J. Norman Collie

John Norman Collie (September 10, 1859-November 1, 1942), commonly referred to as J. Norman Collie, was a highly respected British scientist, mountaineer and explorer. After gaining climbing experience on the Isle of Skye, the Alps, the Caucasus and the Himalayas, he joined the Appalachian Club upon the invitation of Charles Fay , in a summer (1897) of climbing in the Canadian Rockies. From 1898 to 1911, Collie visited the Canadian Rockies five more times, accomplishing 21 first ascents and naming more than 30 peaks. In 1903, Collie and Hugh Stutfield published an authoritative book on the region: Climbs and Explorations in the Canadian Rockies.

Collie also performed important research in the chemistry field, which lead to the first fluorescent light and the taking of the first x-ray for diagnosing medical conditions.

Mount Collie in Yoho National Park and Sgurr Thormaid (Norman's Peak) in the Isle of Skye were both named after Norman Collie.

Collie passed away in 1942 from pneumonia, after falling into Storr Loch on a day of fishing. He is interred in an old graveyard at Struan .

External link

• Detailed biography