Hill walkers heading for the Glenfinnan area are being warned by the MCofS about access difficulties due to a bridge replacement scheme on the A830 to Mallaig, affecting the normal route up the Corbett Sgurr an Utha. Work is due to begin to replace Utha Bridge, about 2 ½ km west of Glenfinnan village, this month and is likely to take about nine months until well into 2016. The project will involve closing the existing carriageway and diverting traffic over a temporary bridge while demolition and construction takes place – a traffic light system will be put in place. Unfortunately…

The Ring of Breadalbane Explorer mini bus service has started running for the 2015 summer season. It will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays until Sunday 18th October and is a useful service for walkers and cyclists wanting to do linear routes or those without their own transport. The “hop-on hop-off” service connects Crieff, Comrie, St Fillans, Lochearnhead, Killin, Kenmore, Acharn and Aberfeldy on a circular route, providing easy access to the area’s top tourist attractions including the Birks Cinema, Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre, Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, the Scottish Crannog Centre and Highland Safaris. Running both clockwise and anti-clockwise four-times daily…

A temporary footbridge across the Derry Burn at the foot of Glen Derry has now been put in place by Mar Lodge Estate workers with the bridge funded by ScotWays. The original bridge was torn from its foundations and swept downstream during spate conditions last August. The temporary bridge is likely to be in place for a couple of years until the Estate is able to build a permanent crossing in the area. The bridge provides an essential link in the most commonly-used route through the famous Lairig Ghru Pass as well as accessing a number of mountain routes.

The board of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority has today approved plans including a large extension to the current East Lochlomondside summer wild camping ban. The plans which received more than 300 responses from the public, including objections from Ramblers Scotland and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, will now go to the Scottish Government for a final decision by a minister. If approved, the National Park hopes to bring in the new rules in time for the summer of 2016. The Park Authority say the recommendations, approved by their board, include the creation of four camping management…