Monthly Archives: March 2011

Trust aims to make Wild Land election issue

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Helen Webster

The John Muir Trust, the UK’s leading wild land charity, is calling on voters to ask their election candidates to stand up for wild land. Elections are due to take place on 5 May for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies, and for local authorities in some parts of the UK. Stuart Brooks, the Trust’s chief executive said: “There is currently inadequate protection for landscapes in the UK’s most important wild land areas, and they are being lost and degraded at an alarming rate. It is vital that we take action now to protect our best areas of…

Posted in Nature

Hopes remain for return of famous Osprey

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Helen Webster

One year ago, the bird thought to be oldest breeding female of its kind ever recorded in the UK returned for the 20th consecutive year to the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s (SWT) Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve to the astonishment of wildlife experts. Now, despite the fact that a bird has yet to be sighted in Perthshire, staff from Loch of the Lowes explained why they remain hopeful that the bird could still return any day now. Robert Potter, the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s North East Reserve Manager, said: “This individual female bird is incredibly old and her return dates have…

Posted in Nature

Scots sites up for World Heritage status

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Helen Webster

Three sites in Scotland are bidding to acheive UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The three places which have reached the UK shortlist are the Forth Rail Bridge, the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland, and three iron age broch sites in Shetland: Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof. Announcing the list, which includes another 8 eight sites in England and Wales, UK Tourism Minister John Penrose said: “Few places in the world can match the wealth of wonderful heritage we have available in the UK. “The 11 places that make up the new UK tentative list are fantastic examples of both…

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Southern Upland Way on Walkhighlands

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Helen Webster

Scotland’s longest long distance walk, the Southern Upland Way, is now featured on Walkhighlands.co.uk. The route was walked for Walkhighlands by outdoor writer, Chris Townsend, who also used the challenge of the weather and the terrain to test out some walking and camping gear. The Southern Upland Way is Scotland’s first and only official coast-to-coast long distance route, running across the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea. From Portpatrick on the west coast the route runs 341 kilometres to Cove and Cockburnspath on the east coast. The Southern Uplands make up the southernmost part of Scotland, just…

Posted in News, Walkhighlands news

Nature photographer scoops award

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Helen Webster

The winners of the first Scottish Nature Photography awards have been announced. The overall winner was Ron McCombe, a professional photographer from Coldstream in the Borders who also won the Scottish wildlife category with this image of a waxwing. 2nd prize went to Jim Robertson, and third to a superb image of Am Buachaille and Sandwood Bay by Skye-based photographer Colin Threlfall. Organiser and judging panel member, Niall Irvine, said, “This competition has really highlighted the excellence of the photography that is undertaken here in Scotland. Against such a strong field, Ron’s winning image encapsulated the exceptional quality, creativity and…

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Hill Tracks consultation published

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Helen Webster

The Scottish Government has published the consultation on proposals to change Permitted Development Rights for the construction of Hill Tracks. At the moment most hill tracks are constructed without the need for planning permission as they are deemed to be Permitted Development. This consultation is in response to a campaign to change the Permitted Development Rights (PDR) which resulted in a parliamentary debate in June last year. The consultation document stops well short of proposing removing PDR for this sort of development totally or from specified designated areas which was recommended in research carried out by Herriot Watt University. The…

Posted in Access issues, News

Hollywood film to showcase Highlands

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Helen Webster

Friday sees the release of The Eagle, a new feature film, partly filmed on location in the Highlands and featuring many locals as extras. The Eagle will be released on 25 March although locals in Achiltibuie are to be treated to a special screening in a mobile cinema. The film stars up and coming Hollywood beefcake Channing Tatum as well as acting legend Donald Sutherland and Jamie Bell. As well as Achiltibuie, filming took place in Argyll, Stirling and Loch Lomond. The film, directed by Glasgow-born Kevin MacDonald, is based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical adventure novel The Eagle of the…

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Off-shore wind farms refused

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Helen Webster

Three windfarms proposed to be sited close to the shores of Kintyre, in the Solway Firth and Wigtown Bay have been refused planning permission by the Scottish government. A further six were given the green light and can now apply for individual planning permission and the developer withdrew a 10th application. The Scottish Government has responsibility for planning within 12 miles of the coast with the UK government handling anything further out. Responding to the appliactions, an economic assessment by the Scottish government found that the tourism sector would face the biggest losses because of the turbines’ visual impact. The…

Posted in Nature

Search finds climber's body

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Helen Webster

Rescuers searching for a climber in the Angus Glens recovered a body early Saturday morning (19 March). The joint search between Mountain Rescue and an RAF helicopter was called out on Friday night when the 69 year old Dundee man failed to return from a climbing trip. The body was recovered from Corrie Fee in Glen Doll at the head of Glen Clova and rescuers believe the man may have been caught up in an avalanche. Tayside Police said the man was a very experienced mountaineer and fully equipped for the conditions. UPDATE: The dead man has now been formally…

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Date set for Hill Tracks consultation

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Helen Webster

The Scottish Government have finally set a date for publishing the consultation on plans to limit Permitted Development Rights for the construction of Hill Tracks. The Scottish Parliament will be disolved on Tuesday 22 March prior to the elections. The Hill Tracks Campaign believes the Government plans to publish the consultation paper on that final day. Peter Peacock, one of the MSP’s behind the Campaign says that this last minute action by the Government is, “in no small part thanks to the strength of the campaign and in particular the work done by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (along with…

Posted in Access issues, Nature