SportScotland’s Avalanche Information Service, which has only been available via the internet, can now by received on mobile phones on a paying subscription service. The service will operate for any one or more of the five most popular Scottish mountain areas covered by the Avalanche Information Service reports: North Cairngorms, South Cairngorms, Lochaber, Glencoe and Creag Meagaidh.

For £1 per message, a person can subscribe to the service by sending a key word to the number 88020. The relevant area text will be sent out daily at 1800 hours enabling users to adjust their plans if necessary. Having sent the keyword to the number 88020 subscribers will be sent a free text confirming that the text service is active, explaining the cost and how to terminate.

The SAIS daily forecasted avalanche report is produced by a dedicated team of professionals who assess the avalanche hazard in all weathers and comprises the observers interpretation of the previous days snowpack stability along with the weather forecast.

For winter mountain users it is critical to obtain the Avalanche Report from the SAIS at the correct time, this is essential in that the ‘best time’ for this is at the planning stage. If the weather report and avalanche information are incorporated into the planning of any mountain walk, hill journey, ski tour or climbing excursion before going into the hills it will enable better and safer route choice.

The Mountain Weather Information Service now looks set to follow suit with a free service. Dave Gibson of from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland said, “We are confident that climbers and hill walkers will welcome the new text service. Provision of up-to-the-minute information services to mobile and internet-enabled phones means that better-informed decisions concerning route choice can be made on the day. We are pleased to confirm that MCofS is working with the Mountain Weather Information Service to provide a similar internet-based service to mobile devices which will be provided free of charge except for network call charges. An announcement concerning this service will be made in the near future.”

Black grouse are set to make a comeback on Arran thanks to a team effort, involving the Arran Black Grouse Group, the National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Last weekend, fourteen pairs of black grouse arrived on Arran and it is hoped that the birds will reinstate the once booming population of black grouse on the island.

Historically, the black grouse received special protection in Arran. In 1703 in the book, “A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland”, author Martin Martin states that: “The blackcock is not allowed to be killed here without a permit; the transgressors are liable to a fine.”

This changed and in the nineteenth century large numbers were being shot. Until the 1950s, the black grouse was a common breeding species and was well distributed throughout the island. However, numbers continued to fall, and the last record was a single female in High Glen Cloy on 18 February 2000.

This decline was happening in almost all of western and central European countries, with black grouse numbers starting to fall in the latter half of the 19th century, accelerating over 1970 – 1990. In Britain, surveys carried out by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Game Conservancy Trust (GCT) and Forest Enterprise (FE) show that the UK black grouse population fell from around 25,000 males in the early 1990s to an estimated 6,510 males in 1995/6.

The main reasons thought to have contributed to the decline of black grouse include loss of habitat through intensive sheep grazing, agricultural improvements and changes in agricultural practices; and increased numbers of predators such as foxes, especially where black grouse numbers are already low.

National Trust for Scotland Senior Ranger, Kate Sampson said, “It is great to see the black grouse finally arrive on Arran – this follows 8 years of planning and hard work by the Arran Black Grouse Group, supported by essential funding from the National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage – as well as generous donations from local businesses and individuals from Arran.

“We will now keep the females and few of the males in specially-designed pens intended to mimic natural habitat and reduce stress levels so that the birds can breed in safety this year. The chicks will then be released into the wild, where we hope they will flourish once again.”

Conservation experts will release a few unattached males in the next few weeks to enable them to set up territories and prepare for females who will be released later in the year.

Following an intensive search for missing hillwalker, Robin Davies, in the Cairngorms, a body, believed to be the missing man, was found on Tuesday night.

On Monday over 70 rescue team, police and RAF search team members scoured the Glenfeshie area looking for Mr Davies, who was reported missing on Sunday after failing to return from his day walk the day before. Mr Davies was an experienced hillwalker but was not equipped for a night out in the hills. He was accompanied by his Yorkshire terrier.

The RAF helicopter located the body at the bottom of a gully known as Fuaran Diotach a little way east of the summit of Carn Ban Mor. It is one of a number of steep sided gullies that drop towards Loch Einich. Rescuers reported that Mr Davies might have gone to try and rescue his dog, which was found dead near the body, after it got into difficulties.

The search resumed this morning (Monday 23 February) for missing walker Robin Davies. Mr Davies, aged 48 and from the Inverness area, went walking in the Glenfeshie area with his Yorkshire terrier on Saturday and was reported missing on Sunday after he had failed to return.

A search began on Sunday involving police, mountain rescue teams, and a helicopter from RAF Kinloss. This was called off overnight but resumed at first light today. It is reported that Mr Davies was an experienced walker and weather conditions were not particularly poor in the area at the weekend.

Adventurer Karen Darke will talk about her incredible life in her first UK lecture-tour.

Karen Darke is a truly remarkable woman. Just four years after being paralysed from the chest down in a rock climbing accident, Karen set out on a hand bike to cross the Tien Shan and Karakoram mountains of Central Asia. This was to be the first of many adventures which would see Karen hand cycle the length of the Japanese archipelago and the Indian Himalaya, sea kayak a 1200 mile length of the Canada – Alaska coastline and make a record-breaking 600 kilometre crossing of the Greenland ice cap.

Set-against a backdrop of inspirational images and footage, ‘If you fall’ is a unique opportunity to meet one of the most extraordinary adventurers of our time.

The dates are:
28 Feb Inverness
3 March Oban
11 March Poole
12 March Imperial College, London
16 March Kinlochleven
17 March Drumnadrochit
19 March Black Isle
26 March Derby
23 April Dunkeld
7 May Caernarfon

Further details of the actual venues and times can be found at Karen Darke’s website.

BBC Scotland are making a documentary about the Munros which will be shown on BBC Four this summer.

If you are expecting to complete the Munros between now and the end of May (within the next three months), they would like to hear from you!

Please contact the Director, Matt Barrett, at matt.barrett@bbc.co.uk or 0141-422-6110 and let him know when/where you expect to complete, how you plan to celebrate, plus a line or two about yourself. Please don’t forget to include your contact information.