Conquering Heights:The Legacy of Edmund hillary and Scotland's highland Shepherds

"In 1953, the British Mount Everest expedition attempted the first ascent of Mount Everest. It was confirmed that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit on 29th May 1953. During this expedition, and in extreme conditions, Edmund Hillary was wearing a garment made from fine Shetland wool."

"Edmund Hillary's determination to reach the top must have meant that he carefully considered what clothing would be best suited to help him survive the extreme conditions of Mount Everest. He must have already experienced the warmth of this wool on previous mountain climbs and decided that a garment made from this fibre would help him reach the top of this formidable mountain."

"Centuries ago, shepherds looking after their sheep in the Scottish Highlands would sleep outside to watch over them at night. They would wrap a woollen plaid around themselves to keep warm, and even when the weather was wild and wet, they were able to maintain their body heat."

"This is because, when wet, the tiny spurs or barbs on wool hair follicles expand to create volume and trap air. These spurs are not visible to the naked eye, and furthermore, even after the wool is shorn from the sheep, the wool fibre still reacts in this way!"