The Loch Lomond water bus service is now up and running again for the summer and this year includes a morning sailing to Rowardennan aimed at walkers wanting to make an early start on Ben Lomond. This service will leave Tarbet at 8.45am leaving plenty of time to climb the popular Munro before the last waterbus returns from Rowardennan. A new service linking Balloch and Luss will also be launched later this summer. Fiona Logan, CEO of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park said, “We had a fantastic response to the introduction of regular daily water bus routes last…

The Mountain Bothy Association says that its volunteers are going to have a busy few months. The Association is planning a large number of work parties, mostly in April and May. Inevitably, this will mean that there will have to be restrictions on use at some bothies while the work is being undertaken, and intending users should be prepared to camp during the periods that this essential maintenance is taking place. As much information as possible is being posted on the Association’s website but the MBA possible to be completely precise about how usage of individual bothies might be affected.…

The Scottish Mountaineering Trust (SMT) has approved a grant of £30,000 to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) for their Mountains for People project which helps care for footpaths at some of the nation’s most popular walking routes. The four year project which started in April 2009 has been given a major boost by the generous contribution which is spread over three years. Buz Whibley, Development Manager for the NTS said: “The Scottish Mountaineering Trust has granted us the generous total of £30,000 over the next three years. This will go a long way to help the continuing progress that…

The current summer ban on wild camping on east Lomondside could be extended to four islands in the loch if proposals announced by the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park are given the green light. The islands affected are Inchmoan, Inchconnachan, Inchtavannach and Inchcruin. The National Park is currently consulting on three possible solutions to solve what the National Park describes as “issues of wildlife disturbance, litter, vandalism, irresponsible camping and fire lighting”. The consultation will run for the next three months until 18 June. Speaking about the consultation, Grant Moir, Director of Conservation and Visitor Experience at the…

The summer access arrangements for Strathfarrar will begin on Saturday 31 March. Strathfarrar has a locked gate and only a certain number of cars are allowed into the Glen each day. There are no restrictions on pedestrian access or taking a pushbike beyond the locked gate and wild camping is allowed within the terms of the Scottish Access Code but you cannot park overnight in the Glen. There will be no vehicular access on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) negotiates access along the private road with the landowner on behalf of walkers and climbers and…

The early disappearance of winter snow from many Scottish mountains has resulted in a reduced avalanche warning service. From today, Monday 19th March, the SportScotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) will only issue forecasts and hazard warnings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the Easter Weekend 8th April 2012. Mountain observation and snowpack information will also continue on these days in the five area blogs. The SAIS says that it will continue to monitor the weather forecast situation and remain on standby in case conditions mean that a daily forecast should be resumed. To view the weekend reports check out the…

Forest Enterprise has postponed the introduction of controversial new parking charges at all its car parks in Glen Affric following pressure from walkers and local businesses. The Mountaineering Countil of Scotland (MCofS) sent a strongly worded letter to Forest Enterprise and kick started a media campaign that has included local residents and tourism businesses. It is understood that Forest Enterprise now intends to consult on the proposed charges which are intended to include car parks at Loch Affric, Dog Falls and nearby Plodda Falls. The parking meters have been in place for a number of months at the Glen Affric…

As spring approaches, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is urging walkers and cyclists to be aware of vulnerable birds and animals. Lambs and ground nesting birds are particularly vulnerable in spring, so SNH is asking dog walkers, cyclists, hill walkers, and anyone enjoying the outdoors to be particularly careful. To reinforce this message, SNH is launching a campaign this week which includes radio adverts, press adverts, and leaflet drops. The campaign emphasizes the Scottish Outdoor Access code, promoting responsible access and how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly, and also includes mail-outs to dog walking companies, vets, and digital ads on walking…