Perth and Kinross councillors will today meet to decide whether to approve plans for the construction of the UK’s first dedicated bungee jumping platform. The structure would be built from the Garry Bridge (on Walkhighlands’ Bealach na Searmoin walk between Pitlochry and Killiecrankie). A company, Highland Fling, has been set up especially to promote the development. Phillip Riddle, chair of VisitScotland, was reported on the BBC as stressing the economic importance of adventure tourism, “whether it’s climbing, or walking, sailing, or bungee jumping”, whilst the John Muir Trust warned that there is a danger that such developments could harm the…

Following two days of snow and strong winds, the Cairngorm ski-centre has been forced to close. Operations manager Colin Matthew said that the access roads were blocked by fifteen foot snow drifts. He told the BBC that “further up the mountain the drifting has buried our funicular railway track in about 10 places, and the tunnel mouth, and some of our ski-tow towers are just sticking out of the snow.” A major operation was under way to clear the snow, with 17-tonne caterpillar earth movers which have already spent two days working 18 hours a day to dry to clear…

The New Year has brought a radical life change for one Scottish-based couple. Amanda McFadden and Aart Lastdrager have this week started a new life on the tiny Island of Canna. The couple has been selected to run the café which caters for residents and visitors to the Inner Hebridean island, one of the small isles that also include Eigg, Rum and Muck. The chance to live and work on the island which has a population of 18 was advertised in September by the National Trust for Scotland which manages the Isle of Canna. The couple were chosen from a…

The Scottish Government today approved the Beauly to Denny 400kV electricity transmission. The decision follows a multi-million pound Public Local Inquiry that due to the way the planning system works, did not properly consider alternatives. “Marching a 220km mega pylon line though some of our most world-renown landscapes may be the most lucrative option for the energy industry but it is the wrong choice for Scotland,” commented Helen McDade, Head of Policy for the John Muir Trust. “It is particularly galling that this white elephant is being given the go-ahead in a week when the UK government will announce another…

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland have issued a warning about Avalanches. Scottish mountains are experiencing unprecidented amounts of snowfall, more is expected over the following few days. Ski touring conditions have been awesome and many low level ice routes have been climbed for the first time in years. Other, normally popular climbing venues remain unvisited due to inaccessiblility from the deep snow conditions. These unique conditions also bring their dangers; highlighted by the tragic death of three climbers in avalanche incidents on the 30th December. The avalanche risk is currently high in many locations due to the volume of snow,…

Members of Mountain Rescue Teams feature in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. Gerry Akroyd of Skye Mountain Rescue Team, Rodney Stoddart of Tayside and David Freeborn of Patterdale all receive the MBE for services to mountain rescue.

Three climbers have been killed and two rescued following three separate avalanches in the Highlands. Two were swept away by an avalanche on Ben Nevis shortly before 11am. Another climber was rescued following an avalanche on Liathach which was reported just before midday but later died in hospital. The third avalanche, from which two were rescued, was on Beinn an Dothaidh near Bridge of Orchy. According to the BBC, the Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service have been monitoring surface hoar, a rare phenomenon for Scotland which is increasing the avalanche risk. It is a slippery layer of snow crystals under ths…

Tonight at 6.45pm on BBC2 Scotland there’s an Adventure Show special on the Skye Trail. One version of this unofficial route, the idea for which was originally devised by David Paterson, will be walked by Cameron McNeish, starting from Rubha Hunish in northern Skye, heading along the Trotternish Ridge and through the Cuillin before finishing at Broadford. Cameron reckons this might just be the best challenging multi-day walk in Britain. Walkhighlands has set up a website giving details of the Skye Trail and is working with the local Skye and Lochalsh Marketing Group to try to improve the route and…

Ugly and environmentally damaging hill tracks are constructed every year with no requirement that they are considered through the planning system, say the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS). Beautiful wild areas, iconic for Scotland’s residents and visitors, are being blighted by these uncontrolled eyesores. The national importance of this has finally come to the notice of the Scottish Parliament after the issue was raised by Peter Peacock MSP in response to the MCofS highlighting the incremental reduction in wild areas. Government figures show that between 2002 and 2005, the area of Scotland unaffected by views of man-made developments fell from…

The Birks of Aberfeldy, one of the most popular and beautiful short woodland walks in the Highlands, are under threat from a hydro scheme. The stunning steep-sided and birch-clad ravine and its impressive falls were celebrated in a ballad by none other than Robbie Burns himself, but this hasn’t prevented the approval of plans which could reduce the flow of the Moness Burn and its falls to a trickle. But the developers need a lease from the Aberfeldy Common Good Fund Committee – a committee of local councillors, who will be meeting to decide the fate of the falls on…