Vouchers for hand-crafted sculptures are winging their way to three lucky Walkhighlands members after the winners of the recent Speyside Sculpture competition were announced. Entrants had to correctly identify the two hills carved onto a wooden house sign. Sculptor Stuart Murdoch said, “Thanks to all the Walkhighlands members who entered. The quiz must have been quite hard as, out of more than 20,000 members, there were only 25 correct answers! “The sign was for a property on the A82 just north west of Crianlarich. The hills they see from their lounge that I incorporated into the carving are…(drum roll)… Ben…

A number of advertising members of Walkhighlands have reached the finals of this year's Scottish Thistle Awards. The tourism awards are organised by VisitScotland and aim to find the best businesses from each region of Scotland. Craigatin House and Courtyard, Pitlochry and Cadrhu Country House, Speyside will be competing for the Best Guest House or Bed & Breakfast while Crosswoodhill Farm Holiday Cottages, West Lothian and Morag’s Lodge, Drumnadrochit will battle it out for the title of Best Self Serve Accommodation. The Glenview, a restaurant with rooms on the Isle of Skye is hoping to be awarded Best Restaurant, Cafe…

A new guidebook to the Munros is now available to pre-order in time for Christmas, and there’s a 20% discount for early birds as well as free delivery for advance orders. The Munros – A Walkhighlands Guide will be published by walking specialists, Pocket Mountains on 7 December and is priced at £12.99. “This guide is for anyone who wants to climb these mountains and aims to provide reliable routes and tips for ascending them safely. The Munros will ensure you reach parts of Scotland you might otherwise overlook, spend memorable evenings in pubs, bothies and wild camps, and have…

Three advertising members of Walkhighlands have picked up prestigious gongs at the annual Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards. The Glenview – based on the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye – has built a strong reputation for delicious locally-sourced food and friendly service. The Restaurant with Rooms won the award for Best Restaurant / Cafe in the Highlands and Islands. The prize for Best Visitor Attraction went to Speyside-based Craggan Outdoors, which offers one of the widest range of outdoor activities in the Highlands and has been Tripadvisor’s top rated outdoor centre in Scotland since 2009. Finally Morag’s Lodge…

Six advertising members of Walkhighlands have made it to the finals of this year’s prestigious Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards. Recognised for their delicious locally-sourced food, friendly service and willingness to go the extra mile, The Glenview on Skye is nominated for Best Bar, Cafe or Restaurant. Co-owner Kirsty Faulds commented, “It is a real boost and fantastic for our team… I think there will be a skip in our step in service tonight as there are an amazing amount of truly inspirational restaurants in the Highlands, we are chuffed to be included. It’s between us and two others so…

Stuart Murdoch, of Speyside Sculpture, is a talented sculptor working in wood and stone who brings to life his love of nature and the great outdoors in his individual artworks. Stuart is a keen walker and has teamed up with Walkhighlands to offer other walkers the chance to win a bespoke piece of sculpture. Stuart is offering the chance to win a personalised letter carving worth between £350 and £500, or a voucher towards a larger piece of sculpture. There are also second and third prizes up for grabs. Stuart says, “I was recently asked to carve a large house…