walkhighlands



Line up announced for Braemar Mountain Festival

Organisers of the Braemar Mountain Festival today revealed they have doubled the number of events and venues following the huge success of the inaugural event last year. The four-day celebration of the mountains in winter will take place from Thursday 1st – Sunday 4th March 2018 at Braemar, located in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. New events for 2018’s expanded programme include mountain bike skill sessions, film making classes with award winning adventure film producer Chris Prescott and a special series of talks and films highlighting the feats of inspirational women in adventure sports. The Braemar Mountain Festival…

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Mountain experts warn against magnets in clothing

Mountain safety experts have warned against a worrying trend in the outdoor clothing market. Magnetic closures on gloves and jackets are being marketed as the modern alternative to Velcro or poppers. But magnets are well-known for deflecting compass needles, and there is already evidence that this may have been the cause of a recent Mountain Rescue call-out. Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Adviser for Mountaineering Scotland, said: “We have reviewed the circumstances of a recent incident in the mountains east of Glen Shee, which involved hundreds of hours of rescue personnel hours and police time. “A group of walkers were caught…

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Posted in News

Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Poles

RRP: £120 per pair Weight: 285g per pair (110cm length) I had thought my previous go-to trekking poles were lightweight until I picked up these carbon poles from Black Diamond. Weighing in at a mere 285g for the pair the weight is truly featherlight, you genuinely don’t notice them when stowed in a pack and barely notice them in use or carrying them in one hand. I was therefore very interested to find out how these spindly-lightweights would perform in Scottish conditions. The main trade off on the weight v. features is the lack of adjustability. These poles come in…

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Posted in Accessories, Gear reviews, Magazine

Police Warning and Mountaineering Scotland advice following rescue callouts

Police Scotland has issued a warning to hillwalkers and people pursuing outdoor activities in the mountains of the dangers that inclement weather and the terrain can present. In the last week Mountain Rescue teams have been called out over 13 times and police are reminding people to bear in mind that the weather can change very quickly. Chief Inspector Neil Anderson, Operational Support Division and Land based Search and Rescue lead for Police Scotland, said: “Unless you are an experienced hillwalker or mountaineer I would advise against venturing into the hills if there is any likelihood of the conditions becoming…

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Posted in Magazine, News

Hillwalkers needed for Upland Path Survey

Do you know of a hill path in need of repair? Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is seeking the views of hillwalkers about the current state of paths and routes in order to determine how much money will be needed to undertake the longterm care of upland paths. The results of this new audit will build on a recent user survey which gathered views about the condition of Scotland’s upland paths and how they could be managed in the future. This audit is focussing on those paths and routes most damaged or in need of urgent repair. The information is needed…

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Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Walkhighlands/Mountaineering Scotland Navigation Courses

Following the success of the joint Walkhighlands/Mountaineering Scotland navigation courses over the last few years there will be a further 4 courses this summer. These single day courses will be held in the Lomond and Arrochar hills on 28 and 29 July based in Drymen and on 4 and 5 August based in Arrochar. This is the chance to brush up on your navigation skills while meeting other Walkhighlands users on a fun and friendly day. Each course will begin with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day will be spent on practical navigation skills…

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Posted in News, Walkhighlands news

Cameron McNeish wins Mountain Culture Award

The well known hillwalker, broadcaster, author, broadcaster Cameron McNeish has won The Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. The award – which is presented as part of the Fort William Mountain Film Festival – celebrates acheivements in the outdoors and promoting the “sprit of adventure”. Nominations are made by the public; previous winners have included Dr Adam Watson, Myrtle Simpson and Jimmy Marshall. Cameron McNeish is the author of a regular column on Walkhighlands, which has has often used to campaign on access and conservation issues, though his work in these areas goes back many years. He lives in…

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Posted in News, Walkhighlands news

15 years of Access Rights celebrated

Outdoor personalities, politicians and access campaigners came together at the Scottish Parliament last night to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the passing of the nation’s world-class access legislation. Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham and Richard Lochhead MSP were among the 100 guests at Ramblers Scotland’s Celebrating Scotland’s Outdoors event to mark 15 years of the pioneering Land Reform (Scotland) Act. Following many years of campaigning by Ramblers Scotland and others, the 2003 Act secured rights of access to most of Scotland’s land and inland water for walkers, cyclists, horse-riders, canoeists and other non-motorised users – provided those rights are exercised responsibly.…

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Posted in Access issues

Scotland: Be Part of It

A few years back we shared a short film called Isolation, made by Mathieu Bernat & David Guersan. Through Creative Studio Unfazed, David has now teamed up with Jamie Farquharson to make a new short homage to Scotland’s Highlands – Scotland: Be Part of It. You can watch it below, with footage from plenty of great locations; be sure to press the button bottom right (next to Vimeo) to watch in full screen. The filmakers can both be followed on Instagram: David Guersan and Jamie Farquharson. Sound Mix : Arthaud Versaveaud Voice : Malcolm Urquhart Music : Timeless by Caleb…

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Posted in Magazine

Worn Wear Tour offers to repair gear

Patagonia’s Worn Wear Tour is coming to Scotland and offering free repairs on outdoor clothing including Goretex as well as teaching people how to fix their own gear and in turn reduce their impact on the planet. The Worn Wear initiative encourages customers to extend the lifetime of their garments. The Patagonia repair team onboard will offer free repairs on any brand of clothing, on a first come, first served basis. The tour will also educate people on how to keep snow and outdoor gear in good condition for multiple seasons and will teach skills such as patching, re-waterproofing shells…

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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.