Nine environmental organisations are today launching a campaign aimed at protecting the Scottish countryside from unregulated hill track construction. The organisations are calling on members of the public to take photos of poorly designed or constructed tracks while they are out enjoying the hills this summer. These photographs will be used to build up a portfolio of evidence to persuade the Scottish Government to bring construction of the tracks, which have done so much to permanently scar the Scottish landscape, within the planning system for the first time. Helen Todd of Ramblers Scotland and co-convener of the campaign group said:…

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has expressed shock that Highland Council might support two huge industrial wind farms in the Northwest Highlands, near a National Scenic Area. The applications for Glencassley and Sallachy, near Loch Shin and Ben Assynt in Sutherland, propose a total of 48 turbines each at least 125 metres tall (plus concrete buildings and 33km of access tracks) in some of the nation's most important remaining wild land. Highland Council officers have recommended that the council’s North Planning Applications Committee, which meets on 21 May, should not object to the proposals. This is despite the fact that…

With the most events ever, Scotland's Nature Festival (formerly Scottish Biodiversity Week) kicks off on May 18 with over 150 free nature events across Scotland. Organised by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and partners, the festival celebrates the Year of Natural Scotland and boasts a huge array of community events, taking place from the top of the country in Caithness, down to Angus, the Central Belt, and the Scottish Borders. Participants can wander in the picturesque gardens and take part in craft activities for kids at the Redhall Walled Gardens in Edinburgh; go on a big bug hunt or pond dipping…

A new map showing the main areas of wild land in Scotland has been published today (Tuesday) by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). It is the first time this has been done in the UK. The areas include the part of the Monadhliath mountains south of the Findhorn – an area where applications for windfarms are currently going through the planning system. The map is shown on the right (click to enlarge) or can be downloaded here. The map shows 43 areas with the strongest wild land character, totalling approximately 20% of the country’s land mass. It incorporates the previously identified…

The Woodland Trust Scotland is appealing to members of the public to be on the lookout for the common bluebell to help track their annual march north. In recent years the average first flowering for bluebells in Scotland has been in March, but records received through the charity's Nature's Calendar project show that the flowers have only just started to spread north through England. Sarah Wiseman said: “A visit to the woods at any time of year is a great way to relax and enjoy nature, and bluebells add an extra appeal because of their vivid colour. They are one…