One of Scotland’s leading health experts is calling for Scots to get a taste for the outdoors during the year of active Scotland. Sir Kenneth Calman, former Chief Medical Officer and now Chairman of the National Trust for Scotland, said that taking advantage of the ‘green gym’, the nation’s stunning natural heritage is cheaper and of more benefit to families’ health and wellbeing than a gym membership. The views are better too. The Year of Active Scotland begins on 1 January 2011, when the Scottish Government are inspiring the people of Scotland to be more active in their everyday lives…

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has announced a packed programme for this year’s Winter Lectures. As well as regular venues, The Clachaig Inn, Glencoe and The Mountain Cafe, Aviemore, the MCofS has teamed up with outdoor retailer TISO and seven lectures will take place at their stores across Scotland. Anyone attending the evenings will have the chance to win a Polar Buff worth £23. The first lecture kicks off in Aviemore on 12 January, with The Clachaig hosting events on Tuesday evenings, The Mountain Cafe on Wednesday evenings and TISO stores on Thursdays. The Mountain Cafe is also offering…

Don Productions are making a documentary about Scottish mountaineering, and are looking to team up with some people about to complete the Munros. If you are going to complete the Munros over the winter 2010/2011 and would like to participate in a documentary please get in touch on the email address shown below. Filming will take place in December and January and will be broadcast on NHK (the public broadcaster in Japan) in February. The documentary will follow a number of people as they explore Scotland’s mountains over the winter and has a specific focus on preparation and safety. Japan…

The main link road between Glasgow and Fort William is likely to be closed for road works during most of the first four months of 2012 raising fears for the future of the Glencoe ski centre. The planned work will mean the road is closed at the bottleneck at Pulpit Rock on the side of Loch Lomond north of Tarbert and a very long diversion will be in place over the Rest and be Thankful to Arrochar and Inverary. The section of upgraded A82 will include a short section of viaduct over an inlet of Loch Lomond and will mean…

Highland Council has approved a multi-million pound development at the furthest corner of the mainland at John o’Groats. Manchester-based Natural Retreats had submitted a £6.5m plan for 16 self-catering lodges and a visitor centre from the currently derelict remains of the landmark John O’Groats Hotel. It is expected that work will begin in 2011. However, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) said there was potential for a “brilliant development” at the “spectacular location”. Visitors have rated the current state of the much visited location to be the worst carbuncle in Scotland. It is the start point for a walk out to…

The results of the 2010 writing competition held by the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival in association with the Mountaineering Council of Scotland have now been published. The competition aims to encourage creative mountain writing and has been running since 1987 with the poetry category added in 1997. This year the number of entrants was up. The winner in the prose section went to Tom Povey for “When we passed through the Alps”, a recollection of a first Alpine season. First prize in the poetry section was awarded to Mike Blood for “Falzarago Pass”. The winning three entries in each category…

Round the World Cyclist Mark Beaumont, who this year also cycled 13,080 miles from Anchorage, Alaska to Ushuaia in Southern Argentina (climbing Mount McKinley and Aconcagua – the two highest peaks in the Americas – en route), took time out yesterday (13 October) to launch the 8th Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival at the International Climbing Arena at Ratho. The Festival which runs from 21-24 October 2010 has a fantastic programme packed full of extreme climbers, global adventurers and inspiring films. Mark will deliver his first Edinburgh lecture about his cycling and mountaineering journey through the Americas. Another highlight will be…

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is looking for the public’s best snapshots of Loch Leven. The third annual Loch Leven Photography Competition is looking to showcase Scotland’s largest lowland loch and its countless birds and other spectacular wildlife. Loch Leven National Nature Reserve is home to a host of spectacular sights, from the stunning scenery of the loch itself, dotted with islands and surrounded by looming hills, to the crawling, swimming and swooping array of wildlife it supports. Visitors to the loch often bring their cameras along to capture the quiet persistence of tufted ducks and teals dabbling for food, huge…