The temporary problem affecting the deer stalking access information website has now been resolved and the site is back online. You can check out where stalking is taking place by searching the map on the “Heading for the Scottish Hills” website.
Wartime relics revealed in Fife
In the month of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, a reminder of Fife’s part in the war has newly emerged on the coast. The SNH owned Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, in north east Fife, is slowing giving up artifacts from the conflict. Tom Cunningham, Scottish Natural Heritage’s reserve manager at Tentsmuir, has discovered the rusting remains of a narrow gauge railway wagon from the Second World War at Tentsmuir Point. The wagon now lies fully exposed after the latest natural erosion on the sand dune edge of the coastal reserve. Tom Cunningham said: “It’s safe to assume…
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GPS training course places available
There are still some places available on the GPS navigation courses to be run by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) in October. The dates with availability are 10, 16 and 17 October. The focus of the course is to familiarise participants with the various functions of the GPS unit so they feel confident to navigate safely on the hill. The one day course will begin with a short (approx 1 hour) introduction session indoors for participants to familiarise themselves with the GPS units. This will be followed by practical sessions in the woods around Glenmore and later out on…
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Scottish Power says no to underground cables on Beauly-Denny
Scottish Power says it will use trees and shrubbery to mitigate the effect of the controversial pylons on a section of the new Beauly to Denny power line. The Company has rejected the option of putting cables underground for a 20km stretch of the high-voltage line around Stirling. The pylons will be up to 60 metres high (200ft) and will pass the edge of the Ochils near Stirling. The Scottish Government had asked Scottish Power to come up with ideas to limit the visual impact of the power line in the Stirling and Falkirk area and the announcement of the…
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Glen Esk Green Cow stolen
The Glen Esk Green Cow, a popular fixture in the Angus Glen, appears to have been stolen. The large green papier-mache cow was last seen on 17 September when tourists were noticed taking photos of it. In appealing for helping tracing the animal, the Green Cow’s owners, the Henderson family, have issued the following statement: “For several years now, the Green Cow has grazed happily in the most isolated field in Glen Esk. She was brought there by John Henderson, an Edinburgh financier, who took pity on the animal’s plight when he found her parked miles from any pasture in a…
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Deer stalking website offline
The new website offering access information about deer stalking is temporarily out of action. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) which hosts the site is advising people wanting information about where stalking is taking place to use the Hillphones system instead. The new website was launched in August this year with the aim to provide easy to access and up to date information to help walkers plan their routes during the stalking season. The Hillphones system uses a series of recorded messages from a number of Scottish Estates which take part. More information about Hillphones including telephone numbers can be found here.…
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Canna appeals for new blood
An appeal has been mounted to find a family wanting to move to the tiny Hebridean island of Canna. Islanders on Canna, which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, are advertising for a family to fill the three-bedroom MacIssacs Cottage, which is currently being restored. “MacIssacs has been empty for more than 20 years,” said Deb Baker, Secretary of Canna Community Association, “but thanks to a generous donation from several members of its Patron’s Club, the Trust is in the process of transforming the cottage into a welcoming family home. “The cottage is typical of many properties on…
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Dibidil – A Hebridean Adventure republished
The Executors of the estate of Irvine Butterfield, in collaboration with the Mountain Bothies Association, have re-published Dibidil- A Hebridean Adventure. The book tells the remarkable story of the restoration in 1970 of the ruins of Dibidil cottage, on the Isle of Rum, for use as an open shelter. The book was originally written in 1972 and published as a limited edition of 500 copies. It quickly sold out. Copies which do now become available sell for considerably more than the original cover price. The book describes the story of the restoration project from its original conception in 1968 through…
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North Harris declares war on Giant Rhubarb
The North Harris Trust has begun a project to eradicate invasive giant rhubarb from the island with the help of volunteers from the John Muir Trust, the UK’s leading wild land charity. Harris is better known for its stunning beaches and rugged mountains, but on the outskirts of Tarbert pockets of jungle are quickly spreading. Robin Reid, the North Harris Trust’s Ranger, who is co-ordinating the project said: “This is an incredibly invasive species. It takes over ground completely by out competing native plants. Alongside climate change and habitat loss, non-native species like Gunnera are one of the biggest threats…
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Posted in Nature
New love interest for beaver Trude
The Scottish Beaver Trial team has been busy doing a spot of match-making this week, with hopes to see some loch-side love in time for the next breeding season. On Tuesday (21 September 2010), a new male beaver from Telemark, Norway (the same area where all the beavers as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial are from) was successfully released into a loch within the Trial area. This loch is already home to Trude, a female beaver reintroduced in June this year which has been thriving and has established its own individual territory in Knapdale Forest. Beavers are social animals,…
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Posted in Nature