The John Muir Trust (JMT) are hoping to undertake path repair work on Bla Bheinn this year as well as on other hills on Skye in the next couple of years. Before commencing any work, the conservation charity which owns the estate covering Bla Bheinn, would like to discuss the plans with anyone interested in order to make the best decisions. There will be an open public meeting at the Broadford Hotel on Skye, on Wednesday 12th March from 7pm with a short presentation at 7.30. The JMT would like to hear from as many people as possible and it…

A survey of access problems on a Glen Lyon estate is being carried out by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. Long-running problems on the North Chesthill Estate have seen a steady stream of complaints from hill walkers who feel they have been obstructed from their legal right of responsible access. Besides being internationally renowned for its beauty, the glen is also home to a popular circuit of four Munros – mountains over 3000 feet – but at the most popular starting point for the walk a gate is regularly locked and signs imply that access is forbidden. Perth & Kinross…

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…

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…

Anyone wishing vehicular access to Glen Strathfarrar over the festive season, from 24th December to 4th January, should make sure they get in touch with the MCofS office by 23rd December, so that details can be passed to the gatekeeper. Details of the booking procedure are here. The glen gives access to a popular round of four Munros as well as up to the Loch Monar dam and An Sidhean.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) – which represents Scotland’s hillwalkers and climbers – has called on John Swinney MSP to take action on an estate which is flouting Scotland's access laws. The MCofS has appealed to John Swinney – MSP for Perthshire North – after concluding that the local council has given up on the problem. For several years walkers in Perthshire’s beautiful Glen Lyon have faced locked gates, intimidating signs and abusive behaviour when venturing onto the North Chesthill Estate, Inverar. Reports of such problems have been made over a number of years to the access officer for…

Plans to create a wind farm on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park are being opposed by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS). The Nathro Hill wind farm, proposed for a site near Brechin, would be the largest wind farm in Angus and would affect views into the national park and from it. The developers had welcomed announcements that both the Ministry of Defence and RSPB Scotland had withdrawn their objections following assurances, but an addendum to the plan has not addressed the MCofS objections. The MCofS objection was lodged on the grounds that the proposed development of 17…

Avalanche forecasts for selected areas of the Scottish mountains start today (Thursday 12 December). Throughout the winter the sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) will issue daily reports on the avalanche dangers in the most popular mountain areas, allowing mountaineers, ice climbers and off-piste skiers to make informed choices about where and whether to go. It means a dedicated band of avalanche experts going out every day, whatever the weather, to carry out assessments of the snow conditions in the Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Lochaber, Glen Coe and Creag Meagaidh. For the first time this year, they will also provide a…