 piano (again) when he was on Grade 8. I toyed a little with guitar but gave it away a long time ago. I sing a lot - Scottish songs, the Corries, Dougie Maclean, hymns, musicals, 70s music. Tuneful or not I don’t know- Andy has to put up with it: it comes with the package!

What are you reading at present? I’ve been in a book group for about 3 years. We read a book, rotating the choice among us, meeting about every six weeks to discuss it. The choice can be fact, fiction, poetry, biography, autobiography and many things I wouldn’t have picked but have enjoyed. And some disasters! I’ve just finished Ahdaf Souieif "The Map of Love", about Egypt now and 100 years ago - wonderful and educational as well as a good read. Next are two Anita Shreve books. Today I started an Ian Rankin book, which I’m romping through. I also have various guide books on India on the go. I enjoy mountaineering and exploring stories and will need early retirement to get through our collection. Both Andy and I can’t resist books.

Rough stuff and hairy descents are not your favourite things, I know, and yet your mountain experience is enormous. Why do you think many of the very good hill running ladies hate the descents? In my case it comes from not being allowed into situations when I might have hurt myself as a child. What I needed was a few falls to discover I survive, but by now it’s become a habit which is difficult to break.

You say you are not competitive. In the Traprain Law race a while ago (I remember us holding hands crossing the river!) you ran off and left me. What’s the difference between serious application and competitiveness? I have a slightly different recollection of you chivalrously sending me on ahead! For me the competition is myself and I’m content if I’ve done my best rather than thinking about what others around me are doing. Running-wise, I do my own thing. Is that application?

How do you come to terms with the risks of running in the hills in minimal gear? Have you ever had a close call? I always carry my trusty balaclava- I could put it on back to front if I didn’t want to be recognised. A close call? Not running, but swimming after a tent blown into the sea last October was not the most sensible thing I’ve ever done.

There’s a lot happening on the SAF front. Give me your perspective on what is going on. No - enough trees have been destroyed on this already. Everyone seems to have lost sight of the essential - this is supposed to be about enjoyment.

Whom should I interview next? Liz Hawkins - triathlete, traveller, hillrunner. Gillian Paul - bum scrutineer, mountaineer, slick dresser. Mike Anderson - musician, craftsman, master of running backwards .