A major refurbishment of Ruigh Aiteachain bothy, in Glen Feshie, in the Cairngorms is now underway. This has been planned for some time and will see some big improvements to the bothy. The work is being undertaken by the Glen Feshie Estate and will involve a partial rebuilt of the building. As a consequence the bothy is now unavailable for use whilst work is carried out by professional contractors. The Estate hopes to have the bothy open again towards the end of September.
Helicopter warning for Sligachan footpath repair
Walkers are being warned that, weather permitting, helicopter lifts will take in place in Glen Sligachan on Skye. on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd September as part of the John Muir Trust’s ongoing programme of path repairs. Following the first phase of restoration work on the Druim Hain path that was carried out last winter, phase two starts in September. It includes further work on the Druim Hain path from Glen Sligachan to Loch Coruisk, plus pre-emptive work on Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach where the steep path is in danger of becoming badly eroded. The helicopter lift will bring stone into…
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Hillwalkers urged to check stalking information
Hillwalkers are once again being urged to check for possible deer stalking taking place on estates before heading out to the hills. With the stag stalking season underway up until 20th October, this helps reduce the chance of disturbing stag stalking during the peak season. The information has been built into each of the relevant Walkhighlands route descriptions for the 2016 season, as well as pdfs on the Heading for the Scottish Hills website – includes details on stalking on all participating estates and contact details for further information. Also included are any routes that are “always okay” and general…
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Posted in Access issues, Magazine
UK’s smallest butterfly boosted by Ayrshire golf courses
Habitat for the UK’s smallest butterfly is expanding along the Ayrshire coast thanks to a project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in partnership with Butterfly Conservation Scotland and local links golf courses. The small blue butterfly had been completely absent from Ayrshire since the 1980s. The species bred successfully for the third year in a row on the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Gailes Marsh reserve and neighbouring Dundonald Links this summer after work to create large areas of kidney vetch (the butterfly’s only food plant), and a carefully managed translocation in 2013. Greenkeepers on a number of links courses south…
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Posted in Nature
Short film: Isolation
I S O L A T I O N is a short film about a character who abandons societies predictability in a bid to uncover the secrets buried within the mysterious and dramatic landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Directed by : Mathieu Bernat & David Guersan Sound : Arthaud Versaveaud Starring : Jamie Farquarshon Music : «Night Sky» – Tracey Chattaway «A Three-Legged Workhorse» – This Will Destroy You Shot in the Scottish Highlands.
Posted in Features, Photography
Walkhighlands navigation course 6 August
A last minute cancellation means there are another 2 places available on the one day navigation course run by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland for Walkhighlands users on Saturday 6 August in the Ochils. The course will begin with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day will be spent on practical navigation skills on the hill. The course will be run by Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Officer at the MCofS and is aimed at anyone who wants to learn how to navigate for hillwalking or to brush up existing knowledge. The courses are very friendly…
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Posted in News, Walkhighlands news
Disabled teenager reaches Cairn Gorm summit
Natasha Lambert has completed one element of her latest challenge, Sea and Summit Scotland. She reached the top of the Cairn Gorm Mountain, just after 3pm on Monday. It took her just over five and half hours to reach the summit which is some 1245 metres above sea level, the sixth highest mountain in the UK. Natasha has athetoid cerebral palsy and uses a wheel chair. However, for this part of her challenge, she used a special device called a Hart Walker. This pulls Natasha upright and enables her to propel herself forward. Natasha also wears a lycra corset to…
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Posted in News
MCofS changes name to Mountaineering Scotland
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS), the representative organisation for hillwalkers, climbers, mountaineers and ski-tourers who live in Scotland or enjoy Scottish mountains, has announced that it will rebrand as ‘Mountaineering Scotland’ following consultation with members. Commenting on the change, Chief Executive Officer, David Gibson said: “The MCofS has represented the interests of its clubs and members since 1970. We are proud of our heritage and achievements, but we recognise that times are changing and tailoring our brand and communications to new audiences is essential.” The ‘Council’ in the MCofS title originates from when it was formed as a body…
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Posted in News
Devil’s Elbow, Glenshee car park to close for month
A parking layby near the Devil’s Elbow on the A93 just south of Cairnwell is to be closed for improvement works from 25 July to 26 August. The site is marked a blue ‘P’ on the map below. Alternative parking will still be available on the north side of the road at at the Devil’s Elbow itself. The car park is sometimes used for the shorter route to Glas Maol and Creag Leacach. The car park will be landscaped, a new curved seat installed and the path toward the Munro stone pitched for a short section from the car park.…
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Posted in Access issues
Hen Harriers return to Mar Lodge
A male hen harrier chick was satellite tagged today at the National Trust for Scotland’s Mar Lodge Estate, following the first successful breeding attempt on the estate by this iconic raptor species in several decades. Four chicks were produced in total and one of these has been tagged as part of the RSPB’s Hen Harrier LIFE project, which is part-funded by the European LIFE scheme and cosmetics company, LUSH. David Frew, Property Manager at Mar Lodge Estate said “It is fantastic news and really exciting to see these birds returning to the estate for the first time in living memory.…
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Posted in Nature