The Banff film festival showcases the best of the latest films from the global mountain sports community including climbing, alpinism, mountain biking, adventure travel, skiing and kayaking. New activities to the line-up this year are base-jumping, surfing and trail running. Now in its fifth edition, the 2014 UK & Ireland Banff Tour will be the biggest tour to date – 56 screenings will be showing at 40 locations, including 12 new venues. The diverse film programme is selected from the 360 films, including award-winners and audience favourites, entered into theprestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival held in the Canadian Rockies in…

As the clocks turn back, motorists are being warned of the greater risk of collisions with deer in Scotland. Car accidents involving deer peak at this time of year; with night falling earlier, the peak commuting time coincides with deer coming out to feed on grass verges near roadsides. Because of this, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), in conjunction with Transport Scotland and Traffic Scotland, are placing warning messages on electronic variable messaging signs. From Monday, 28 October to Monday, 18 November, the signs will warn motorists at key locations on the main trunk roads across West and Northwest Scotland. These messages…

The Reel Rock tour of the world's greatest climbing and adventure films has added four Scottish dates to its current schedule. The film tour will be coming to Bathgate on 9 October, Aviemore on 10 October, Balloch on 11 October and Glenrothes on 12 October. Further details of venues, times and prices can be found on the tour website.

The Highlands have been shortlisted in the, Britain’s favourite holiday destination, category in the BBC Countryfile Magazine awards for 2013. Now in their third year, the awards are a celebration of our countryside and its people. The 2013 awards were launched in the August and feature 10 categories, from conservation projects and best heritage site to countryside writers and the finest nature reserves. Countryfile is now asking the public to vote for their rural favourites. Full details can be found on the website, or you can email your votes to awards@countryfile.com. Voting closes on 30 September 2013.

Only a few days remain for entries to the prestigious Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. UK photos have to be entered for the 2013 competition by 4 July. The overall winner will receive a prize of £10,000 with additional prizes for each of the four category winners and the under 17 competition. Entry details can be found at the Landscape Photographer of the Year website.  

Entries are now open for the 2013 Mountain Article and Photography Competitions. Run by the Mountaineerin Council of Scotland (MCofS) and the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival, prizes include cash and EMFF tickets, and the deadline for entries is 31 August. The MCofS has encouraged creative mountain writing through this competition since 1987. There have been over 300 entries since it's inception by then President Graham E Little. Past Vice President Ingrid Parker then introduced a Poetry category in 1997. The MCofS says, “We all have it in us, so if you feel you can let it out, then, enter the…

Tourism chiefs are hoping that a landmark TV series focusing on the wildlife of the Hebrides will give the local tourism industry a boost. The show, Hebrides, Life on the Edge will be screened tonight (Monday 6 May) at 9pm on BBC One Scotland and will then be available on the BBC iPlayer. Mike Cantlay, chairman of national tourism agency VisitScotland, said the programme was a “golden chance to promote the Year of Natural Scotland”. He added: “This documentary will continue to promote Scotland’s landscapes, its wildlife and people in a magical light. Our research shows that one in five…

To celebrate Scotland's amazing wildlife and countryside during the Year of Natural Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is launching a free photo contest. As part of Scotland's Nature Festival, SNH is encouraging Scots to enjoy nature by capturing their favourite natural places and wildlife. The seventh annual Nature Photography Competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers. Keen photographers have plenty of time to get snapping, with a deadline of August 1 to get their photos to SNH. First prize is a one-to-one tutorial with one of Scotland’s leading professional nature photographers, Lorne Gill; second prize is a Nikon…

To avoid accidents, motorists should slow down and be on the lookout for deer on the road in May, warns Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Vehicle accidents involving deer peak at this time of year, as yearling animals disperse, looking for their own territories. Because of this, SNH, in conjunction with Transport Scotland, are placing warning messages on variable messaging signs on high-risk trunk roads across Scotland from Monday, 29 April to Friday, 31 May. The signs are targeted on roads with higher rates of deer-vehicle collisions, covering areas of the Central Belt around Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as Stirling,…