The Jura Direct Passenger Ferry funded by Argyll and Bute Council is running once again between Tayvallich and Craighouse until the end of September. This is the only direct access from the mainland to Jura and can deliver you to the heart of the island in less than an hour. Tayvallich is in Argyll off the Oban to Lochgilphead road. The first view of Jura from the ferry is the distinctive outline of the Paps of Jura. The jagged scree clad skyline, with gentler slopes below, all changing tone and hue as the light varies, is a paradise for artists…

A man's romantic plan to climb to the top of Ben Lomond and propose to his girlfriend at sunset came to an abrupt end when exhaustion caused the group to call out the Mountain Rescue Team. The Lomond Mountain Rescue Team reported that four people were making the evening ascent of the popular Munro peak when one of them started feeling unwell and was too exhausted to continue. The volunteer Mountain Rescue Team was mobilised shortly after midnight and the group of three men and one woman were found on a ridge about 500m from the summit. Having been given…

A new festival has been added to the bulging line-up of Scottish walking festivals. The Torridon Walking Festival will run for the first time this year between 1st and 3rd October and offers a varied programme of walks aimed at beginners all the way through to experienced walkers. If you’ve always put off tackling some of the harder routes such as Liathach perhaps now is the chance to do it in the company of an experienced guide. There will also be a selection of lower level walks, the option of an overnight trip to a bothy, a photography walk and…