Mountain Aid have announced Heavy Whalley as speaker for their Step up to Winter talks series which will be held this November in Dumbarton, Kilmarnock, Dumfries and Cupar. Heavy was a member of the RAF Mountain Rescue team for 36 years and has been involved in over 1000 Mountain and over 80 Aircraft incidents in mountainous areas. He will present an evening of winter walking tales and tips that will leave you ready to get out into the hills this winter. The talks are open to all, and free of charge thanks to funding from Mountain Aid. No advance booking…

If you chance upon one of the 103 bothies in Great Britain that are maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association you might find a new book hidden amongst the mountain shelters – a 66-page newsprint publication that might just save a life – even if it means setting fire to it. 46 artists and writers, led by Edward Summerton, Senior Lecturer at the University’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, have created 200 copies of ‘Shelter Stone: The Artist and the Mountain’ and dispersed it among bothies and shelters in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as Iceland…

As the clocks turn back this weekend, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is warning motorists that collisions between deer and vehicles 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, SNH – in conjunction with Transport Scotland and Traffic Scotland – are placing warning messages on electronic variable messaging signs (VMS). From Monday, 30 October to Monday, 20 November, the signs will warn motorists at key locations on the main trunk roads. These messages will be seen on signs on the…

The organisers of the Aviemore Adventure Festival have announced the dates for next year’s festival as well as a crowdfunding appeal to set the Festival on a sustainable footing and expand the charitable aims of the event. The Festival has been run successfully for the past 3 years by a group of committed local volunteers who love the outdoors and are keen to share that passion. However they are looking to expand the festival and are seeking support to fund a new part-time worker who will help support the existing team to develop the festival over the coming years, attracting…

As the first snows are forecast for the high tops this weekend, its time to think about winter skills. Mountaineering Scotland will again be hosting a series of safety evenings this winter. Heather Morning, Mountaineering Scotland’s Safety Advisor, will share her beautiful photography, videos, personal anecdotes and adventures, while discussing essential skills for winter navigation, avalanche awareness, route choice, equipment, mountain weather and much more. With a lifetime’s experience in the mountains, Heather has been a professional mountaineer for 25 years and was a member of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team for 16 years. These entertaining and informative evenings will be…