Gear review: Rab Flashpoint 2 Jacket

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £220Weight: 185g (large) The Flashpoint 2 is a truly ultralight waterproof jacket. Weighing in at just 185g in men’s size large, the jacket squashes into a tiny stuff sack and is barely noticeable in your pack; runners could even simply attach it to a belt. So where are the compromises? The fabric is 3 layer Pertex Shield. I’ve found it to be surprisingly breathable, and it also seems pretty robust for the weight. I’m sure these qualities are partly down to it having 3 layer construction – I typically find 2 and 2 and half layer waterproofs feel…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

Gear review: Mammut hiking pants

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £79Weight: 230g (32″) Allegedly we’re now in the middle of summer, the ideal time of year for this pair of lightweight walking trousers from Mammut. The fit is athletic, but the stretchy material (94% Polyamide, 6% Elastane) and shaped knees ensures that these are extremely comfortable to wear. They are very quick drying, and have been treated with a durable water repellent coating that helps to repel light showers. The coating is PFC-free, and the trousers are bluesign certified, so you can be confident that their manufacture minimizes environmental impact. There are two front pockets, both zipped, and…

Posted in Gear reviews, Trousers

Police Scotland launch Bothy Watch initiative

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Paul Webster

Police Scotland has today launched ‘Bothy Watch’ – an initiative to raise awareness of the issues surrounding remote bothies across the south of Scotland. As well as the MBA, this multi-agency initiative includes partners from Forestry and Land Scotland, Local Authorities and Mountain Rescue Team volunteers with a focus on reducing crime in outlying areas, keeping the bothies free from damage and allowing them to be used for the purpose they are intended for. In launching the initiative, Police Scotland said: “For years these buildings have been a valuable and in fact quite a social resource for hill walkers and cyclists,…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Our picks: the finest Corbetts

Posted on June 16, 2019 by Paul Webster

If you want to discover all Scotland’s finest mountains, you’ll need to look further than just the well-worn list of Munros. We set out to share our pick of the 10 finest Corbetts, but with so many great hills to choose from, we’ve ended up with 20! An Ruadh-stac Adjacent to the Munro of Meall Chean-dearg, An Ruadh-stac is in no way overshadowed by its higher sibling. It makes up for the marginally lower height by being incredibly rocky, glittering with quartzite, and provides a memorable scrambly ascent. Askival The Rum Cuillin must rank amongst Scotland’s finest ranges, bar none.…

Posted in Magazine, Our picks

New lease of life for Leacraithnaich bothy

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Paul Webster

Over 50 volunteers from 8 different countries have completed a major renovation of Leacraithnaich bothy in Morvern. The work included the removal and replacement of the existing roof, renovation of the wall heads, lime pointing of both external and internal walls and improvement to the building’s interior. The build took 32 days with varying numbers of volunteers on site at any one time. As well as the UK, volunteers came from Norway, Holland, Germany, Greece, Spain, the USA and New Zealand. For almost half it was their first MBA work party. Peter Rowell, MBA Area Organiser for Southwest Highlands and…

Posted in Access issues, News

Gear review – Tilley Hiker’s hat

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £85Weight: 108g Canadian brand Tilley are famed for their hats – whether you think that’s famously well-made and durable or famously expensive. For many years I baulked at the price being so much higher than alternatives, but I was bought one as a present around a decade ago – and have been a convert ever since. There are three factors which really lift Tilleys above sunhats I’d worn previously. One is that renowned construction. These are robust hats, covered by a lifetime guarantee. That’s not your usual guarantee covering faults in manufacture, but a guarantee that covers normal…

Posted in Accessories, Gear reviews, Magazine

Our picks – Scotland’s greatest glens

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Paul Webster

Scotland is as known for its glens as it for its bens. The word glen comes from the Gaelic and means a steep-sided valley – most of them were carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age; the word strath usually denotes a broader, wider valley. We pick out 16 of our favourite Highland glens, whether for their stunning landscapes, flourishing wildlife or wildness and isolation. Glen Clova, Angus Angus is a region where the glens are perhaps better known than the mountains around them. Glen Esk is the longest and a real gem with a great variety of scenery,…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Gear review – Keen Venture mid hiking boots

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £129.99Weight: 550g per boot (mens’ size 10) I’ve usually found boots and shoes from Keen to be a good match for my relatively wide feet, with a roomy toe-box. So I was interested to try out the new Venture model – available as both a low hiking shoe and as a mid boot, as seen here. They represent a move into lighter weight footwear for Keen. The Venture mids were comfy from the first outing, requiring next to no breaking in, which is as I’ve come to expect from the brand; the lighter weight of these is a…

Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews, Magazine

Gear review: Rab Cirrus Flex hoody

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £125Weight: 404g (large) This reasonably lightweight synthetic insulated jacket is filled with Cirrus 3M Featherless insulation – which Rab reckon is equivalent to 600 fill power down. That’s a little way short of the the warmth and loft properties of the very best quality down – but then synthetics are also easier to wash, perform better when wet, and are cheaper. There are thinner fleece panels down the sides of the jacket, along the bottom of the arms and the sides of the hood. When working hard in an insulated jacket I often find the surface fabric ends…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine, Midlayers

Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year winners announced

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Paul Webster

A summer spent focusing on a single subject has secured the title of Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2018 for Edinburgh photographer Phil Johnston. Phil’s winning image Roe Kid Flower was captured during the summer of 2018 while he worked solely on photographing a family of Roe Deer close to his home. Phil said: “I love nothing more than being out in the sticks with my camera, seeing all the beauty that surrounds me and trying my best to capture those moments in time. “On this particular evening in early July, I had already spent several hours with the…

Posted in Magazine, Photography