Una May Cameron (6 May 1904 – 15 October 1987) was a Scottish mountain climber known for her ascents in the Alps, Caucasus and Kenya.

Biography

Cameron was born in West Linton, Scotland. Twin daughter of her father Ewen Cameron, a landed proprietor, and mother Jeanie Dewar from the Dewar whisky family. She studied in the Cheltenham Ladies' College in Montreux, Switzerland and the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London. She had the wealth to live abroad and pursue climbing. In the 1930s, she made many first ascents in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

and in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...

, which she described in ''A Good Line'' (1932). She also made the first female ascent of the highest peak, Batian, on

Mount Kenya Mount Kenya (Kikuyu: ''Kĩrĩnyaga'', Kamba, ''Ki Nyaa'') is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (), Nelion () and Point Lenana (). Mount Kenya is locat ...

, March 1938. She joined the Ladies Alpine Club in 1929 and served as its president in 1957. She lived for many years in

Courmayeur Courmayeur (; Valdôtain: ) is a town and ''comune'' in northern Italy, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley. History The toponym ''Courmayeur'' has been mentioned as ''Curia majori'' (1233–1381), ''Corte Maggiore'' (1620), ''Cormoyeu'' (164 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, and made many ascents in the

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and i ...

range. She died in

Buckingham Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of Central Milton Keynes, sou ...

, England. In 2002, the Montagna Sicura Foundation in Courmayeur, Italy designated their headquarters in Una's home that she had built during the 1930s which is still named after her, Villa Cameron. The foundation aim is to promote safe use and study of the mountains that she loved.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Una 1904 births 1987 deaths Scottish mountain climbers Presidents of the Ladies' Alpine Club British female climbers