Tayside Police have resumed searching for a woman missing on Schiehallion in Perthshire since Sunday. The woman, who is in her 70s, had been walking with her son when they became separated, and she was reported missing. It is understood that she was not equipped to spend a night out. Rescue teams from RAF Leuchars and Lossiemouth are involved in the search.
Yearly Archives: 2008
Getting the most from a GPS
Walkhighlands often receives requests asking us about or offering opinions on the use of GPS devices as a navigation aid, so we’ve put together a series of brief articles covering the most basic points. This article Using a GPS outlines our basic tips on some of the ways in which you can use a GPS to help with your navigation when out in the hills.
Posted in Uncategorized
Man’s body found in Cairngorms tent
Police have found a man’s body which may have been lying in a tent in the Cairngorms for a number of weeks. A local gamekeeper had spotted the tent at the south end of Loch Einich below Sgor Gaoith about a month ago. On Tuesday 9 September, Aviemore police received a further report saying the tent was still in the same location. Members of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, together with Police officers searched the tent and found the body. A police statement said: “The remains will be taken to Inverness for post mortem and enquiries will be ongoing to…
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Posted in News
Alladale Estate plans face criticism
Hugh Fullerton-Smith – the general manager of the controversial Alladale Estate – gave a talk and took questions from Mountaineering Council of Scotland members on Saturday night following their AGM at Glenmore Lodge. Hugh began by outlining his own experience, which includes work with deer in New Zealand (producing velvet), project management for both the Cheyenne River Sioux in South Dakota and for the Metis Settlements on the Canadian prairies and assisting nomadic organisations with the setting up of mobile abattoirs in Mongolia. He also gave some background on Paul Lister, the owner of Alladale and the mastermind behind the…
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Posted in Access issues, Nature
Scottish Mountain Rescue numbers rise
The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland has released figures showing that the number of rescues is rising but the number of fatalities on the hills has fallen since 2006. In 2007 there were 20 deaths on Scotland’s mountains and 491 rescues. Just over half of all Scottish rescues were initiated by mobile phone calls. The figures were published as more than 300 members of the UK’s Mountain Rescue Service gathered in Stirling to mark the organisation’s 75th anniversary. The Scottish Government said £300,000 would be spent on Scotland’s 28 teams. The figures show that 139 people were injured while hill…
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Posted in News
NTS Launches Footpath Appeal
The National Trust for Scotland is asking its supporters to leave more than footprints at the mountain ranges under its care – the conservation charity is looking for donations to help maintain its mountain paths. The Trust, which looks after some of Scotland’s most popular mountain landscapes, including Torridon, Glencoe and Kintail, is launching a public appeal to raise funds for ongoing repairs to pathways in these areas. Through its Sole Trading appeal, the charity hopes to raise £80,000 this year to fund the specialist, ongoing repair work needed to protect this fragile environment. Trust is mailing the appeal to…
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Posted in Nature
Trees for Life buy estate in Glenmoriston
Half a million native trees will be planted in Glen Moriston following Tree’s for Life’s purchase of the Dundreggan Estate. The charity, which has bought over 4,000 hectares in a £1.6 million deal, plans to re-connect the forest between Glen Moriston and Glen Affric. The site currently has about 100 hectares of ancient woodland. Trees for Life, based in Findhorn, Moray, has already been involved in a number of other projects including the planting of thousands of native tree in Glen Affric. The aim is that the forest will provide a habitat for many species, including wood ants and black…
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Posted in Nature
Woods for Nature to help 6 key species
Six key species will be helped in a new programme to create better habits within Scotland’s woodlands. The Forestry Commission will focus on the capercaillie, black grouse, red squirrel, pearl-bordered fritillary, chequered skipper butterfly and juniper as important, but threatened, species. The projects, across all of Scotland, will seek to increase biodiversity by improving habitats. For example open areas within woodlands will be created to increase the amount of blaeberry growing, an important food for the capercaillie and also to provide areas where the bird is more likely to successfully breed. Environment Minister Mike Russell launched the plan at the…
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Posted in Nature
Walkhighlands up for Thistle Award
Walkhighlands.co.uk is one of 41 top tourism businesses which have made it through to the finals of VisitScotland’s prestigious Thistle awards this year. The coveted accolades, regarded as Tourism’s Oscars, celebrate quality and innovation. The 2008 winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony in Edinburgh on the 24th October. Now in their 17th year, the awards are open to all businesses operating in Scotland’s tourism industry and businesses can enter as many of the 11 categories as appropriate. Walkhighlands has been shortlisted in the Innovation category, sponsored by Scottish Enterprise, and faces stiff competition from Edinburgh-based Wilderness Scotland and…
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Posted in Walkhighlands news
Bank Holiday sale on Quo mapping
Quo digital mapping is offering 15% off any of its products and maps until 25 August. Quo first came to our attention due to its low prices for digital Ordnance Survey maps – up to half the price of its competitors. Would the downside be software that was difficult to use or with less options than Memory Map or Anquet? To our surprise, we found that the answer is no – we found Quo to be the easiest to use and most fully featured mapping software on the market. We like it so much that we partnered with Mapyx to…
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Posted in Walkhighlands news