Tabulator of Scotland's Munros. Although born in London, Munro's family owned the Lindertis Estate, near Kirriemuir, where he lived. An experienced hill-walker in Scotland, Munro had also travelled widely abroad both from choice and as a King's Messenger. He was a founder member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club (1889) and served as its President (1894-97).
Munro was the first person to systematically list all the Scottish mountains above 3000 feet (914m) and his tables were first published in 1891. He began a revision of the list in 1919, but died in France before this could be completed. Munro was never to climb all the mountains on his list. Sadlly, he had only two remaining when he died and the task of completing an ascent of every Munro fell to the Rev. A.E. Robertson (1870 - 1958).
Munro's list has been maintained by the Scottish
Mountaineering Club ever since, with regular updates reflecting subsequent height adjustments. The current tables list 284 Munros. However, not all 3000-foot peaks are classified as Munros; generally it is the principal summit on a hill which is listed and the subsidiary summits are called 'tops'.
The two peaks which Munro missed were the 'Inaccessible Pinnacle' of Sgurr Dearg (Skye), and Carn Cloich-Mhuillin in the Cairngorms. He was keeping the latter peak as his last climb, but ironically it was demoted to a 'top' in the revision to the Tables carried out in 1981.