Three more great trails for Scotland

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Walkhighlands

Loch Tay & Ben Lawers from the Rob Roy Way

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has announced that three new trails have been added to the national network of long distance routes, known as Scotland’s Great Trails.

The recently-completed Berwickshire Coastal Path and the Great Glen Canoe Trail join the Rob Roy Way to bring the total number of routes in the network to 23. Co-inciding with the launch of Walkhighlands’ coverage of the Rob Roy Way, the national trail network now extends to over 1500 miles of walking and paddling route.

With the addition of the Great Glen Canoe Trail, people can now paddle from coast to coast between Fort William and Inverness, and see the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness from a totally different perspective. The Rob Roy Way, which runs between Drymen and Pitlochry, follows the tracks and paths used by the notorious outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor in the 17th and 18th centuries. And the most southerly of the three, the Berwickshire Coastal Path, is along one of the most spectacular coastlines in Britain. Linking Cockburnspath to Berwick-on-Tweed, it takes in dramatic cliff top scenery complete with arches, stacks and crumbling castles.

Pete Rawcliffe, people and places manager at Scottish Natural Heritage said: “In Scotland we’re very lucky to have so many long distance trails running through some of our finest scenery, so it’s great to add another three routes to ‘Scotland’s best’. The trails offer people the chance to go out and enjoy the countryside close to where they live as well as exploring further afield. And the beauty of these trails is that you can just dip in for short trips as well as going the whole distance.”

Riddell Graham, director of partnerships at VisitScotland, said: “VisitScotland is delighted to be working closely with Scottish Natural Heritage and other interested countryside partners in the development and promotion of ‘Scotland’s Great Trails’. As we prepare to celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland in 2013, as part of our Winning Years programme, the addition of three new routes will add greatly to the visitor appeal of the extensive paths network already in place and provide great opportunities for tourism businesses to benefit from the natural experience on their doorstep.”

If you are planning a walking break on any of the 23 national trails check out the detailed descriptions and free OS mapping on Walkhighlands which also has tables and maps to allow you to compare the routes and is available on all smartphones and tablets including iPads as well as desk and laptop computers. If you fancy paddling the length of the Great Glen see the useful information on Great Glen Canoe Trail website.

Posted in Walkhighlands news, Walking News

Review: Mary Queen of Scots Way guidebook

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Walkhighlands

Another long distance route, and another guide from the reliable Rucksack Readers series. The Mary Queen of Scots Way is an unofficial new route which crosses central Scotland from coast to coast, passing through many places strongly linked with Mary Queen of Scots. Running for 172 km (107 miles) from Arrochar on Loch Long to St Andrews on the Fife coast, it crosses Loch Lomond by ferry to Inversnaid and then goes through Aberfoyle, Callander, Dunblane, Tillicoultry, Glendevon, Glenfarg, Falkland and Ceres.

The route is intriguing and should appeal to walkers wanting a fairly low level, accessible, multi-day walk with the satisfaction of crossing the country as well as being able to stay in interesting places, many of which have castles or other historical sites to explore. The whole route is ideally a summer option as the ferry across Loch Lomond does not run in the winter months, however the route could be started from Inversnaid on the east side of Loch Lomond. The guidebook tackles the route from west to east so that the prevailing winds are likely to be behind you. The route is not waymarked but the Rucksack Readers guide provides detailed instructions as well as a pull-out map, although you are advised to carry the relevant OS sheets as well. This is sensible advice as in places it can be slightly hard to work out if the route is on a path or a road if using the guidebook map only, but combined with the quality instructions and OS mapping there should be no difficulty.

Printed on robust water-resistant paper and spiral bound, the guidebook has a good selection of photographs and enough background information on wildlife and history as well as good practical pointers on transport, accommodation, taking dogs etc, to whet your appetite for the route and enable you to plan a trip properly.

Author Paul Prescott is a keen hillwalker who has climbed over 200 Munros and organises the Callander Ramblers. He has been working on this route since 2006, having set out with the goal of avoiding road walking. The Mary Queen of Scots Way looks set to join a growing number of unofficial long distance routes championed by enthusiasts such as the East Highland Way, the Skye Trail, and the Stevenson Way. The Rob Roy Way, which runs from Drymen to Pitlochry, started out in this way and has recently gained official status as one of Scotland’s Great Trails, joining 21 other routes including the West Highland Way and the Speyside Way.

The new guidebook for the Mary Queen of Scots Way is published by Rucksack Readers and priced at £10.99. Rucksack Readers have also just published an updated version of their guide to the Rob Roy Way.

Posted in Walking News

Walkhighlands Walk Report of the Month

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Walkhighlands

Gareth from Webtogs had a hard time choosing the winners from April's selection of walk reports submitted to Walkhighlands. Here’s what he wrote.

“Both the runner up and winner were hard to choose. From a short list of nine though I'm down to two with the runner up Michael Thompson’s Not so grey in the grey Corries. I know Mikes a pro-photographer so I marked him down a little bit on his photos to give everyone a chance . You can’t take away from the fact though that the photos are drop dead gorgeous! What really impressed me however was the quality of the writing. Warmly funny, engaging and descriptive, it’s a fantastic report.

Top of the pops though this month people is Nostalgia time in the Cairngorms by Mrs Santa. This blew up so many memories for me and for a lot of other folks too from the looks of things. Having used Instagram heavily over the last year or so it took me a while to realise these were proper sepia tinged efforts rather than iPhone induced ones. The history of the various bothies over the years was awesome and the words beanfeast conjoured up culinary memories I had long hoped buried. A deserved winner.

I’m not quite done though, there are lots of reports that need to be mentioned in dispatches that I thought were awesome and were unlucky to just miss out on the cut. The Horns Herald by Gammylegwalker was near the top, Completing 100 Munros is a major achievement and he’s done it with style and a story behind it. My best wishes to you, your other half and for the next 100 Munros. The two reports on the ring of Steall were fabulous reads and several photo reports were top drawer including Sunrise from the Cobbler’s Central Peak, Fantastic Fersit 5 – Woodsy hits the Century!! and Mountainlove’s The Black Mount -from bikini to 4 layers. Also for pure laughter AE Rhapsody – great report a la Queen song and finally for inspiring me with my kids to get out and about A Magic Family Day Out with my Little Forcan Monsters.”

Each month Walkhighlands offers the chance to win up to £90 worth of vouchers to spend with online outdoor gear retailer Webtogs.

Posted in Walkhighlands news

Missing Glendessary walker found safe and well

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Walkhighlands

The 73-year-old hillwalker who has been missing in the Glendessary area since Sunday has been found safe and well this afternoon (Weds 2 May). A large scale air and ground search had taken place for the last 2 days and Police had appealed for other walkers to look out for Neill McCawley from Worcester.

Mr McCawley has told his rescuers that he underestimated the difficulty of the walk and the route, which resulted in him having to camp for longer than he had originally anticipated.

Posted in Walking News

Good news for Moray Firth dolphins

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Walkhighlands

The world's most northerly resident population of bottlenose dolphins is stable and may even be increasing, according to new research.

The east coast of Scotland is home to around 195 dolphins, the only resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the North Sea. They are a regular tourist draw around the east coast and one of the most recognisable species in Scotland.

The report was commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) which has a duty to report on the condition of bottlenose dolphins within the Moray Firth SAC (Special Area of Conservation) every six years.

The University of Aberdeen has carried out more than two decades of monitoring using photographic analysis of individuals’ dorsal fins and other identifying characteristics. And recently passive acoustic monitoring has been undertaken as part of the project.

Scientists found the dolphins had broadly similar patterns of use over the period 2005 to 2010 although their movements did change from year to year; possibly due to changes in the food supply.

Morven Carruthers, SNH policy and advice officer, said: “We can say with some confidence that the population of bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Scotland is stable or increasing. And the number of dolphins using the Moray Firth SAC between 1990 and 2010 appears to be stable.

“However, this population is considered vulnerable due to being small and isolated from other populations.

“The east coast bottlenose dolphins are a special part of Scotland’s nature and wildlife and a major tourist attraction, and it is encouraging to see that the population is currently stable. Monitoring will continue to observe the dolphins and help ensure that they do well.”

The Moray Firth SAC extends from the inner firths to Helmsdale on the north coast and Lossiemouth on the south coast. Bottlenose dolphins are protected under the EU Habitats Directive wherever they occur in the wider marine environment; not just within the boundary of the SAC.

Since 1989 this population of bottlenose dolphins has been the focus of an intensive research programme led by the University of Aberdeen and the University of St Andrews.

The Moray Firth SAC Management Scheme includes a progressive action plan as well as best practice guidelines covering a range of potential impacts and activities. It also supports the work carried out under the Dolphin Space Programme (DSP) to promote sustainable and educational dolphin-watching opportunities in the Moray Firth.

And now the DSP has scooped a top conservation prize. It won the Marine Award at the recent RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards in the face of stiff competition from across the country.

Kathryn Logan, manager of the Moray Firth Partnership, said: “This award recognises the achievements of the long-term collaboration between Moray Firth dolphin tour boat operators, environmental, regulatory, tourism and other bodies.

“The Dolphin Space Programme enables exciting and sustainable wildlife watching experiences while helping protect the iconic bottlenose dolphin population.

“As the tourist season is gearing up we encourage everyone to ‘watch how they watch’ by using one of the accredited tour boat operators under the DSP or by watching from the shore. Even small recreational boats and canoes can cause a disturbance to dolphins and other wildlife, so sticking to the code of conduct will help make sure no disturbance occurs.”

One of the best places to see the dolphins from land is at Chanonry Point in the Black Isle, or details of boat trips to see the dolphins are on this list of Black Isle attractions.

Posted in Conservation

Search resumes for missing Glendessary walker

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Walkhighlands

Police in Fort William are continuing to co-ordinate the search for a hill walker who was reported missing on Sunday (29th April). The 73yr old man from the Worcester area was last seen by fellow walkers in the Glendessary area on Friday evening.

Yesterday, Monday 30 April, a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth supported by members of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team carried out aerial searches in and around the Glendessary area. Despite over 4 hrs of flying time there was no trace of the missing walker.

Today the search has resumed with a number of mountain rescue teams and other support agencies involved and Police have appealed for help from any walkers who may have seen the man. The police description is of a male approximately 5’7″, short grey hair, silver glasses and wearing black walking trousers, blue fleece jacket and carrying a red/black rucksack. Anyone who may have seen him is asked to contact Fort William Police on 01397 702361.

Posted in Walking News