Scottish and Southern Energy has announced that it is planning two new hydro power schemes in the Great Glen. The exact location of the proposed reservoirs and pumping stations remain a secret, however the Company used the official opening by the Queen of the Glendoe hydro scheme to reveal its future plans.

It is thought that the new schemes would be similar to the pumped system that currently operates near Foyers on Loch Ness. This involves two bodies of water, located at different heights. During periods of low demand for power, for example at night, electricity pumps water from the loch to an upper reservoir and this water is then released to create power at times of high demand.

The chief executive of SSE, Ian Marchant, said that the two new pumping stations would produce 10 times the amount of electricity produced by Glendoe. The Company said that it expected to submit planning applications in 2011. There would then be a consultation period for public comment. If permission is granted the schemes are likely to be up and running by 2017.

Do you have a GPS and don’t know how to use it properly? Thinking about buying one, but not sure if a GPS would be useful for you on the hill?

Sign up for one of the new Mountaineering Council of Scotland one day GPS training courses. These courses are running on Sat 3rd and Sun 4th October 2009, based at Glenmore Lodge. Only £25 per person including use of GPS, a full days instruction and tea/cakes to finish.

Contact Heather Morning, MCofS Mountain Safety Advisor on 01479 861256 for further details.

A community group on the Isle of Skye are working closely with the John Muir Trust and Scottish Southern Electric to remove hydro poles at Sligachan. The Collie and Mackenzie Sculpture group, which is proposing to erect a sculpture of the two well known outdoor pioneers, Norman Collie and John Mackenzie, at the site, will remove the poles during the summer of 2009. The poles have blighted the view of the Cuillin from Sligachan and their removal will improve the area, as well as numerous photographs taken at this popular spot.

At the same time a fundraising appeal for the proposed sculpture will be launched. The group says it will be offering members of the wider community the opportunity to donate a certain weight of bronze, towards building the statue. This will be recorded on a certificate along with the participants name and the weight of bronze donated.
Each certificate will be numbered, signed, and dated.

The sculpture is planned to be 1.5 times life size and features Collie and Mackenzie, who was from nearby Sconser, atop a boulder mound. It is to be placed near the Sligachan bridge with a parking area nearby. The group says it needs to raise £400,000 to realise the plan.
For more details visit www.skyesculpture.com

A microlight plane that crash landed on Sandwood Bay last weekend has been dismantled and carried out of the remote area by 14 men. The pilot was uninjured and the plane is now safely stored in crofter Cathel Macleod’s shed four miles from the beach. Sandwood Bay in Sutherland – which is owned and protected by the John Muir Trust – is the most remote beach in mainland Britain.

The sky blue microlight crash landed on Sunday 21 June when the pilot Mr Keith Brown decided that he would touch his wheels on the bay’s golden sands on a flight around the headland. The stunt came a cropper when his wheels instantly bogged in the soft sand. Luckily the plane was going dead slow into the wind when it hit the ground and Mr Brown walked away unscathed.

This left Mr Brown with the problem of how to get the plane safely off the beach. Sandwood Bay is not accessible by road and taking off-road vehicles down the four mile track from the car park is frowned upon by the John Muir Trust. “The sand dunes around Sandwood are very fragile and this is a very sensitive time for breeding birds such as Skylarks and Meadow Pipits,” explained Conservation Manager for the Sandwood estate Cathel Morrison.

So Mr Brown, described by Cathel Morrison as ‘a real gentleman,’ came up with a labour intensive solution. He dismantled the plane by hand and together with 13 other able-bodied men carried the fuselage, engines and wings back to the car park. The microlight plane will now be transported back to Bedfordshire where it is based to be re-assembled. Asked by Cathel if he had insurance cover Mr Brown replied: ‘Yes, but it doesn’t cover crash landing on a beach.’

A man has died on Friday 26 June following a fall from Am Basteir on the Skye Cuillin. The 64 year old was from the Midlands and was part of a group of four tackling the mountain when he fell approximately 100ft. The weather was good on the Cuillin on Friday, however even in good conditions Am Basteir requires scrambling to reach the summit.

The Skye Mountain Rescue Team and the Stornoway Coastguard helicopter took part in the rescue operation. The man was taken to Broadford Hospital but was declared dead shortly afterwards.

The Ministry of Defence is closing its missile tracking base on St Kilda. The base, which has been on the main island of Hirta since the first World War, is now run by MoD spin-off company Qinitec and is used to track test missiles and flights from the neighbouring base on Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. The MoD has just started a 30 day consultation on the closure which is likely to see the lose of 125 jobs at the two sites.

St Kilda is the UK’s only Dual World Heritage Site, designated for both is natural and cultural significance. It is one of the north-east Atlantic’s most significant seabird colonies, which includes the largest gannet colony in the world. It also has a wealth of archaeological remains which give evidence of a unique island life dating back thousands of years. It has been owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) since 1957. The Trust is currently asking the MoD to reconsider the closure plans.

Walkhighlands understands that the MoD currently pays approximately £100,000 per year for leasing three hectares of St Kilda for the base. It is understood that some of the money goes to Scottish Natural Heritage and some to the NTS as landowner. As reported here, the Trust has been under increasing financial pressure due to the economic turn down and has recently announced the closure of a number of its sites and visitor centres.

The Trust says it is concerned that significant damage could occur in the winter months if the island were unstaffed. It says damage to buildings and monuments by storms or vandalism could go unchecked and potential environmental damage from introduced species from passing boats would put the World Heritage Site at risk

The Trust also says that the move to an unmanned operation would also significantly increase costs for the conservation charity who share vital services with the MoD facility, make travel to and from the island more difficult and restrict the available accommodation for essential contractors.

National Trust for Scotland Chief Executive Kate Mavor said, “St Kilda is one of the world’s natural and cultural treasures and the Trust is very privileged to have such an important site in its care. We are very concerned by the possibility that the base on Hirta would no longer be manned. Without the support of the MoD and the infrastructure that they have in place there, there is no doubt that we would find it very difficult to give St Kilda the level of care and attention that it requires.

“The Trust would also face a massive increase in costs to maintain our work there and to deal with the redundant MoD buildings. At a time when the organisation is working hard to improve its financial sustainability, this is a cost that we can ill afford. However, of more concern is the risk that this proposal poses to the environmental and cultural treasures which make St Kilda so special. I would urge the MoD to give full consideration to these issues, before making any final decision.”

The existence of a military base on St Kilda has often been controversial, with environmentalists claiming damage to the island from the increased human presence, vehicle tracks and buildings. Back in 1918, soon after the establishment of the original radar base, it was bombed by a German U-boat causing damage to the base and islander’s property. The islanders were eventually evacuated from St Kilda in 1930 and the base was enlarged in 1957 with the original MoD plans requiring the demolition of the houses in village bay to provide stone to build the base. Eventually a new quarry was established to provide stone for the base. The National Trust for Scotland was instrumental in ensuring the MoD did not destroy the village back in 1957, but now seems to see the MoD as essential for the protection of the islands.