Cubby is both a climber and a photographer and, we’re delighted to say, the Festival’s Patron. Born and educated in Edinburgh, he found his first taste of altitude in the Pentland Hills. In his pre-teen years, The Life Boys may have kept him off the streets at night, but more importantly, they encouraged leadership skills and responsibility. Later, The Boys’ Brigade provided a more formal introduction to hill walking, camping, and orienteering – his real education.
By the age of twelve, he had already climbed several Munros, often by less ordinary routes such as a traverse of the Aonach Eagach or the Carn Mòr Dearg Arête – nearly always alongside his friend and lifelong climbing partner, Rab Anderson.
Cubby left school with a few “O” levels (having repeated a year), turned down a place at Art College, trained as a ski mechanic, and decided he wanted to lead the life of a professional climber. Moving to Glasgow, he soon found work, and it became clear that climbing was already opening doors and creating opportunities. He began guiding in the late 1970s, initially with Mal Duff in the Alps, where he met Geoff Arkles, one of the great figures of British climbing. Geoff took him under his wing and encouraged him to train as an international mountain guide, a qualification he achieved in 1987. In those days, many who showed an interest in guiding did so unofficially – as Cubby had done in the Alps – working under the supervision of established guides. Today, of course, such practice is unheard of.
During the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, Cubby was at the forefront of Scottish climbing. Even in today’s highly competitive scene, few have excelled in every discipline of British climbing as he has. His portfolio of legendary climbs commands the utmost respect and has even been described as “bad ass” by the newest generation of Scottish climbers.
By the early 1980s, his heart was pulling him towards a more permanent connection with the mountains. He moved to the Highlands – Glencoe specifically – to pursue his passion for climbing and the outdoor life. He has never looked back.
Cubby now makes a living as an international mountain guide, combining this with photography and safety consultancy for the TV and film industry. His more prestigious assignments include Five Days One Summer (Sean Connery), the recent Everest film (Keira Knightley and Jake Gyllenhaal), and Touching the Void, in which Cubby played a starring role, doubling for Joe Simpson and re-enacting one of the most famous falls in climbing history.
His work in guiding and media has taken him all over the world. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s, when he founded Cubby Images, that he began working as a professional photographer. Initially focusing on climbing and outdoor subjects, he soon developed an interest in landscapes. His photography has graced the pages of popular magazines, books, calendars, tabloids, and catalogues, with clients including Berghaus, Vango, Red Bull, and Vodafone.
Cubby describes his work as a retrospective of his climbing past: “those formative years as a young climber pitted against the elements that Scotland’s mountains can throw at you. This is where I find inspiration; returning to my old haunts with a more mature eye and to somehow render the scene with a nostalgic edge and inseparable spiritual connection.”
While he will always relish the chance to photograph climbers in action, his true passion lies in landscapes – particularly those close to his home in Ballachulish. Whether exploring Glencoe’s hidden secrets and dark corries, or traversing craggy skylines in search of new inspiration, he is happy to spend a night or two under the stars to rekindle old connections.
The rest, as they say, is history. He resists the temptation to indulge in move-by-move accounts of his climbs, preferring to let his legacy speak for itself – or, as the great Jimmy Marshall would put it, to let “his bairns” do the talking. And, like the proud father he is, he loves them all – winter and summer alike – each climb complete, each telling its own story with its own peculiar charm.
