Tick Bite Prevention Week

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Helen Webster

Tick Bite Prevention Week will be running again this year from 11 – 17 April. It is estimated that 3,000 people a year contract Lyme Disease from a tick bite every year. Walkers or others involved in outdoor activities can be at a high risk of tick bites, particularly when heading through countryside or parks where there are sheep or deer and bracken which can attract ticks. Tick Bite Prevention Week offers a number of simple precautions can help to keep you safe including tucking trousers into socks, avoiding dense undergrowth or using a stick to bash away ticks first,…

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Collie and Mackenzie sculpture progress

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Helen Webster

Plans are progressing to erect a sculpture of two climbing heros of the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye. The planned statue aims to commemorate the achievements of Sconser man John Mackenzie and his internationally renowned climbing companion Norman Collie. The group behind the plans has already persuaded Scottish Hydro to remove the power lines which blighted the view of the Cuillin from Sligachan. A £10,000 private donation is now allowing the group to start work on landscaping the statue site at Sligachan on Skye. The plans involve improving the entrance to the site, building gateways and a drystone wall.…

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Extra protection for Sea Eagles

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Helen Webster

Sea eagles together with farmers and crofters, are set to benefit from a new £80,000 project. The three year scheme will see Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) working with farmers and crofters to help the birds throughout the areas where they breed. Scotland’s sea eagle population has reached a record high since the birds were re-introduced on the Isle of Rum 36 years ago. But they are still considered to be rare with just 52 adult breeding pairs across the country. The birds are also known as white tailed eagles, they lay up to three eggs in March with chicks leaving…

Posted in Nature

Highland Tiger spotted at Leith Hall

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Helen Webster

Conservationists at the National Trust for Scotland have caught a rare image of a wildcat in the grounds of Leith Hall estate in Aberdeenshire. The image which was caught by wildlife surveillance cameras, which were funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, set up on Craigfall Hill in the grounds of the historic property a few weeks ago, while snow still blanketed the ground. Nature conservation advisor Rob Dewar said: “Leith Hall nestles below open moorland and plantation forests deep in the Aberdeenshire countryside and is a haven for wildlife. “Sightings of Scottish wildcats had been reported on Craigfall Hill, but was…

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Wind farms an election issue say MCofS

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Helen Webster

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) is calling on political parties in May’s Scottish Parliamentary election to show a commitment to Scotland’s wild land and world famous landscapes by speaking out against wind farm proposals in our dwindling areas of wildness. The MCofS says the proposed Allt Duine wind farm, on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park, is a prime example of a renewable energy project that will cause irrevocable damage to a cherished wild landscape and ruin views in the Monadhliath mountains. The mountaineering body believes the character of this special area is in the hands of the…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Minimal Impact training offered

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Helen Webster

Following the launch of its Minimal Impact Mountaineering Advice earlier this year, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) is planning a series of training events to take place in 2011. At the time of the launch of the advice, known as MIMA, the MCofS said, “Scottish access rights are a balance of having statutory rights of access to land and exercising those rights in a responsible manner. MIMA provides detailed information on a wide range of topics that hill walkers, climbers, ski tourers, instructors and other leaders can refer to in order to gain a better understanding of the practical…

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Ayrshire Coastal Path on Walkhighlands

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Helen Webster

The Ayrshire Coastal Path is the latest route to be added to the Walkhighlands website. The addition of a detailed route description, complete with 1:250,00 Ordnance Survey mapping, photos and GPS downloads means the site now boasts over 1300 Scottish walking routes. Stretching for 147km from the southern to northernmost limits of the county, the Ayrshire Coastal Path sticks close to the coastline itself and for much of its length runs along sandy beaches. The two halves of the route have a contrasting character, with remoter, more rural countryside – and rougher walking – on the first half to Ayr,…

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Walkhighlands launches new IKEA walk

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Helen Webster

Today Walkhighlands has finally added coverage of perhaps the most popular weekend walk in all Scotland, the route around IKEA in Glasgow. The exploration of the Swedish home superstore is planned to be just the first in a new series of routes which will focus on walks relevant and accessible to more people. “We hope this will help to counter the idea that Walkhighlands is only for those who love to get out in the outdoors on their weekends, ” said site co-founder, Paul Webster. “We already feature several great city walks, and we hope that our new routes in…

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Isle of May opens to walkers

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Helen Webster

Boat trips to Scottish Natural Heritage’s Isle of May National Nature Reserve re-start for this year’s visitor season on 1 April. The island is renowned for its bird populations, its seals, its history and its carpets of flowers. The reserve, at the mouth of the Forth, has a boat service from Fife and East Lothian during the visitor season. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) welcomes boat trips to the island from April until the end of September and SNH does not charge for visiting. The island has a visitor centre and marked paths covering the island. The private May Princess boat…

Posted in Nature, News

National Nature Reserve walks highlighted

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Helen Webster

There are over fifty National Nature Reserves (NNRs) in Scotland which are some of the best places for wildlife spotting in the country. It is now possible to search the 1300 routes on Walkhighlands to find walks in these Reserves. NNR’s are managed primarily for nature, but people are welcome too, many have facilities to enable visitors to appreciate the wildlife living there. Walkhighlands has 69 detailed walking routes in NNRs across Scotland – to find them go to the Find A Walk search facility and click NNR in the Walk Features option. Put together, the NNRs showcase the wide…

Posted in Nature, News, Walkhighlands news