walkhighlands



Scottish Avalanche Information Service daily reports begin

Daily Avalanche Reports for the 6 areas – Lochaber, Glencoe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms, Northern Cairngorms and Torridon regions – will be issued daily by the Scottish Avalanache Information Service (SAIS) from tomorrow, Thursday 12th Dec 2024. Some reports and the SAIS Blogs (useful for snow cover reference) have already been issued. The Scottish Avalanche Project began in 1988 as an avalanche forecasting service funded by the Scottish Sports Council and operating in 2 areas, Glencoe and the North Cairngorms. This ran for 2 winters, with the addition in 1989-90 of Lochaber and a weekend pilot scheme on Lochnagar.  After this the

Read more ›

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Our pick – walking Scotland’s cities

Looking for a break from the stresses of Christmas shopping? Here’s our updated guide to the best of Scotland’s eight cities – or is it nine? Edinburgh Scotland’s capital has recently been voted one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and with its combination of stunning architecture spanning the centuries and its dramatic landscape, it’s the perfect city to explore on foot. We feature routes that explore the wonders of both the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town, but be sure not to miss areas like Dean Village, or the Botanic Gardens. The Water of Leith provides a

Read more ›

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Wildlife charities accuse NatureScot of undermining protection of birds of prey on grouse moors

A decision by Scotland’s governmental conservation agency NatureScot to dilute the new grouse moor licensing scheme introduced in July has been slammed by wildlife and environmental charities. Scotland’s parliament had passed legislation requiring grouse moors to operate under a licensing scheme, to act as a deterrent to the illegal persecution of birds of prey. If raptors were being poisoned or shot in acts of wildlife crime, the estate on which these crimes occurred could then potentially lose its licence. Under the scheme launched in July, the licenses covered entire estate landholding, so that if raptor persecution took place anywhere on

Read more ›

Posted in Magazine, Nature, News

Common Ground: Coinneach Rankin

After three series exploring the wild side of Scotland, BBC Alba’s Dàna series returns to our screens this week. This time the team will be heading further afield, for adventures from the mountains of Norway to the sunny coastline of Spain. The first episode of Dàna | Europe’s Wild Side will premiere on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer on Wednesday 6 November at 8.30pm. Watch live or on demand (in Gaelic with English subtitles): Dàna | Europe’s Wild Side on BBC iPlayer. This week we caught up with presenter Coinneach Rankin as part of our Common Ground series of short

Read more ›

Posted in Common Ground interviews, Features, Magazine

Common Ground: Ilona Turnbull

In our Common Ground series of short interviews, we aim to find out what makes our fellow outdoor enthusiasts tick, the experiences we all share and their hopes for the future. Our latest interviewee is Ilona Turnbull, who grew up in Australia but has already completed both the Munros and Corbetts since she moved to Scotland. Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background? I’m both a non-executive Director for HR, Governance & Equality at Mountaineering Scotland and a lawyer / Company Secretary at a large life insurance company in Edinburgh. I also have an

Read more ›

Posted in Common Ground interviews, Features, Magazine

Common Ground: Grant Moir

In our Common Ground series of short interviews, we aim to find out what makes our fellow outdoor enthusiasts tick, the experiences they share and their hopes for the future. Our latest interviewee is Grant Moir, the Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, the UK’s largest National Park. Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background? I grew up in Scone just outside Perth and went to Aberdeen University (mainly to be close to the mountains and for the Dons season ticket) to study geography and history. Having the Cairngorms within an hour

Read more ›

Posted in Common Ground interviews, Features, Magazine

North Face car park closed on weekdays from 3 June

The access track to the popular Ben Nevis North Face car park will be closed on weekdays from 3rd June, for a period of up to 10 days, for repairs. It will not be possible even for pedestrians to pass along the track when it is closed. Forestry and Land Scotland have confirmed that access to and use of the car park will still be possible at weekends. The car park is usually used by climbers and walkers visiting the North Face of Ben Nevis, or those intending to climb the mountain via the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête. The ‘Mountain

Read more ›

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News, Walkhighlands news

Campaign to repair Scotland’s mountain paths raises £218,000 in first year

The “It’s Up to Us” campaign to help fund repairs to Scotland’s mountain paths has raised over £218,000 of its £300,000 target to help repair 3.2km of path on An Teallach. Path contractors have so far completed 340m of path building and maintenance work on the mountain, funded by the campaign and supported by a team of enthusiastic path maintenance volunteers. The three-year campaign, run by Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland, has so far received generous donations from the Scottish Mountaineering Trust, European Outdoor Conservation Association, and other charitable trusts (£154,858), a major private donor (£25,000),

Read more ›

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Loch Cuaich (Quoich) road closure

Highland Council has issued a notice that the road up Glen Garry, passing Tomdoun and on to Kinloch Hourn is to be closed from Monday 13th May, until Friday 20th December. This affects a huge number of walking routes, including the Munros on either side of Loch Cuaich (formerly Quoich on maps), and road access to the Cape Wrath Trail at Kinloch Hourn. However, the closure order is only be in force between 9am and 12 noon, and 1pm to 3pm each day. We have been further been advised that SSE will only enforce on weekdays and will allow vehicles

Read more ›

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Our picks: 10 more walks you can reach by train

Whether you have no car, are trying to minimise your impact on the environment, or are just looking to save the stress of driving and instead enjoy the comfort of relaxing on a train rather than face driving home with tired legs, Scotland’s railways can help you reach some truly superb walks in comfort. Following on from last year’s article, we’ve selected another ten great walks you can reach using our railways, scattered all around the country. This article was sponsored by ScotRail, Scotland’s rail operator. Plockton Explorer, Plockton Walk the walk This short walk explores what is one of Scotland’s

Read more ›

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks


Share on 

Share  

You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.