Two free walks to learn more about fungi will take place at Loch Leven over the next month. Autumn is a terrific time of year for fungi spotting. In previous years, participants have spotted over 60 different species on Loch Leven’s fungi forays. SNH staff will be joined by local expert Richard Smith from Lochore Meadows Country Park on the hunt for fungi. Participants will see many different types of fungi, learn which ones are dangerous, and find out how humans have used fungi throughout history as medicines, hallucinogens and in cooking. Fungi are also essential recyclers of the woodland,…

Members of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) elected Brian Linington as President at their AGM on Saturday 3 September. Brian was originally elected to the volunteer Board of the MCofS in 2008 and has chaired Board meetings since 2009, with further responsibility for Strategy. He replaces Chris Townsend who had reached the term of his period of office. Brian, an active mountaineer who lives in Plockton on the west coast of Scotland, expressed his appreciation of members’ confidence in him following the vote, and stated:”Mountaineering covers a range of activities from indoor climbing and hill walking, to outdoor climbing…

If you are a member of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, you can receive 10% off at Tiso stores during September as well as helping the John Muir Trust who will receive a 5% donation for every purchase. The offer excludes discounted items, GPS, kayaks and canoes, skis and ski hardware, electrical goods, DVDs and publications. The offer is for in-store only and MCofS members must show their John Muir Trust Tiso discount card.

The organisers of this year’s Drovers’ Tryst walking festival say that over half of the walks on offer are now sold out, including many of the higher level routes. However the packed programme also includes many easier walks, a ceilidh, music, mountain film, pub quiz and of course the famous Hairy Coo and St Fillans mountain bike challenges. The friendly festival will take place this year from the 8th to 15th October. Crieff & Strathearn Drovers’ Tryst annually celebrates the life, work and play of the people who made Crieff the cattle-droving crossroads of Scotland in the 1700s. The modern…