The wire bridge over the Water of Nevis at Steall, Glen Nevis, has now been repaired and is once again open to walkers and others. The bridge has been closed since one its cables snapped on 26 May this year. The bridge links the Glen Nevis property, owned by the John Muir Trust, with land owned by Rio Tinto Alcan.
News
Sandwood appeal raises £40k
An appeal for money to repair the track and footpath to iconic Sandwood Bay in Sutherland has raised £40,000. The John Muir Trust (JMT) which owns the Sandwood Estate said the amount donated by its members and supporters to the appeal was “incredible”. A vast expanse of beach is one of the most remote on mainland Britain, accessible only on foot by the public along a 6.5km track and path. The spot is increasingly popular and erosion by walkers and recent heavy rain had made the path very eroded in places. The money raised will be used to stabilise the…
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Friends of Nevis seeks footpath helpers
The Friends of Nevis has announced that its next volunteer weekend will be held from 1 to 4 October. There will be a range of activities taking place including routine path maintenance, landscaping work at the old curling ponds near the entrance to Glen Nevis and litter picking. Free accommodation is available for those coming from outwith the area if booked well in advance. There will also be a social event on the afternoon and evening of Friday 1 October to coincide with the official launch of a new book about the Ben. The book, entitled, Nevis – The Ben…
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Ben Nevis graffitti on the increase
Volunteers taking part in a clean up on Ben Nevis at the weekend found less rubbish than usual but noticed an increase in graffitti scrawled on the marker cairns. The litter pick group from the John Muir Trust (JMT) collected nine bin bags of rubbish from the summit area of the Ben. The good weather gave the team lots of time to search widely around the summit area, in marked contstrast to earlier clean ups which have taken place with snow still on the ground. The JMT says the hotspots for gathering litter such as the summit shelter and the…
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Doug Scott lecture dates
Legendary mountaineer Doug Scott has announced more dates for his forthcoming lecture tour. The talks are always inspiring, laced with amusing anecdotes and accompanied by excellent photographs. The lecture series will be in aid of Community Action Nepal, the charity Doug Scott founded to help mountain people to help themselves raise their standard of living and strengthen indigenous, community-based culture. Having climbed over 40 Himalayan peaks, Community Action Nepal, is Doug’s approach to giving something back to the landscape and people. The Scottish leg of the tour kicks off on Arran on 11 August, the other Scottish venues are as…
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Walkers could fund new Glencoe rescue helicopter
The leader of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team has suggested that a new civilian rescue helicopter be based in Fort William and funded through voluntary donations. John Grieve told the Herald that it would cost £2 million a year to have a helicopter based near Ben Nevis and that it could also be used for searches and rescues in Glencoe, Skye, Torridon, and the Cairngorms and Killin areas. At the moment these areas including Fort William and Glencoe are served by RAF search and rescue and the coastguard helicopter from Stornaway. Mr Grieve told the Herald that a new helicopter might…
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15% TISO August discount for MCofS and JMT
Outdoor retailer is offering a 15% discount for the month of August to members of either the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) or the John Muir Trust (JMT). The promotion applies to full cost items only and excludes some items such as GPS and kayaks. The offer extends to members of clubs with MCofS membership but to get the discount they need to show their club membership as well as a copy of a letter which has been sent out to club secretaries. JMT members have to show the covering letter sent out with the most recent Members News –…
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£1 charge to climb Ben Nevis mooted
According to a report on STV, The Nevis Partnership is calling for a £1 charge for walkers who want to climb the mountain. The partnership said the fee was necessary to continue footpath work on the moutnain. Manager Brian Wilshaw told STV, “Ben Nevis attracts more than 160,000 ascents every year, which means that the access track needs constant maintenance. “We would like everyone who goes up the Ben to pay just £1, which would secure our future and the future of the maintenance of the Ben track. That small donation would make all the difference.” The Nevis Partnership, chaired…
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Posted in Access issues, News
New online deer stalking information service
A new online information service for hill walkers about deer stalking activities has been launched today by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The pilot service will complement the current Hillphones service which provides a recorded message for the estates taking part and also builds on the out of print publication “Heading for the Scottish Hills”. The website covers estates within the Hillphones and Blackmount areas, but SNH says that it hopes to include more estates before the end of August. It is map based, and you can also search for stalking information by typing in the relevant hill name and then…
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15% produce own midge repellant
A new study has revealed that a lucky 15% of the population produces their own midge repellant. Researchers from Aberdeen University and Rothamsted Research studying the feeding habits of the Scottish biting midge found that those were spared bites produced a specific mixture of two chemicals, geranylacetone and methylheptenone. The researchers hope that the results will eventually lead to the developement of a new repellant based on these chemicals. The research was conducted during peak midge season and involved over 300 contestants and spectators at the Loch Ness Duathlon. It also found that tall men and larger women with a…
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