For its 60th birthday next year, the Scottish Mountaineering Trust is offering a ‘Diamond Grant‘ of up to £100,000, to a project that helps more people to experience and enjoy the mountains, especially in Scotland. The Trust was set up in 1962 to support deserving mountain projects, and over the years has contributed £1.6 million to a very wide range of schemes. A student training weekend – a mountain rescue base – a mountain film festival – a club hut – a new bridge – all these and many more have been helped, through grants ranging from a few hundred…

Politicians have joined businesses, landowners, councils and outdoors organisations in signing an open letter calling for the unlocking of Dalwhinnie level crossing gates. Kate Forbes MSP and Ariane Burgess MSP are among 15 diverse signatories to the letter to Alex Hynes, managing director of Scotland’s Railway. Network Rail padlocked the gates without consultation in late July, severing an historic route to popular lochs, glens and hills including much-loved Ben Alder. Rail chiefs have so far refused to back down, despite a joint petition signed by more than 9,000 people and unanimous opposition from key stakeholders at a meeting last month.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Mountain Bothies Association has issued an update to its advice. The bothies that the charity maintains in Scotland, England and Wales through its volunteers should not be used at present except in an emergency. This is because Covid-19 precautions such as social distancing, regular sanitising and wearing of face coverings might not be practised by some visitors which would put other people at risk irrespective of reducing rates of infection. MBA Chairman Simon Birch said: “While we now have a timetable for when travel restrictions might be removed, there is as yet no firm information about when other restrictions…

Aberdeenshire Council has put in place new road orders to allow for the roads to the Linn of Dee and to the Spittal of Glenmuick to be closed when car parks are full. Last year there was serious overcrowding at both locations, with vehicles parked dangerously, blocking emergency access roads and, in some cases, causing damage. The council will, when the car parks are full, be restricting entry over a 7-month period commencing from April 1st. Pete Crane, Head of Visitor Services at the Cairngorms National Park authority, said “Last year, as part of the visitor management work, Aberdeenshire Council…