The countdown is now well underway for the launch of the coast-to-coast John Muir Way. The new 134-mile lowlands trail will officially open on 21st April 2014, during the first ever Scottish John Muir Festival, to mark both the conservationist's birthday and the centenary of his death. The new trail which runs between Dunbar and Helensburgh echoes John Muir’s own personal journey growing up in Scotland’s east coast town of Dunbar before travelling to the west coast, where he set sail for life in America. The route has been designed to take in castles, historic towns and villages, stunning coastal…

Following the success of last year's navigation courses, there will be a further 4 Walkhighlands/MCofS Navigation Courses held in 2014. The first courses will be held in the Ochils in May with a further two courses planned for the Campsie Fells in June. Each course will begin with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day will be spent on practical navigation skills on the hill. The course will be run by Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Officer at the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and are aimed at anyone who wants to learn how to navigate for…

The BBC's new documentary “One Wild Winter in the Scottish Mountains” will be shown tonight (Wednesday December 11) at 9pm on BBC 1 Scotland. The show will focus on the 2012 winter on Scotland’s peaks. “The Scottish Mountains are Britain's biggest playground. Every winter thousands of people want to experience them at their most magnificent. In an age of mobile technology, many of these adventurers carry cameras. The size and quality of modern day cameras allow people to capture extraordinary images thousands of feet up. Tales of triumph and of tragedy are captured in the most immediate and intimate way.…

The BBC are to show a new documentary “One Wild Winter in the Scottish Mountains” focusing on the 2012 winter on Scotland’s peaks. The programme will be shown on Wednesday December 11 at 9pm on BBC 1 Scotland. “The Scottish Mountains are Britain’s biggest playground. Every winter thousands of people want to experience them at their most magnificent. In an age of mobile technology, many of these adventurers carry cameras. The size and quality of modern day cameras allow people to capture extraordinary images thousands of feet up. Tales of triumph and of tragedy are captured in the most immediate…

A new website has just been launched to help promote the Scottish National Trail. The Trail – which was devised by outdoors broadcaster and writer Cameron McNeish and launched by First Minister Alex Salmond last year – runs for the length of Scotland, 864km from Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath. “This trail has wonderful variety, ranging from easy but beautiful walking in the Borders and Central Scotland before becoming progressively more challenging through Perthshire and the Cairngorms to become a real backpacking adventure in the Northwest Highlands. We’re delighted to have completed a detailed guide and description to walking every…