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Monthly Archives: October 2008

JMT adds weight to National Park proposal

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Helen Webster

The John Muir Trust today supported legislation, first introduced by John Swinney in 2006, to extend the boundary of the Cairngorms National Park into Highland Perthshire. The public consultation for the Cairngorms National Park Boundry Bill ends on Friday. “We welcome this proposal to move the Park’s boundary south to take in Blair Atholl and spectacular nearby hills such as Beinn a’Ghlo,” commented Nigel Hawkins, Chief Executive of the John Muir Trust. “The Park currently only includes the Northern Cairngorms. This extension will embrace the Southern Cairngorm mountains as well, truly earning Scotland’s first National Park the title of ‘The…

Posted in Nature

Sun illuminates hidden cross on St Kilda

Posted on October 20, 2008 by Helen Webster

Archaeologists working on St Kilda, the National Trust for Scotland’s dual World Heritage Site have discovered a cross-inscribed slab that had previously gone un-noticed on the island, thanks to the sun. Staff from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) recently visited the island as part of a special project to investigate and record the rich variety of archaeological evidence that exist on St Kilda. They discovered the cross on a piece of stone that had been reused as the cover slab of a drain. It had never been spotted before, despite being located in…

Posted in Uncategorized

Cairngorms Hostel Owner scoops porridge award

Posted on October 16, 2008 by Helen Webster

This year’s golden spurtle, the Oscar’s of the porridge world, has been awarded to Ian Bishop who runs the Slochd Mhor bunkhouse, skiing centre and bike shop, near Carrbridge in the Cairngorms. Ian, who has now been crowned World Porridge Making Champion, has entered every year for the last fifteen years, and is one of only a handful of local winners. Ian put his success down to perserverance and local water taken from a bore hole near his house. “I remember the first year when it was organised and I had never made porridge before,” he said. “I saw the…

Posted in Uncategorized

Win with 2009 Wild Writing Competition

Posted on October 14, 2008 by Helen Webster

The John Muir Trust announced today that it is accepting entries for the 2009 Wild Writing Competition at the Fort William Mountain Festival. The competition, which is free and open to all, encourages both aspiring and professional writers to pen stories about Scotland’s landscapes and wild places. “We are looking for inspiring short stories with the broad theme of’ ‘experiences in wild places,’” commented competition organizer Alison Austin. “Your entry can be factual or fictional and could incorporate a journey, a place, an expedition, a mountain or river, a walk, climb, sail or kayak.” First Prize is a place on…

Posted in Uncategorized

Walkhighlands up for another Award

Posted on October 8, 2008 by Helen Webster

Walkhighlands has reached the final shortlist of four for this year’s Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards in the Best New Business category. These prestigious Awards will take place on 21st November 2008 at the Drumossie Hotel in the heart of the Highland region, Inverness. The awards recognise excellence in the tourism sector. This is in addition to being earlier announced as a finalist in the Scottish Thistle Awards, the winner of which will be announced later this month. Walkhighlands is thrilled to be shortlisted for this award and would like to give a huge thank you to the thousands of…

Posted in Walkhighlands news

MBA Volunteers repaired 52 Bothies

Posted on October 7, 2008 by Helen Webster

The Mountain Bothy Association (MBA) has revealed in its annual report that 52 of the 99 bothies it maintains were repaired by its volunteers last year. The report highlights the work of its volunteer members who regularly join work parties or carry out maintenance work on the bothy that they look after. The biggest project was the refurbishment of Luib Chonnal in the West Highlands. This included replacing the stairs and fitting new windows and stove. The work party involved a special workshop on using lime mortar given in association with Historic Scotland. Lairig Leacach, also in the West Highlands,…

Posted in News

Beer hoping to keep red squirrels ale and hearty

Posted on October 6, 2008 by Helen Webster

To mark Red Squirrel week (4 – 12 October) a special real ale is being sold to raise funds to save the red squirrel. Atlas Bewery, based in Kinlochleven, has brewed the Red Squirrel Ale, part of the proceeds of which will go to the Highland Red Squirrel Group. HRSG said it has been estimated that only 160,000 red squirrels are left in the UK. The Highlands is considered a stronghold, but the mammal is under threat from Squirrel Pox which is spread by grey squirrel who are immune. The pox causes open wounds on the red’s eyes, mouth and…

Posted in Nature

Rare plant saved on Ben Lawers

Posted on October 2, 2008 by Helen Webster

A rare alpine plant that was in danger of disappearing from the slopes of Ben Lawers forever has been saved after conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland stepped in. In 1998, there was only one surviving highland saxifrage on the slopes of the Central Highlands highest mountain. This summer, a survey found 12 plants thriving on the hillside, after a Trust programme to re-establish the plant. Highland saxifrage (Saxifraga rivularis) is a nationally rare species adapted to grow in some of the harshest arctic alpine conditions. In Scotland, it is found in about 20 mountain locations, including Ben Lawers.…

Posted in Nature