Black Isle bird of prey death toll rises

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Helen Webster

The number of legally protected birds of prey killed as a result of the mass poisoning on the Black Isle, near Inverness, has risen to 16. Police have also confirmed that they were illegally poisoned using a banned substance which the Police are not naming at the moment. Toxicology tests on the remaining six birds, four red kites and two buzzards, found dead in and around the Conon Bridge area are continuing. The total reward being offered for information on one of Scotland’s worst raptor poisoning incidents has now risen to over £32,000, including a £12,000 donation from a group…

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Isle of Harris Mountain Festival programme announced

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Helen Webster

The Isle of Harris Mountain Festival is taking place this year between Saturday 13th and Saturday 20th September 2014. Billed as “a week-long celebration of the mountains of Harris,” this is the fourth annual event run by the North Harris Trust. Organisers are promising that this year's festival will be bigger and more ambitious than ever. Last year’s festival was a big success, despite some unsettled weather. Events included a varied guided walks programme including a couple of superb hill walks and a golden eagle walk, culminating in an eleven mile hike through the heart of North Harris with great…

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Body of missing Glen Etive hillwalker found

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Helen Webster

UPDATE: The dead man has now been named as 55 year old Martin Livingstone from Coatbridge. The body of a hillwalker missing since Saturday has been found and recovered from Glen Etive. The man was reported missing after he failed to return from a walk up Ben Starav on Saturday evening. Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team searched for the man but the team was eventually stood down at 4am the following morning due to bad weather conditions. The search resumed in the morning, with help from the Lochaber and Oban MRTS, SARDA dogs and the RAF, and later that day a…

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Huge survey of Ben Nevis North Face planned

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Helen Webster

During the summer of 2014, The Nevis Landscape Partnership will lead an innovative project to survey previously unexplored areas of the North Face of Ben Nevis. The project, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Natural Heritage, The Highland Council and Mammut aims to find new topographic, geological and biological data. “This exciting project brings together film makers, botanists, climbers and geologists to discover some of the mountain’s remaining secrets. We will also raise public awareness of mountain environments, their arctic-alpine habitats and the threats posed by climate change” said Nevis Partnership Manger, Tristan Semple. The North Face Survey will provide…

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Review: Doubling Back by Linda Cracknell

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Helen Webster

I’m not a great reader of non-fiction and have sometimes stumbled when setting out to read the supposed greats of nature writing. However I found Doubling Back to be both a compelling page-turner and an eye-opener to the mysteries and memories that can be unearthed by exploring on foot. Linda Cracknell has taken 10 journeys, mostly multi-day backpacks, and used them as the basis for involving descriptions of the landscape – linking history and culture perfectly with the day to day experience of walking, climbing and horse-riding, alone or with friends, and her encounters with strangers. There was something about…

Posted in Books, Gear reviews

Call for hillwalkers to survey snow patches

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Helen Webster

This year there looks set to be a fair amount of residual snow on the Scottish mountains following the heavy winter snowfall. For the last six years a survey has been held in late August to try and survey every remaining snow patch in order to build up a scientific log of changing conditions. This year, the organisers are calling on hillwalkers to take part on 22 or 23 August. Survey organiser Iain Cameron says, “For the last six years I’ve organised a late-August survey on the hills of Scotland, where we try and count up every last snow patch…

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New Great Glen Way High Route opens August 5th

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Helen Webster

A new high level route for the Great Glen Way will be officially opened by Cameron McNeish on 5 August. The new route, which takes walkers above the treeline for over 10 miles between Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit, provides a fantastic alternative to part of the main route, offering great views over Loch Ness on this popular long distance trail. The route has been under construction since 2013 and is suitable for all users of the Great Glen Way. The low route, which runs mainly on forestry tracks on these sections, had suffered sporadic disruption from forestry harvesting and some…

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Lottery grant will repair 41 upland paths

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Helen Webster

A project which brings together Scotland's two National Park Authorities to address the serious threat of erosion to paths has been given a major boost with the Heritage Lottery Fund today announcing an initial grant of £3.28m. From the high mountains and straths of the Cairngorms to the lochs and woodlands of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Scotland’s National Parks encompass some of the country’s most iconic landscapes, vital for their contribution to tourism and the wider economy, as well as for the health and social benefits of the millions of people that enjoy them. However, their popularity combined with…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Sharks, whales and dolphins could benefit from more marine protected areas

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Helen Webster

In addition to the 30 marine protected areas (MPAs) in Scottish waters announced last week, a further four sites could benefit species of whales, dolphins and sharks. This is according to a new report by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The report follows the announcement of 30 MPAs by Scottish Environment Secretary, Richard Lochhead resulting from the public consultation which saw 99% of respondents in favour of an MPA network around Scotland. After further research, SNH has published advice on a further four MPA proposals for Minke whales, Risso’s dolphins and basking sharks, species which are not included in the suite…

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Navigation Courses

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Helen Webster

Due to a cancellation there are a couple of places available on next weekend's navigation courses run by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS). These day courses, based in the Campsie Fells and run from Drymen, are aimed at anyone who wants to learn how to navigate for hillwalking or to brush up existing knowledge. There is currently one place on Saturday August 2 and one place on Sunday August 3 and anyone wanting to book should phone the MCofS on 01738 493943. Each course will begin with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day…

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