On Monday afternoon, Highland Council’s planning committee will decide whether to object to the controversial Stronelairg wind power proposal in the heart of the Monadhliath Mountains above Loch Ness. The meeting will follow a site visit by the councillors that morning. Scotland’s wild land charity, the John Muir Trust, and the representative body for its climbers and hillwalkers, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, have both called upon the councillors to follow in the footsteps of their counterparts on the North Planning Advisory Committee who recently objected to two proposed wind developments on wild land. The government’s own agency, Scottish Natural…

Danish businessman and conservationist, Anders Povlsen, has increased his holding of Scottish wild land by purchasing the 20,000 Gaick Estate in the Cairngorms. Mr Povlsen already owns the neighbouring Glenfeshie Estate and has pioneered a number of measures aimed at increasing the bio-diversity of the area, including efforts to re-generate the natural forest and reduce red deer numbers. The Gaick Estate was previously owned by the French designer-goods heir Xavier Louis Vuitton who has also recently sold the nearby Dalchully Estate at Laggan.  Whilst some of his land management ideas have proved controversial, Anders Povlsen has generally been seen as…

As spring approaches, dog owners are being encouraged to pick up after their dog when out and about. The latest national radio campaign from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) begins this week, focussing on the issues surrounding dog waste, as part of ongoing work to publicise access rights and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Kirstin Guthrie, SNH Communications Officer said: “Our radio campaign introduces the character ‘Jess’ – a wise border collie – who helps dispel some myths, as well as highlight how not cleaning up after your dog can kill livestock and encourage other people to think badly of you…