Access issues

Coul links plans rejected

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Paul Webster

The Scottish Government has today rejected plans to built an 18 hole golf course on the internationally protected Coul Links dune system, north of Dornoch. The plans had been opposed by environmental groups and charities, including Ramblers Scotland, Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, the Marine Conservation Society, Plantlife, RSPB Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and the National Trust for Scotland . The John o’ Groats Trail walking route would also have been affected. Brendan Paddy, Ramblers Scotland director, said: “We are hugely grateful and relieved that the Scottish Government has listened to the evidence-based concerns of environment, landscape and access experts, and…

Posted in Access issues, Nature

Peanmeanach Bothy to close as open shelter

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Paul Webster

Ardnish Estate, the owners of Peanmeanach bothy, have informed the Mountain Bothy Association that they have decided that Peanmeanach Bothy will cease to be an open access bothy with effect from early October this year, when it will be locked. The exact closure date has not yet been announced. It will then be renovated by the estate and subsequently reopened and run by them on a not-for-profit basis as a keyed bookable bothy. The reason for closure is based on problems the estate sees as arising from an increased number of visitors. A statement from the Mountain Bothy Association stated…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine

£5m for Highlands & Islands tourism projects

Posted on December 28, 2019 by Helen Webster

Nine projects in the Highlands and Islands will share a £5 million European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) award to promote the outstanding scenery, wildlife and culture of the Highlands and Islands, Scottish Tourism & Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced today. The funding has been awarded through the Natural Cultural and Heritage Fund, led by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Ms Hyslop announced the grants after visiting Wildlife Watch Abernethy. The project has received just over £252,000 from the Natural Cultural and Heritage Fund, which will create three new, local jobs as well as extend the opening season and improve the visitor…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, Nature

What does a ranger actually do?

Posted on October 8, 2019 by Ben Dolphin

I’m currently in my seventh ranger season. I say ‘season’ because I’m a seasonal ranger. We get employed during the busier, warmer months when more folk are flocking to the great outdoors, whether that’s urban green spaces, Country Parks, or the wider countryside. And across those seven seasons the question I’ve probably been asked most is….what does a ranger actually do? Well, let’s set the context first. Countryside rangers have been around for 50 years in Scotland, the first having assumed their post in 1969. The impetus for this landmark event was the expansion of leisure time in the 1960s…

Posted in Access issues, Features, Magazine, Nature

Landowner told to remove track scarring Cairngorms hill

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Paul Webster

A landowner in the Cairngorms National Park has been ordered to remove a controversial vehicle track that is visible from miles around in scenic Glen Clova, Angus. Campaigners have welcomed Cairngorms National Park Authority’s enforcement notice against the ugly vehicle track, which appears to be used to support field sports. The landowner – registered to Pitlivie Farm in Carnoustie – has been given until October 2020 to restore the upper part of the track, which is 1.5km long and has created spoil mounds up to 10 metres wide. They have also been told to seek retrospective permission by 23 December…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, Nature

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

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Helen Webster

Hillwalkers are being encouraged to check online for deer stalking information before setting out during the busiest part of the season. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) manages the Heading for the Scottish Hills website which provides details on deer stalking on estates between July and late October to help walkers avoid disturbing stalking. The website makes it easier for walkers to follow the advice in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code to try and find out where stag stalking is taking place and provides details on who to contact for more information. It also includes routes that are ‘always okay’ and days…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, Nature, News

Fires – a burning issue

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Adam Streeter-Smith

With photos of campfire rings and damage left in the pinewoods circulating on social media, Adam Streeter-Smith, Access Officer for the Cairngorms National Park authority, takes on a hot topic, asking just what is responsible behaviour. Picture the scene – a starry night sky, crickets are chirping and the horses hobbled nearby are munching on the grass, the coffee pot perched on the edge of the fire starts to boil and the aroma mixes with the wild sage. You casually kick a log with your cowboy boot and sparks waft into the night sky…. Now transpose the romanticised notion of…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, Nature

Police Scotland launch Bothy Watch initiative

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Paul Webster

Police Scotland has today launched ‘Bothy Watch’ – an initiative to raise awareness of the issues surrounding remote bothies across the south of Scotland. As well as the MBA, this multi-agency initiative includes partners from Forestry and Land Scotland, Local Authorities and Mountain Rescue Team volunteers with a focus on reducing crime in outlying areas, keeping the bothies free from damage and allowing them to be used for the purpose they are intended for. In launching the initiative, Police Scotland said: “For years these buildings have been a valuable and in fact quite a social resource for hill walkers and cyclists,…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Politicians urged to grasp chance to control the spread of vehicle tracks in our hills

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Helen Webster

A coalition of ten conservation charities is calling on the Scottish Parliament to grasp a golden opportunity to introduce stronger controls over vehicle tracks in our hills. The Scottish Parliament is set to vote this week on Planning Bill amendments by Scottish Green Party MSP Andy Wightman, designed to close loopholes that allow landowners to build many of the controversial tracks without planning permission. Research by Scottish Environment LINK Hilltracks group has found that the tracks continue to creep further into wilder landscapes, and that planning loopholes can lead to them being badly-sited and designed. Some tracks have even been built over…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, Nature

New lease of life for Leacraithnaich bothy

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Paul Webster

Over 50 volunteers from 8 different countries have completed a major renovation of Leacraithnaich bothy in Morvern. The work included the removal and replacement of the existing roof, renovation of the wall heads, lime pointing of both external and internal walls and improvement to the building’s interior. The build took 32 days with varying numbers of volunteers on site at any one time. As well as the UK, volunteers came from Norway, Holland, Germany, Greece, Spain, the USA and New Zealand. For almost half it was their first MBA work party. Peter Rowell, MBA Area Organiser for Southwest Highlands and…

Posted in Access issues, News