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Monthly Archives: January 2009

Mountaineering club pays tribute to members

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Helen Webster

An Teallach Mountaineering Club, who lost three members in the avalanche tragedy in Glencoe on Saturday have issued a joint press release with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, paying tribute to their friends and also emphasising where walkers and climbers can go to get weather and avalanche risk information. A spokesman for the An Teallach Mountaineering Club said, “The members of the ATMC are very saddened by this terrible accident and the loss of our friends Eamonn, John and Brian. Our thoughts are first and foremost with their families and all other friends at this difficult time to whom we…

Posted in News

Three die in Glencoe avalanche

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Helen Webster

A Mountain Rescue operation is under way in Glencoe after a group of climbers were avalanched on Buachaille Etive Mor. Helicopters from Lossiemouth and Prestwick have been scrambled to the scene of the accident, which happened at noon today. UPDATE 8pm: 3 of the climbers have died after being taken to Belford Hospital in Fort William whilst a fourth has been treated shoulder injuries. Reports suggest that the avalanche occurred in Coire na Tulaich, the usual route of ascent for those heading for the summit of the Buachaille, and affected nine climbers in two groups. Further update: The dead climbers…

Posted in News

Red Squirrels arrive in Dundonnell

Posted on January 17, 2009 by Helen Webster

Red squirrels were last seen in the north and west Highlands about 30 years ago. That is all set to change with an experimental re-introduction scheme that has seen 32 of the creatures moved to the Dundonnell Estate near Ullapool. The project has been planned by the estate’s owner, Sir Tim Rice, and is being undertaken through a licence scheme with Scottish Natural Heritage. The estate has permission to move 50 squirrels from number of location in the East Highlands to the Dundonnell estate. Some of the squirrels have been settled immediately in their new wild home, while others have…

Posted in Nature

Caledonian Challenge calls for entries

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Helen Webster

The RBS Caledonian Challenge offers you ‘The Walk of Your Life’. The challenge is for teams of four people to complete 54 miles within 24 hours, whilst raising funds to help strengthen local communities.The epic journey will take participants through some of the UK’s most remote, rugged and stunningly beautiful landscapes. In just one day, participants will experience majestic views of Ben Nevis – the UK’s highest mountain, the splendour of Glen Coe, the wilds of Rannoch Moor and the scenic Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. The RBS Caledonian Challenge was founded in 1996. Since then, more than 12,000…

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Rum Islanders plan takeover

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Helen Webster

Residents of Rum, one of the small isles off the west coast, will vote on whether to takeover ownership of the island and set up crofts. Rum, which is popular with hillwalkers, has been owned by Government conservation agencies since 1957. The present owner is SNH which has undertaken extensive studies of the deer on the island as well as other research and ranger activities. 17 adult residents will vote to decide whether to transfer the community hall, village shop, tea-room, campsite and land in Kinloch Village and Glen on the west coast island into local ownership. This would allow…

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English and Welsh hills go interactive

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Helen Webster

Walkhighlands has expanded its mountain database to include the hills of England and Wales. Walkhighlands is Scotland’s leading website for walkers. However many of our users (50%) live in England and Wales. These visitors come to the site because of their interest in walking in Scotland, but they obviously walk nearer home in England and Wales too. Several had asked for the interactive part of Walkhighlands to be expanded so that they could record their ascents in England and Wales and write trip reports for them. This would mean they could write about all their walking trips and have them…

Posted in Walkhighlands news

Map of bird poisoning hotspots

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Helen Webster

The Scottish Government has produced a new map showing where birds of prey have been poisoned over the last five years. The map is the start of a new emphasis folllowing the shake up of the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime in Scotland, made up of the main interest groups including landowners. The map shows 88 poisoning incidents (involving 132 birds of prey) spread over the whole of Scotland except the West Highlands, north Glasgow and the far North. RSPB Scotland explained this by saying that these areas were not major game rearing or grouse shooting areas, where gamekeeping…

Posted in Nature

Scouts help rescue climber on Cairn Gorm

Posted on January 7, 2009 by Helen Webster

A climber in trouble on Cairn Gorm was rescued by a group of Scouts from Wiltshire on a New Year trip. The 29 year-old woman had fallen and broken her leg high on the mountain. Neil Wills, the leader of the Scout group, summoned help whilst sheltering the stricken climber, who was later taken to hopsital for treatment to her broken leg. There of the Scouts, aged 17 to 20, helped the mountain rescue team to bring the woman to safety, carrying her on a stretcher down to an ambulance. “It was my first rescue and my good turn for the day. I felt proud to…

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Missing climbers found after freezing night

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Helen Webster

Two climbers who were reported missing after failing to return to Glenmore near Aviemore have been found alive and well by the RAF rescue team from Lossiemouth. The men were located from their torchlights during a helicopter search of the nearby mountains. They were picked up at 6:30 am having spent a night out in freezing Cairngorm conditions.

Posted in News

Scottish beaver escapes in Devon

Posted on January 1, 2009 by Helen Webster

One of the 17 beavers due to be re-introduced in the Knapdale Forest in Argyll later this year has made a bid for freedom from his temporary home in Devon. The 40kg male European beaver escaped from his quarantine enclosure after a flood enabled him to swim over the electric fence. The beaver is now believed to have moved at least 20 miles and crossed the county boundary into Cornwall. He was originally joined in his escapade by two females who were captured fairly quickly. Attempts will be made to trap the male in the next few weeks. The beaver family…

Posted in Nature