Magazine

January Blues – the call of the north

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Linda Cracknell

I write this on ‘Blue Monday’, the day associated with winter doldrums, when holiday companies prey upon our sense of daylight deprivation, lack of exercise, divorce from life ‘out there’. It’s when I feel most like hibernating, so it was perhaps contrary to choose this time of year to travel 250 miles further north from my home in Perthshire’s heartlands. In Orkney this is the season of upended goalposts when empty frames stand on pavements as their swinging coffee signs are torn away by gales to announce a hiatus in hospitality. Days are defined by their extreme shortness. The sky…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Exploring the Celtic Rainforest

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Ben Dolphin

A bit of rebranding works wonders for the underappreciated. Back in my bagging days the idea of spending more than an hour roaming a squelchy woodland would have been a complete anathema to me. Not that I didn’t appreciate woodland or forest at the time, mind. I always enjoyed passing through them but they were for just that – thoroughfares on my way to a Munro rather than being destinations in themselves. Times have clearly changed, because a couple of months ago I deliberately spent six soggy but wonderful hours exploring the exceedingly mossy interior of Ariundle National Nature Reserve,…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature

Gear review: Berghaus Fast Hike Trousers

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £95 Weight: 320g I’ve been testing these lightweight trousers over the last three months. Whilst they are not the lightest I’ve worn, they seem extremely robust – showing not even the slightest signs of wear so far; the very lightest trousers are likely to wear out much faster. The Fast Hike Trousers are well tailored and not cut as baggy as many walking trousers – so do try them on to ensure you don’t end up with a pair too tight on the thighs; they are available in mens and womens and a variety of lengths as well…

Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Our Wonderful Access Legislation That Almost Wasn’t

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Cameron McNeish

Cameron McNeish looks back at an unlikely event that ensured the success of our much lauded Scottish access legislation. ACCESS campaigners in Scotland have been celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, probably the most significant piece of legislation to affect all those who enjoy Scotland’s countryside. The Act secured the traditional rights and freedoms of all of us in Scotland to access land, coast and inland water, provided we do so responsibly. An accompanying code of practice, the Scottish Access Code, sets out those responsibilities for access users and land managers alike. Most hillwalkers are…

Posted in Access issues, Features, Magazine

North to the Future

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Karen Thorburn

I walked through Edinburgh’s West End after yet another late night in the office. First one in and last one out again. On crossing Shandwick Place, I kept my head down and avoided eye contact with other pedestrians but allowed myself sideways glances into bustling restaurants, brightly lit with festive decorations and bursting with office workers enjoying Christmas parties. The city around me was alive and buzzing yet I no longer felt a part of it. My Christmas was effectively cancelled by the deadline looming before me at work and the pressure to deliver on schedule. Any free time I…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Scotland: Be Part of It

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Helen Webster

A few years back we shared a short film called Isolation, made by Mathieu Bernat & David Guersan. Through Creative Studio Unfazed, David has now teamed up with Jamie Farquharson to make a new short homage to Scotland’s Highlands – Scotland: Be Part of It. You can watch it below, with footage from plenty of great locations; be sure to press the button bottom right (next to Vimeo) to watch in full screen. The filmakers can both be followed on Instagram: David Guersan and Jamie Farquharson. Sound Mix : Arthaud Versaveaud Voice : Malcolm Urquhart Music : Timeless by Caleb…

Posted in Magazine

Review: Women’s Rab Xenon X Jacket

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Helen Webster

RRP: £170 Weight: 300g (size 10) Rab have updated their synthetic isulated Xenon jacket and I’ve been trying it out for last few months as the weather has turned colder. The insulation is Primaloft Gold Active and I’ve found the warmth for weight ratio to be excellent. Although the jacket feels thin when you first put it on, the combination of wind resistance and insulation has proved an equal to my current lighter down jacket without having to worry about it getting wet in our Scottish climate. The Pertex Quantum outer fabric provides a good wind barrier and feels comfortably…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

This year…

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Helen Webster

Will this be the year you get out more and really explore Scotland on foot? Here’s our wee promo video to encourage more folk to get their boots on, get fit and healthy and discover the outdoors in 2018; help spread the message by sharing if you wish!

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

The Glen

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Peter Cairns

My eye is drawn by the tiny green-headed pines poking their heads nervously above the heather, like prey wary of predator. It’s not that pines are unusual in Scotland but young pines, or at least those growing in such profusion, are conspicuous in a wider landscape largely bereft of young trees. These tentative pioneers are the building blocks for a future forest. Secreted away in the southwestern corner of the Cairngorms, the rampaging waters of the River Feshie carve an ever-shifting channel, dynamic and unlawful, with no respect for property or boundaries. Geriatric trees, partly submerged in sand and gravel,…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature, Photography

Gear Review: Berghaus Women’s Glissade Waterproof Jacket

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Helen Webster

RRP: £225 (currently on pre-Xmas offer in many retailers) Weight: 645g (size 10) When this jacket first arrived I felt a rush of 90’s nostalgia quickly followed by disappointment that I would be testing a relatively heavy, chunkily styled, old-school waterproof when I’d got used to the high performance of lightweight alternatives. However having worn the Glissade on numerous outings over the last few months I’ve had to humble-pie my initial prejudices and can honestly say this item has won itself a place in my winter hillwalking ensemble for a number of good reasons. The Glissade is made from 2…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine