Action needed to ensure future of Scots Pine

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Helen Webster

Concerted action is needed to ensure a secure future for the Scots pine, which has been declared Scotland's national tree, leading conservation volunteering charity Trees for Life said today. The charity is warning that higher priority must be given urgently to the conservation of Scotland's pinewoods which have recently taken a battering from winter storms. Trees for Life’s Executive Director Alan Watson Featherstone said: “Declaring the Scots pine – bastion of the Caledonian Forest and one of the world’s most beautiful trees – as a national symbol sends a signal to the world that Scotland values its trees as an…

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Mountaineers and skiers warned of 'terrain traps'

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Helen Webster

Massive quantities of snow in the Scottish mountains this winter have prompted mountain safety experts to warn both mountaineers and skiers of the danger of 'terrain traps'. Many hill-goers will not even know the term but there is increasing emphasis on educating mountaineers about how these geographical features can increase the danger from avalanches and the level of damage they cause. This winter has been marked by high winds and a continuous roller coaster of low pressures marching in off the Atlantic, bringing with them high winds and heavy rain. High up however, it has been a different story. Above…

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Mountain cameraman Keith Partridge to give Edinburgh talk

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Helen Webster

Mountaineering cameraman, Keith Partridge is to give a talk in Edinburgh on 3 March. After over 20 years at the cutting edge of mountain and adventure filmmaking Keith says he thought it was time to spill the beans and look at the stories behind the stories. He has been involved in over 60 films all over the world including the iconic series ‘The Edge – 100 Years of Scottish Mountaineering’, ‘Touching The Void’, ‘Beckoning Silence’ on the Eiger North Face and the multi award winning ‘Human Planet’. During the evening at the Royal Lyceum Theatre he will recount tales of…

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Third of Scottish native woodland damaged by deer

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Helen Webster

Grazing animals, particularly deer, are a bigger threat to Scotland's woodland than development, according to a new comprehensive survey. The Native Woodland Survey of Scotland has taken Forestry Commission Scotland eight years to complete, from planning to final report. It is the most detailed study of Scotland's woods to date. It has found that a third of Scotland’s native woods show significant damage from grazing animals, particularly deer, and that up to 14 per cent of Scotland’s ancient woodland has been lost since the last survey was completed. Carol Evans, director of the Woodland Trust Scotland said: “The Native Woodland…

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2014 Walkhighlands Navigation Courses

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Helen Webster

Following the success of last year's navigation courses, there will be a further 4 Walkhighlands/MCofS Navigation Courses held in 2014. The first courses will be held in the Ochils in May with a further two courses planned for the Campsie Fells in June. Each 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 Mountaineering Council of Scotland and are aimed at anyone who wants to learn how to navigate for…

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Isle of Harris Mountain Festival dates announced

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Helen Webster

The dates for the 2014 Isle of Harris Mountain Festival have been announced. The festival will take place between Saturday 13th and Saturday 20th September. Billed as “a week-long celebration of the mountains of Harris,” this is the fourth annual event run by the North Harris Trust. The programme will include: a range of guided walks, from stunning ridges & glens to glorious coastlines – including the return of the Clisham Horseshoe and a Golden Eagle Walk; talks & presentations from guest speakers, outdoor sports sessions, boat trips, film nights, a festival ceilidh and more. The full programme is likely…

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Ramblers call for mutual respect on the hills

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Helen Webster

Ramblers Scotland has responded to a recent report in the West Highland Free Press relating to a new access policy issued by Ledgowan estate in Achnasheen. The report claims that, under the new policy, walkers are likely to be stopped and asked for their name and address, and if these are not forthcoming, photographs of the walkers and/or their vehicles will be taken. While this is said to be in response to recent thefts and poaching incidents, Ramblers Scotland condemns the apparent lack of respect for Scotland’s access legislation which gives duties on landowners to take proper account of the…

Posted in Access issues, News

Beaver Trial Wins Conservation Award

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Helen Webster

The Scottish Beaver Trial, the first ever licensed reintroduction project for beavers in the UK, has won Britain’s Best Conservation Project in the 2013 BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards. The Trial was up against two other conservation projects in this category: a basking shark tagging project aimed at understanding the world’s largest fish and a campaign against the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which are having a detrimental effect on bee populations. A partnership between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust, the five year study is now in its final monitoring year and fieldwork is scheduled to wrap…

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Bennachie car park and trail closures continue

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Helen Webster

Forestry Commission Scotland is urging people to follow instructions on site signage around Bennachie as work gets underway to clear windblown trees. The main Bennachie car park has been closed since storms felled a number of trees and caused some marked trails to be shut to the public. Other car parks and trail heads at Back o’Bennachie and Millstone Hill. Emily Holmes, Recreation and Communities Ranger with the Commission’s team in the area said: “December’s strong winds caused quite a lot of damage in the forests of Bennachie, and a number of the trails have been affected by wind blown…

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Heavy and Heather mountain safety evenings

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Helen Webster

The final lectures in the Mountaineering Council of Scotland's Winter Lecture series will be delivered at The Mountain Cafe, Aviemore, by mountain safety experts Heather Morning and Dave ‘Heavy’ Whalley. Heather Morning is the MCofS Mountain Safety Adviser. With a lifetime’s experience in the mountains, she has been a professional mountaineer for 20 years and for the last 12 has been an active member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team. ‘Heavy’ Whalley was a member of the RAF Mountain Rescue for 36 years. He was the Team Leader of RAF Leuchars, RAF Kinloss and Deputy Team leader at RAF Valley…

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