Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) members can enjoy half price tickets from ScotRail for journeys on the Highland lines in winter 2011. The offer is valid from 2nd January 2011 to 31st March 2011. The 50‰ discount offer is available on the following routes (includes intermediate stations): Fort William to Mallaig Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh Inverness to Wick/Thurso MCofS Chief Officer, David Gibson said: “Our members are always keen on a bargain and thanks to ScotRail they now have the chance to use the train for a trip to the hills, or simply to enjoy the spectacle of some…

Police have named the climber who died on Ben Nevis on Sunday as Daniel Rafferty. It is understood that Daniel was a student aged 19 and came from Alness. He suffered a fall into the Tower Gully on Sunday afternoon. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth took part in the subsequent rescue operation.

Star gazers are in for a stellar event on Monday 13th December in Glentrool to co-incide with the Geminids meteor shower, usually the most spectacular of the year. The Geminds can produce up to 60-80 meteors an hour, so star spotters all over the country are expected to flock to Britain's first Dark Sky Park in Galloway. Forestry Commission Scotland is teaming up with the Royal Observatory in Greenwich to lay on a presentation and talk on craters, collisions and catastrophes. An outdoor meteor watch session is planned after the talk. Keith Muir of Forestry Commission Scotland said: “We are…

As the nation continues to shiver under snow and ice, conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland has released this rare image of Canna Bay freezing over. The charity, which has cared for the island since 1981, reports that this is only the third time in living memory that the bay has begun to freeze. The island is normally protected from extreme weather conditions by its sheltered location in the Inner Hebrides. Property Manager Stewart Connor said: “It has been unusually cold, but as the pictures show, spectacular. It’s unusual for Canna to experience such low temperatures. While the bay…

Walkers are being warned of the high risk of avalanches in the Pentlands and even Arthur’s Seat in the capital after heavy snow falls. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS), which is currently providing weekend forecasts for two popular walking and climbing areas, has issued a hazard warning of high risk of avalanche in the Northern Cairngorms. Edinburgh City Council said walkers should avoid slopes which are most heavily loaded with snow, since the added weight could trigger avalanches. Arthur’s Seat, in the heart of the city, has had a thick covering of snow for a few days now and…

In view of the current snow cover and weather forecast the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) will be providing weekend Avalanche Hazard reports for the Lochaber and Northern Cairngorms areas until the full service starts on the 16th December 2010. View the current forecasts for Northern Cairngorms and Lochaber at the SAIS website. There is heavy snowfall in these areas, particularly the Northern Cairngorms, and the avalanche risk should be assessed before planning a route. An early avalanche in the Cairngorms was captured on film and posted on the Walkhighlands forum ealier in November, the footage can be viewed here.…