Monthly Archives: November 2011

Mild November brings out the midges

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Helen Webster

Midges have been biting in November for the first time since monitoring began seven years ago according to Dr Alison Blackwell, founder of the Scottish Midge Forecast Service. Dr Blackwell told the BBC that there been no cold spell to kill off the remaining midges from the summer. She commented that, “They will lurk around while it is still warm enough for them to fly and take a blood meal but as soon as we get a couple of hard frosts that will be the end of them.” The last of the biting midges in Scotland are usually found towards…

Posted in News

Cameron McNeish talk in Inverness

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Helen Webster

Cameron McNeish will give an illustrated talk, sponsored by Tiso, in Inverness on 25 November. Over the past twenty years writer and broadcaster Cameron McNeish has made a number of television programmes for the BBC including the highly successful series The Edge: 100 Years of Scottish Mountaineering and Wilderness Walks. More recently he has appeared as a regular presenter on the acclaimed BBC Scotland series The Adventure Show and he has made a number of programmes about long distance trails in Scotland, including the Sutherland Trail, the Skye Trail and the Hebridean Trail. Last year he led the commentary team…

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Police investigating damage to Skye fossil site

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Helen Webster

One of the worst examples of reckless fossil collecting in recent years has been uncovered by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on the Isle of Skye. Several tonnes of rock have been dug from the cliffs near to Bearreraig Bay in an apparent organised search for valuable fossil specimens. Bearreraig Bay is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which includes important beds of fossils dating from the Jurassic period. The Jurassic lasted until around 145 million years ago and featured marine creatures such as ammonites, and terrestrial animals including the carnivorous dinosaur Megalosaurus and the vegetarians Cetiosaurus and Stegosaurus.…

Posted in Nature

Walkhighlands’ members up for Highlands Tourism Awards

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Helen Webster

A bumper number of Walkhighlands business members have made it to the shortlist for this year’s Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards. The results will be announced at a ceremony in Inverness on Friday evening (18 Nov) – good luck to all the entrants. Walkhighlands’ members shortlisted for awards are: Highland Campervans – up for no less than three awards (Best Visitor Experience Small, Best Entrepreneurial Business in the Great Outdoors, and Best Leader) Gordon Pearson from Wow Scotland, providing great walking adventures in the Highlands – shortlisted for Young Ambassador Sands Caravan and Camping Park – shortlisted for Best in…

Posted in Walkhighlands news

MCofS Winter Skills Courses

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Helen Webster

Despite November being on course to be one of the mildest on record, wintry conditions can only be just around the corner. The MCofS are again running a series of winter skills courses for folk who are interested in expanding their summer hill walking skills to be able to enjoy the winter hills safely. The MCofS has a choice of a 2 day course running in December and four one-day courses in January. All the courses are run in partnership with Glenmore Lodge, near Aviemore, and all specialist kit is provided as part of the course price. See the MCofS…

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West Highland Way bothy closure

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Helen Webster

Rowchoish bothy on the West Highland Way will be closed for the weekend 26 – 28th November due to filming. The bothy, which is situated on the east shore of Loch Lomond north of Rowardennan is a popular overnight spot for walkers tackling the West Highland Way. The bothy is found located on a rougher lochside path which is bypassed by many long distance walkers who are not planning to visit the bothy as the main West Highland Way route follows a much easier, if less scenic, section of forestry track at that point. The bothy, which is maintained by…

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Consultation on future Cairngorm railway access

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Helen Webster

Consultation on a proposal to offer permanent guided walks from the Cairngorm mountain railway top station to the summit of Cairn Gorm has begun. Scottish Natural Heritage and The Highland Council are carrying out the six-week consultation from 14 November to 23 December 2011 following a request by operator Cairngorm Mountain Ltd (CML) to offer the service. Marketed as ‘Walk @ The Top’ the walks will be offered to the summit of Cairn Gorm and back from the top station using the summit path, a direct line between the top station and the summit of Cairn Gorm, and the Marquiss…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Mountaineers call for clarification on Coire Cas parking charges

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Helen Webster

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has sent a letter to the Chief Executive of Cairngorm Mountain Limited (CML), highlighting concerns relating to parking charges at Coire Cas. The MCofS has three concerns which relate to the current voluntary parking scheme, the use of voluntary donations, and the potential imposition of mandatory charging. The MCofS believes that the current voluntary donation scheme trial is inadequately signposted and that, as a result, visitors may be unaware that the scheme is in operation. The MCofS is therefore urging CML to improve signage to avoid the possibility that the voluntary donation scheme system…

Posted in Access issues, News

Ben Nevis gully marker destroyed

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Helen Webster

The metal post at the top of Number 4 Gully on Ben Nevis has pulled out of the ground and thrown down the gully. The navigation post, which has been in place for several years, is currently the subject of a consultation. A spokesperson for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) said, “The future of this essential navigation aid and that of the abseil posts in Coire Leis have recently been under discussion. The MCofS supports the view that the No 4 Gully marker provides an essential aid to navigation; particularly during bad visibility in the the winter months and…

Posted in Access issues, News

Chris Townsend Cairngorms book launch

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Helen Webster

Author, photographer and renowned long-distance walker, Chris Townsend, will give an illustrated talk at the launch of his book, A Year in the Life of the Cairngorms. The talk is to be held on Thursday 17 November at 7:30pm in the Grant Arms Hotel in the centre of Grantown on Spey. Chris, who lives and works on the edge of the Cairngorms, knows the landscape better than most having spent endless days hiking and wild camping in all four corners of the National Park. The book is primarily a photographic record of the year and Chris will illustrate his talk…

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