UK Landscape Photographer of the Year winners announced

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Helen Webster

A photograph of the Dorset coastline has taken the top prize in this year’s search for the UK’s ‘Landscape Photographer of the Year’. The locally-based photographer, Andy Farrer becomes the ninth person to win the overall title and the £10,000 prize. His picture was chosen, by the judges, from the thousands of entries that showcase the richly diverse landscape of the UK. A shot of Glen Coe by Damien Shields took the The Sunday Times Magazine’s Choice award. From light dappled water and mist-filled forests to extreme climbing and mountain biking within our most challenging landscapes, the winning photographs in…

Posted in Magazine, Photography

Queens Award presented to Mountain Bothies Association

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Helen Webster

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service has been presented to the Mountain Bothies Association. The presentation was made to Association Chairman, Simon Birch, by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol, Mrs Mary Prior and the Vice Lord-Lieutenant, Dr Timothy Chambers, at a ceremony in Bristol yesterday. The MBA is a charity and was established in 1965, exactly 50 years ago. It has around 3,700 members, and, with the consent and support of their owners, undertakes the restoration and maintenance of old cottages, huts and similar buildings throughout the wilder parts of Scotland, England and Wales for…

Posted in News

You can help Suilven with just a couple of clicks…

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Helen Webster

Many walkers regard Suilven as being the most dramatic mountain in Scotland. Now the mountain – owned by the Assynt community – is in the race to win £18,000 in Euro-wide online poll. The

Posted in Magazine, Nature

Police appeal for missing Glencoe walker

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Helen Webster

Police Scotland are continuing to appeal for information to assist with the search for missing hillwalker Robin Garton (69) from Devizes in Wiltshire, who is believed to be in the Glencoe area and has not been seen since the morning of Friday 25th September 2015. Police enquiries to date have established that Mr Garton checked out of the Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe at around 8am on Friday morning. He had plans to travel north to meet friends in the Kinlochewe area on Sunday but failed to meet as arranged. Officers traced Mr Garton’s black Volkswagen Passat estate car in the…

Posted in News, Uncategorized

Gallery: Scotland’s largest freshwater lochs

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Helen Webster

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond, its bonnie banks famously celebrated in song, is Britain’s largest freshwater lake by area, stretching over 71 square kilometres. The loch is at the heart of Scotland’s busiest National Park, and has many islands, including Inchmurrin – the largest on any loch – and beautiful Inchcailloch. The Highland fault line runs right through the loch and ensures a great variety of scenery, ranging from the placid Lomond Shores at Balloch, to the foot of towering Ben Lomond. The West Highland Way path follows much of the eastern shores of the loch. Loch Ness Loch Ness may…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Body of missing hillrunner Alexander Brett found

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Helen Webster

The body of missing hillrunner Alexander Brett has been discovered on Liathach in Torridon. A large search had been underway since Mr Brett was reported missing on Thursday 24 September after his car was discovered in the area. It is understood that Mr Brett, aged 65, had been planning a run on Sunday 20 September taking in Beinn Eighe, Beinn Dearg, Beinn Alligan and Liathach. Police Scotland said: “During extensive searches carried out in the Torridon area today, sadly a body was recovered in the area of Liathach and has subsequently been formally identified as that of Mr Brett. There…

Posted in News

Missing Torridon hillrunner – Police appeal to walkers

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Helen Webster

A large scale search is underway in the Torridon mountains for a missing hillrunner and Police are appealing to hillwalkers who may have information or who are planning to walk in Torridon this weekend to look out for the missing man. Alexander Brett, aged 65, is understood to have been planning a run on Sunday 20 September taking in Beinn Eighe, Beinn Dearg, Beinn Alligan and Liathach. Mr Brett is believed to be wearing red running shorts, trainers, a black puffa jacket and a small black runners back pack. It is understood that Mr Brett’s car was found in the…

Posted in News

Report says new Scotttish National Parks could be set up easily and cheaply

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Helen Webster

Creating more National Parks need not be unduly complicated or expensive, according to the latest joint research report published by two charities, the Scottish Campaign for National Parks (SCNP) and The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS). The report argues that National Parks in remote less populated areas of Scotland such as Glen Affric in the Highlands or the northern Cheviots in the Borders would have smaller budgets, staffing and governance structures than our two relatively large and complex existing National Parks. Ross Anderson, Chairman of SCNP said: “This is the second in our series of research reports…

Posted in News, Uncategorized

Mountaineers demand hydro scheme scars are healed

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Helen Webster

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has written to Heads of Planning in ten local authorities and the national parks urging them to act to ensure the negative impact of hydro scheme scars on upland areas is reduced. The organisation, which represents Scotland’s mountaineers, has expressed concern at the significant impact on upland landscapes due to the extent and pace of development of hydro schemes, which is largely driven by the potentially only temporary availability of financial incentives. In its letter, the MCofS recognises that any civil engineering project in a rural landscape will give rise to possibly significant short-term…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Evening with walking and landscape author Linda Cracknall

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Helen Webster

To celebrate the paperback launch of “Doubling Back – Ten Paths Trodden in Memory”, author and regular Walkhighlands writer, Linda Cracknall will be taking part in an evening event at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London on 16 September. More details including booking can be found here. Doubling Back is a fascinating and moving account of walking in the footsteps of others. In 1952 Linda Cracknell’s father embarked on a hike through the Swiss Alps. Fifty years later Linda retraces that fateful journey, following the trail of the man she barely knew. This collection of walking tales takes its theme from…

Posted in Walkhighlands news