Our pick – Scottish Lighthouse walks

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Paul Webster

Walkhighlands features 43 walks that visit one of Scotland’s remarkable collection of lighthouses. Taking all manner of shapes and sizes, these sentinels of the sea usually provide striking landmarks for those exploring on foot, as well as acting as a warning to boats out on the water. Here’s a few of the best. Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire Rising splendidly off the Aberdeenshire seaboard on a stone plinth, Rattray Head is a striking sight from the magnificent beaches between Peterhead and Fraserburgh. Like almost all Scottish lighthouses, it was built by the Stevenson family – in this case by David Stevenson in 1895.…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Walkers urged to check for deer stalking before Heading for the Scottish Hills

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Paul Webster

Scotland’s Nature Agency, NatureScot, is urging hillwalkers to check online for deer stalking information before setting out during the busiest part of the season. NatureScot manages the Heading for the Scottish Hills website, which provides details on deer stalking on estates up to late October to help walkers avoid disturbing stalking. Scotland offers fantastic hillwalking, but summer and autumn are also important for deer stalking, which contributes to the rural economy and helps protect woodland and other habitats. With many more people getting out and about to enjoy all that the great outdoors has to offer with the easing of…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Don’t get lost in the hills – low-cost navigation courses

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Paul Webster

We have teamed up once again with Mountaineering Scotland to offer a series of non profit one-day navigation courses to help you get the skills to find your way in the hills. These single day courses have been very popular, and those in June were fully booked; we now have further dates in Arrochar on 16 and 17 October. This is the chance to brush up on your navigation skills while meeting other Walkhighlands users on a fun and friendly day. Each course will begin at 9am with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day…

Posted in Magazine, News, Walkhighlands news

TikTok star in new film promoting responsible wild camping

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Paul Webster

Ramblers Scotland has today launched a new short film featuring Scottish TikTok star Jarad Rowan, aimed at encouraging responsible wild camping in Scotland. Jarad, known as @LittlestChicken to his hundreds of thousands of social media followers, discovers five ‘Rules of Wild Camping’ during a trip to Borders Forest Trust’s scenic Corehead estate near Moffat. The light-hearted video – supported by NatureScot and John Muir Trust – shows Jarad learning where to camp, what to pack, where to go to the toilet outdoors, how to leave no trace and the importance of using stoves rather than lighting fires. Jarad, aged 21 from Stranraer, said: “This…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Our picks: Scotland’s best wee hills

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Paul Webster

Sometimes you don’t have the energy or time to slog your way up one of the great iconic giants of the Highlands. Some of Scotland’s best-loved hills are the smaller peaks, often more accessible, full of character and offering equally spectacular views. Here’s our pick of 16 of the best wee hills around the country… some widely famed and celebrated, others virtually unknown, but all under 600m high. Ben A’an, Trossachs Ben A’an is the archetypal ‘great wee hill’. A glance at a map reveals it’s just a bump on the southern slopes of the inconsequential higher summit of Meall…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Climbing hero’s legacy inspires new generation of mountaineers

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Paul Webster

A charitable foundation supporting young people from diverse backgrounds to pursue adventure in the mountains has been launched today in memory of mountaineering legend, Martin Moran. Born in North Tyneside, Martin set up home in the North-West Highlands of Scotland with his wife Joy, from where they ran a guiding business. He became one of the best known figures in Scottish mountaineering, and in 1984 became the first to complete a winter round of the Munros. The Martin Moran Foundation launches today in the hopes that the climber’s legacy will inspire a new generation of young people who wouldn’t otherwise have the support or resources…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Our pick: 10 of the easier Munros

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Paul Webster

Height certainly isn’t everything (see our pick of Scotland’s Best Wee Hills), but there seems little doubt that many people find some extra motivation when the objective reaches over that magical 3000 feet height. Here is our pick from some of the Munros that may be suitable for people early in their hillwalking career. Note that no Munros are really easy – anyone going hillwalking needs to learn basic map-reading skills, including the use of a compass, carry appropriate clothing and pay attention to the weather forecast – take a look at our skills and safety section for more information.…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Munros, Our picks

Our pick: Scotland’s West Highland beaches

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Paul Webster

Whilst most people associate Scottish landscapes with mountains and glens, the coastline is equally magnificent. When it comes to beaches, there is truly an unmatched range from tiny rocky coves to majestic windswept bays of perfect shell sand. There’s really far too much to cover in just one ‘Our picks’ article, so here we look at the beaches of the West Highlands, from the Great Glen heading north to Durness. In further posts we take a look at the unmatched beaches of the Scottish islands, and the best beaches of Eastern Scotland. Sanna Bay, Ardnamurchan The Ardnamurchan peninsula – the…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Chain of rewilding ‘stepping stones’ to tackle Scotland’s nature and climate crises

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Paul Webster

A chain of nature-rich hotspots bringing together a diverse group of estates, farms, crofts and community-owned land is to be created across Scotland with a new rewilding network launched by charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture. The Northwoods Rewilding Network will allow more of Scotland’s many smaller landholdings of 50 to 1,000 acres to play a bigger role in restoring and connecting rich habitats full of life to boost declining species, tackle climate breakdown, and create new opportunities for rural communities. Northwoods will complement Scotland’s major landscape-scale rewilding sites by filling in the gaps in local areas and joining together a tapestry of smaller nature recovery…

Posted in Magazine, Nature, News

Scots set for return to the hills from Friday

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Paul Webster

In a surprise announcement today, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that restrictions on travel within Scotland are to be lifted from this Friday 16th April. It had been expected that this was to happen on 26th April, but it has been brought forward “to benefit people’s mental health”. All categories of accommodation still remain closed until the planned reopening on 26th April, when it is also expected that travel into Scotland from the other UK nations will also be permitted. Also from 26th, upto 6 people will be able to meet outdoors – currently there is a maximum of 4…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News