Nature

Wildlife watching and events planned for Beinn Eighe reserve

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Helen Webster

The visitor centre at Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross opened its doors this week enabling visitors to see the first results of a two-year upgrade. Owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) the reserve is a stunning mix of mountain and woodland which rises from the beautiful Loch Maree to the top of the Beinn Eighe ridge. It is one of Scotland’s wildlife hotspots and is home to golden eagle, pine marten, red deer and otter to name a few. Last year SNH started bringing live images of wildlife into the centre using remote cameras, and…

Posted in Nature, News

Politics of the Hills

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Cameron McNeish

I have the 18th September marked off in my diary. A reminder to go and vote, not that I'll need any reminder. I want to mark off the 19th as well, to take a day off and, hopefully, enjoy the biggest party Scotland has seen for 300 years. But then it might be the most depressing day ever, depending on your view. It could be a day for escaping to the hills. I’m all too aware that for many hill-goers politics and the hills don’t mix. I respect that view. For most of us the hills represent a release from…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature

Isle of Skye and Trossachs projects need your votes

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Paul Webster

Conservation projects in the Trossachs and on the Isle of Skye are in the running to win funding from the European Outdoor Conservation Association in a public vote which closes tomorrow. The Skye project is in the running in the Alpine category of the awards, and would see the John Muir Trust win cash to pay for repairs to the path up the iconic mountain, Bla Bheinn. The mountain guards the entrance to the Black Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye, and stands in rugged wild land ringed by coastal villages, sea lochs and native woodland. Chris Goodman, the…

Posted in Nature

Scots Pine returning to Ben Lawers

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Helen Webster

The iconic Scots Pine is making a return to the lower slopes of Ben Lawers thanks to the combined efforts of the National Trust for Scotland, some local young naturalists and small group tour operator Rabbie’s. Local children from the Killin Green Team planted 15 individually protected Scots Pines at Cragganester on the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve which is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. Around 50 trees will be in place by the end of the project. Ben Lawers Property Manager Helen Cole said: “It is fantastic to have the next generation of conservationists helping…

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New action for threatened Highland woodlands and species

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Helen Webster

With concerns over the state of many Scottish woodlands – and fears for the long-term survival of iconic species including red squirrel, pine marten and capercaillie – conservation charity Trees for Life is marking its 25th anniversary this year with a significant expansion of its forest restoration work across the Highlands and with new projects focusing on the recovery of endangered species. Trees for Life is now extending the geographical range of its forest restoration activity from its previous project area of 1,000 square miles west of Inverness and Loch Ness, and is exploring opportunities to restore neglected and derelict…

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Six birds of prey found dead near Muir of Ord

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Helen Webster

The bodies of five red kites and a buzzard have been found in the Muir of Ord area of Ross-shire in the last week. The birds of prey were found dead at several different nearby locations. Police Scotland it that at this stage in the investigation it was not clear how the birds died, but said it was likely the deaths involved “some form of criminality”. Det Insp Scott McDonald said: “I would ask anyone who has been working on the land or using the area for recreational purposes to contact us if they have seen anything suspicious that may…

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Survey shows wind farms are damaging Scottish tourism

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Helen Webster

A new survey shows that walkers and climbers are turning their backs on Scotland as electricity companies industrialise wild lands. The Scottish Government is being called on to act now to protect wild lands as a survey reveals that wind farms in mountain areas are damaging a key area of tourism. The call from Scotland’s representative body for mountaineering comes ahead of tomorrow’s debate at Holyrood when MSPs will discuss the Draft Third National Planning Framework. A survey of nearly 1,000 climbers and hill walkers, carried out by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, revealed that 68% say parts of Scotland…

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Bla Bheinn path restoration nominated for European cash award

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Helen Webster

The outdoor retailer Berghaus has nominated a path restoration project on the Skye Munro Bla Bheinn for a £24,000 award. The contest, which will be decided by the public in an online poll, has been organised by the European Outdoor Conservation Association (a not-for profit environmental outdoor charity with over 120 members from Norway to Spain and from the UK to the Czech Republic). The Bla Bheinn project is nominated in the Alpine category of the awards – another Scottish entrant for path and forest works in the Trossachs is also nominated in the Outdoors category. Voting opens today, more…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Trossachs path and forest project needs your vote

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Helen Webster

Support from the public is needed to secure £25,000 towards a new long distance route and the restoration of degraded habitats including native woodland in the heart of the Trossachs. The Great Trossachs Forest is one of six conservation projects from around Europe competing for funding in an online poll organised by the European Outdoor Conservation Association which opens today (Monday 17 March). The project that receives the most votes by the end of March will receive funding worth £25,000. The campaign has already found support with chef and broadcaster Nick Nairn, who is based in the area. The funding…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Trust urges MSPs to reinstate dropped wild land commitment

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Paul Webster

With Holyrood due to debate the new National Planning Framework this week, the John Muir Trust has urged MSPs to resist lobbying pressure from those with a major financial interest in sabotaging the wild land map that has been developed by Scottish Natural Heritage over more than a decade. On Tuesday, parliament will debate the latest draft of the Scottish Government’s new draft National Planning Framework 3. A commitment to ‘strong protection for our wildest landscapes’ in the original draft has been removed from the latest version. But since that new version was published, independent experts have analysed the results…

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