Walkhighlands is offering the chance to win a set of 6 guidebooks from Pocket Mountains. The competition is open to anyone in the UK who signs up for Walkhighlands’ monthly newsletter before 30 September 2008. Anyone already signed up will be automatically entered. For further details and how to enter click here.
Does Donald Trump want more privacy in Scotland than that required by Her Majesty the Queen and Mohamed Al Fayed?
Ramblers Scotland Director, Dave Morris, is suggesting that Donald Trump is seeking more privacy at his proposed golfing/housing/leisure resort near Aberdeen than the Queen needs on her Balmoral Estate in nearby Deeside and Mohamed Al Fayed requires on his Balnagowan Estate near Inverness.
Giving evidence on behalf of Ramblers’ Association Scotland in the public inquiry into Trump’s proposed development of his Menie Estate, Dave Morris is expected to say:
“It is astonishing that Donald Trump came to the opening day of this inquiry, on 10 June, and appeared to display little knowledge of Scotland’s right to roam legislation. He appeared to believe that he could establish a gated housing and leisure development with security personnel to keep the public out. Neither did he appear to understand that the public have access rights across any part of the proposed golf course, apart from the greens, so long as they do not interfere with people playing golf.”
Dave Morris emphasised:
“The Trump Organisation needs to understand that right to roam legislation, passed by the Scottish Parliament, provides the Scottish people and all our visitors with rights of access to land and water which are of world class quality. These rights must not be undermined by any real estate developer, however important and well connected. A recent court judgement has confirmed that the public cannot be kept out of estate land by excessive security measures.”
Dave Morris contrasted the Trump approach to the attitude of the Queen and Mohammad al Fayed to public access to their land:
“Right to roam applies to most of Scotland’s land and water, including the Queen’s Balmoral Estate and Mohammad al Fayed’s Balnagowan Estate. If these landowners are comfortable with right to roam then Donald Trump has no business seeking greater privacy on his land, whatever his ambitions.”
We’re proud to announce not one but two new features on Walk Highlands.
Virtual Highlands is a 3D model allowing website visitors to explore Scotland’s mountainous landscape online. It allows users to visualise and explore our 500 walks and see how the routes fit into the landscape. You can switch to a first person view at any time, so you can see the views as from the ground and identify what you’ll be able from the top of your target hill or mountain ridge. You can even walk around in the virtual world and check out all the views along the way. The model is one of the first applications to be built using the latest technology from Google. The video below gives a brief intro.
We’re also launching a new system for Munro-baggers, enabling hillwalkers to log which mountains they have climbed and chart their progress on a map, as well as sharing their experiences and photos with other users. See the video below for a brief guide.
A Dutch hillwalker fell and injured himself in the Skye Cuillin on Sunday afternoon. The weather conditions were bad and his companion had to make a two-and-a-half hour descent to raise the alarm for his companion.
Eighteen members of Skye Mountain Rescue Team and a coastguard helicopter rescued the 68 year old, four hours after his initial fall. It is understood that the walker required hospital treatment for facial and arm injuries.
Saturday 21 June, saw over 670 runners and walkers complete the gruelling 50 mile duathlon to run (or walk) 20 miles and then cycle 30 miles across Scotland. The Highland Cross route starts at Morvich in Kintail and heads through Glen Affric and Strathglass to Beauly.
This year’s winner was Henry Blake in 3 hours 37 minutes, 35 seconds. The fastest woman home was Sandra Brett in 4 hours 24 minutes, 43. This means Keith Murray’s amazing record of 3.13.31, set in 1993, remains unbeaten.
If you have a Highland Cross experience to tell us about, why not post a comment here or put your story on the Walk Talk forum?
Last year the Highland Cross raised over £173,000 for Scottish health, caring and community charities. This year’s event supported Children First, New Start Highland, and Shopmobility Highland and Lochaber. Since starting in 1983 the event has raised over £2.5 million for a variety of charities. this year’s race will feature on BBC 2’s The Adventure Show for those wanting to enjoy the challenge from their armchairs.
An attempt is being made to break the record for the most Munros climbed in 24 hours. Currently held by Jon Broxap who set the record by running over 29 Munros in Kintail and Glen Affric, Steve Pyke (or Spyke) will make his attempt to climb at least 30 on Saturday.
Steve set the record for the 4,000 foot peaks last July, when he ran them in 20 hours 23 minutes – a distance of 85 miles with 17,000 feet of ascent. The attempt to break the Munros record is shorter at 75 miles, but will involve a massive 37,000 feet of climbing.
The original Munros record was set on what is now known as the Ramsay Round, around the Mamores, Grey Corries and Ben Nevis ranges, after Charlie Ramsay climbed 24 in 1978 just two minutes under 24 hours. It is thought that 32 Munros is possible in the Affric/ Kintail area, but any more is reckoned to be out of the question, so whoever is the first to run 32 will get a permanent place in the record books.