The Scottish Government’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee has produced a report backing the controversial Highlands pylon scheme. The proposal will see 600 giant pylons in a line down the Highlands from Beauly to Denny. MSPs on the influential committee say that the powerline should be given the go-ahead as part of Scotland’s committment to reducing climate change. The powerline will replace the current system of electricity transmission from the Highlands to the central belt. Almost 20,000 people opposed the plan during Scotland’s biggest public inquiry. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) was one such opposing voice which gave detailed…

Scottish and Southern Energy has announced that it is planning two new hydro power schemes in the Great Glen. The exact location of the proposed reservoirs and pumping stations remain a secret, however the Company used the official opening by the Queen of the Glendoe hydro scheme to reveal its future plans. It is thought that the new schemes would be similar to the pumped system that currently operates near Foyers on Loch Ness. This involves two bodies of water, located at different heights. During periods of low demand for power, for example at night, electricity pumps water from the…

A microlight plane that crash landed on Sandwood Bay last weekend has been dismantled and carried out of the remote area by 14 men. The pilot was uninjured and the plane is now safely stored in crofter Cathel Macleod’s shed four miles from the beach. Sandwood Bay in Sutherland – which is owned and protected by the John Muir Trust – is the most remote beach in mainland Britain. The sky blue microlight crash landed on Sunday 21 June when the pilot Mr Keith Brown decided that he would touch his wheels on the bay’s golden sands on a flight…

The Ministry of Defence is closing its missile tracking base on St Kilda. The base, which has been on the main island of Hirta since the first World War, is now run by MoD spin-off company Qinitec and is used to track test missiles and flights from the neighbouring base on Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. The MoD has just started a 30 day consultation on the closure which is likely to see the lose of 125 jobs at the two sites. St Kilda is the UK’s only Dual World Heritage Site, designated for both is natural and cultural significance.…

The reintroduction of beavers back into the wild in Scotland came a step closer yesterday (Thurs 28th May) with the release of the first beavers as part of the controlled trial at Knapdale in Argyll. Beavers have been extinct in Scotland for the last 400 years. Marking the first formal reintroduction of a native mammal species into the wild in the UK, three beaver families have now been released at carefully selected sites in Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll. The beavers, originally from Norway, have been chosen because they are considered to be the closest type to those once found in the…

In response to crofter’s concerns that Sea Eagles are killing a large number of lambs in north west Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is to undertake a study into the causes of lamb mortality. The study, which is now underway, will monitor the activity of predators and the well-being and mortality of lambs in an area where a significant number of lambs have been lost in previous seasons. Last year crofters in the Gairloch peninsula reported that over 200 lambs had been lost between May and September and that they believed the majority had been killed by hungry Sea Eagles.…

Archaeologists working at a National Trust for Scotland garden in Argyll have found evidence of a monastic settlement dating to the 7th – 9th century AD. The news comes as Crarae Garden prepares to unveil the results of a seven year refurbishment project on Thursday 9 April. As part of the refurbishment, archaeologists carried out important excavation work at the site, located 10 miles south of Inveraray. There was already evidence that Crarae has been a spiritual place for thousands of years – a Neolithic chambered cairn, Bronze Age burial mound and medieval church and graveyard are all nearby. The…

Black grouse are set to make a comeback on Arran thanks to a team effort, involving the Arran Black Grouse Group, the National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage. Last weekend, fourteen pairs of black grouse arrived on Arran and it is hoped that the birds will reinstate the once booming population of black grouse on the island. Historically, the black grouse received special protection in Arran. In 1703 in the book, “A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland”, author Martin Martin states that: “The blackcock is not allowed to be killed here without a permit; the transgressors…

The National Trust for Scotland is asking walkers in the Goatfell area of Arran and Ben Lomond to report sightings of Ptarmigan. The Trust’s most recent survey suggests that Ptarmigan may not have bred on Arran this year, leaving Ben Lomond as the most southerly breeding location for this rare bird. The Trust says that climate change is likely to be a factor. The Ptarmigan population on Arran has fluctuated in the past – a survey in 1981 confirmed 28 birds, however, information from the late 1960s suggested a similar situation to 2008 – if the birds are present at…