Scott was educated in Nottingham at Cottesmore Secondary Modern and Mundella Grammar schools. He started climbing at the age of 13, his interest sparked by seeing climbers on the Black Rocks in Derbyshire whilst hiking with the Scouts. His father, George Douglas Scott, was a policeman and amateur boxer, who was the Amateur Boxing Association 1945 British Heavyweight Champion. His father gave up the game to focus on the family. Scott lived on the outskirts of Nottingham with his father and mother, Edith Joyce Scott, and younger brothers, Brian and Garry. All were encouraged towards the open countryside, particularly the Peak District.