Rob Woodall becomes first uber-bagger as Marilyns completed

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Paul Webster

Rob Woodall became the first person to complete the ultimate hill-bagging list – the Marilyns – when he completed ascents of Stac Lee and Stac an Armin on the St Kilda archipelago on Monday. Also in the group was Eddie Dealtry, who became the second person to complete the Marilyns. The Marilyns are the 1,556 British hills to have at least 150m of descent on all sides, based on a list originally drawn up by Alan Dawson in his book, the Relative Hills of Britain, and updated many times since. In the book, published in 1992, Dawson predicted that someone…

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Trossachs walks coverage expanded and updated

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Paul Webster

Walkhighlands’ coverage of walking in the Trossachs area has been expanded and updated. New routes added close to Callander and Aberfoyle include the beautiful waymarked Primrose Hill circuit above Loch Katrine, along with many other brand forest walks. Other routes have been completely rewritten and updated, whilst many new hill routes have also been added or revised. Several new routes up Corbetts have also been added, including Beinn a’ Chaisteil and Beinn nan Fuaran above Auch, Meall nam Subh in Perthshire; further Corbett routes are still being added.

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Local councillor fears “monstrous” new power line over Monadhliath

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Paul Webster

A local councillor in Badenoch and Strathspey has expressed concern at the prospect of another new line of pylons over the Monadhliath. Cllr Gregor Rimmel told the Strathspey and Badenoch Herald newspaper that “I know it’s still early but alarm bells are already ringing over the prospect of a line of pylons from Creag Meagaidh – pylons the same size as the old Drumochter towers – further desecrating the previously unspoilt area towards Laggan. It’s not just the line, it’s the sub-station which it involves and that could be a 10-acre metal kit-and-kaboodle plant bang in the middle of our…

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Cairngorm rockfall warning following fatality

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Paul Webster

Mountaineering experts have warned of the dangers of rockfall following a fatal accident in the Northern Corries area of the Cairngorms. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has serious concerns over the state of the cliffs in this popular climbing area. Yesterday there was a fatality in the Aladdin’s Buttress area of the cliffs in Coire an t-Sneachda, after a climber was hit by rockfall from above. And earlier in August, considerable rockfall was noted in the area above the Goat Track, in the same corrie. Mountaineering Council of Scotland’s temporary Mountain Safety Adviser, Monty Monteith, said: “This is particularly…

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Water vole returns to Strathspey

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Paul Webster

Ecologists believe the reappearance of water voles at RSPB Insh Marshes in the Cairngorms National Park is the result of work to eradicate American mink from large swathes of land in northern Scotland. The small chubby rodents, which inspired the character of Ratty in the children’s novel ‘Wind in the Willows’, have been discovered at the reserve in Strathspey for the first time in more than two decades. Despite being the fastest declining mammal in the UK, RSPB officers say it looks like there is a strong colony of the creatures in the area. Water vole numbers have dropped by…

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Campers rescued from Arrochar Alps

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Paul Webster

A group of four campers were rescued from Bealach a Mhaim between the Cobbler and Beinn Narnain in the Arrochar Alps on Friday night. They had requested assistance after becoming cold and wet. The four were unable to descend in the dark due to the lack of torches. The Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team despatched 4 team members to the site; these helped the campers pack and walked them off the mountain in the early morning light. Police Scotland Mountain Rescue Team were also in attendance.

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Trust launches legal challenge against Stronelairg decision

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Paul Webster

The John Muir Trust has lodged a petition to the Court of Session asking for a judicial review of the decision on June 6 by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing to grant consent to a 67-turbine wind farm in the Monadhliath Mountains without any Public Local Inquiry. The decision was taken in the face of opposition from the government’s own advisory body, Scottish Natural Heritage; from the Cairngorm National Park Authority; and from three out of the four local councillors in Strathspey and Badenoch. Written objections to the development from the public outnumbered supporting letters by a margin of almost 15…

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Scottish government announces new controls on hilltracks

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Paul Webster

The Scottish countryside will receive extra protection from hilltracks through new planning controls, Local Government and Planning Minister Derek Mackay has announced. Through the introduction of a prior notification and approval process, planning authorities will be able to consider how proposed tracks will impact on the environment and intervene to ensure that design, siting and appearance are acceptable. Hilltracks for any other purpose will continue to require full planning consent. The requirements will be introduced across the country later in the year, and will be an extension of existing prior notifications under Class 18 agriculture and Class 22 forestry which…

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Final appeal made to John Swinney over Monadhliath

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Paul Webster

Wind farm developers and power companies are on the verge of completely strangling a celebrated area of Highland beauty, according to the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, which represents Scotland’s mountaineers and hillwalkers. “The Scottish Government has now given permission to so many huge commercial developments in the Monadhliath Mountains that the quality of their landscape and value as a destination for walkers, climbers and other visitors will be destroyed.” If consented by the Highland Council, Coriolis Energy’s recent application for the Dell wind farm at Whitebridge would place a further 13 turbines along the western side of the Monadhliath. Together…

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Rockfall in Northern Corries leaves Cairngorms ‘Goat track’ path unsafe

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Paul Webster

A large area of rock fall caused by Monday’s torrential rain has left a popular Cairngorm footpath in an unstable and dangerous state. Slabs from the cliffs above the Goat Track path in Coire an t-Sneachda – one of Cairngorm’s famous and iconic Northern Corries which help form the classic view from Loch Morlich – have fallen across the track and surrounding area. The rock fall was discovered by path builders heading into Coire an t-Sneachda on Tuesday morning. They carried out an initial examination, which showed the area to be very unstable and dangerous. The situation is currently being…

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