Body of missing Arran hillwalker found

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Helen Webster

Strathclyde Police have announced that the body of a hillwalker missing on Arran has been discovered. Paul Henry, from Stranraer, was last seen at the Ardrossan ferry terminal on Saturday 5 May and is believed to have spoken to a family member on Sunday when he said he was in the Brodick area on Arran. Earlier today, Police appealed for walkers to look out for the missing 31 year old who was a keen hillwalker. This afternoon Police confirmed that a body had been recovered in Glen Rosa and formally identified. A Police spokesperson said that there appeared to be…

Posted in News

Ben Lawers tree planting reaches half way target

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Helen Webster

Plans to plant 100,000 native trees at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve are on target as the half way mark has recently been reached. The National Trust for Scotland has so far planted 51,470 sub-montane birch, willows, rowan and alder which have already taken root on the lower slopes of Meall nan Tarmachan. The project is part of a long term plan to restore the native broadleaf woodland historically found at Ben Lawers, much of which has been lost due to management for sheep and deer. Restoring the woodland will continue to enrich the habitat at Ben Lawers, encouraging more…

Posted in Nature

Nature grants up for grabs

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Helen Webster

Community groups across Scotland, who are running projects to do with managing and enjoying nature, can now apply for a new Community Action Grant. Launched by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the new scheme is for grants of between £1k and £20k for short term projects of 12 months or less. The grants are focused on getting more people and communities involved in outdoor recreation, volunteering and outdoor learning. They are also targeted at action to improve, protect and manage habitats, species and landscapes. Projects that help record valuable information about local species and natural habitats can also benefit. Andrew Bachell,…

Posted in Nature

Three more great trails for Scotland

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Helen Webster

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has announced that three new trails have been added to the national network of long distance routes, known as Scotland’s Great Trails. The recently-completed Berwickshire Coastal Path and the Great Glen Canoe Trail join the Rob Roy Way to bring the total number of routes in the network to 23. Co-inciding with the launch of Walkhighlands’ coverage of the Rob Roy Way, the national trail network now extends to over 1500 miles of walking and paddling route. With the addition of the Great Glen Canoe Trail, people can now paddle from coast to coast between Fort…

Posted in News, Walkhighlands news

Review: Mary Queen of Scots Way guidebook

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Helen Webster

Another long distance route, and another guide from the reliable Rucksack Readers series. The Mary Queen of Scots Way is an unofficial new route which crosses central Scotland from coast to coast, passing through many places strongly linked with Mary Queen of Scots. Running for 172 km (107 miles) from Arrochar on Loch Long to St Andrews on the Fife coast, it crosses Loch Lomond by ferry to Inversnaid and then goes through Aberfoyle, Callander, Dunblane, Tillicoultry, Glendevon, Glenfarg, Falkland and Ceres. The route is intriguing and should appeal to walkers wanting a fairly low level, accessible, multi-day walk with…

Posted in Books, Gear reviews

Walkhighlands Walk Report of the Month

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Helen Webster

Gareth from Webtogs had a hard time choosing the winners from April's selection of walk reports submitted to Walkhighlands. Here’s what he wrote. “Both the runner up and winner were hard to choose. From a short list of nine though I'm down to two with the runner up Michael Thompson’s Not so grey in the grey Corries. I know Mikes a pro-photographer so I marked him down a little bit on his photos to give everyone a chance :). You can’t take away from the fact though that the photos are drop dead gorgeous! What really impressed me however was…

Posted in Walkhighlands news

Missing Glendessary walker found safe and well

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Helen Webster

The 73-year-old hillwalker who has been missing in the Glendessary area since Sunday has been found safe and well this afternoon (Weds 2 May). A large scale air and ground search had taken place for the last 2 days and Police had appealed for other walkers to look out for Neill McCawley from Worcester. Mr McCawley has told his rescuers that he underestimated the difficulty of the walk and the route, which resulted in him having to camp for longer than he had originally anticipated.

Posted in News

Good news for Moray Firth dolphins

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Helen Webster

The world's most northerly resident population of bottlenose dolphins is stable and may even be increasing, according to new research. The east coast of Scotland is home to around 195 dolphins, the only resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the North Sea. They are a regular tourist draw around the east coast and one of the most recognisable species in Scotland. The report was commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) which has a duty to report on the condition of bottlenose dolphins within the Moray Firth SAC (Special Area of Conservation) every six years. The University of Aberdeen has carried…

Posted in Nature

Search resumes for missing Glendessary walker

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Helen Webster

Police in Fort William are continuing to co-ordinate the search for a hill walker who was reported missing on Sunday (29th April). The 73yr old man from the Worcester area was last seen by fellow walkers in the Glendessary area on Friday evening. Yesterday, Monday 30 April, a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth supported by members of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team carried out aerial searches in and around the Glendessary area. Despite over 4 hrs of flying time there was no trace of the missing walker. Today the search has resumed with a number of mountain rescue…

Posted in News

MunrOverground map will raise funds for mountain rescue and conservation

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Helen Webster

The Munros are often viewed through a prism of contour lines, spot heights and arcane symbols, but a new map of Scotland’s highest mountains provides a new perspective. The MunrOverground is a unique take on the Munros, as well as a host of Scotland’s other awe inspiring wild places such as the Linn of Dee, Sandwood Bay and Fingal’s Cave. Peter Burgess, a former geography teacher who lives in East Ham in London, created the map following the success of his first creation, Tubular Fells, a topological map of the Lakeland Fells which was inspired by Harry Beck’s iconic interpretation…

Posted in News