David Lintern looks at 5 ways to be better prepared in the hills. There’s something to be said for thinking about how much we’re hauling up those hills, on our backs, bellies or feet. The phrase ultralight may come and go, but it’s not all marketing. More interesting for me is one of the tenets of going lightweight; abstraction. What items have a shared use? What can I do without altogether, and what constitutes cutting it too fine? What knowledge I can carry, instead of kit, which makes my outdoors life simpler, safer and more enjoyable? I rarely think about…

Conservation charity, the John Muir Trust is seeking to recruit someone to improve the visitor experience and level of engagement of visitors and locals with Sandwood Bay. The Trust says it is looking for an excellent communicator with experience of working with communities, volunteers and young people and contract management experience. The main responsibilities of the 18 month contract will be to plan and deliver; a promotion and marketing programme for local business in relation to the bay and the North Coast 500; a training programme for students, volunteers, schools and visitors, and a refurbishment programme for the Sandwood Bay…

The John Muir Trust hosted a family day on Schiehallion last week to launch an appeal to raise more than £500,000 to help children with cancer in Scotland. Professor Brenda Gibson launched the Schiehallion Appeal last weekend by leading a group of patients and families to the top of Schiehallion. Organisers from Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity said, “It was a fantastic day and such an amazing experience to climb Schiehallion with children who have overcome cancer and their families. The John Muir Trust were a great help too, and had lots of activities at the foot of the hill for…

The Met Office has today made major changes to its mountain weather forecasts. The new style forecasts divide Scotland’s mountains into five areas – Northwest Highlands, Southwest Highlands, North Grampians, South Grampians and Southeast Highlands, replacing the previous forecasts which featured only an east-west split. The details now include the percentage chance of cloud-free summits – similar to the Mountain Weather Information Service familiar to many – but also split the forecast into three hourly periods through the day, have traffic-light colour coding for weather hazards, and provide a summary forecast up to 5 days ahead. Richard Orrell of the…

Writers with a feeling for mountains and mountaineers are being sought by Mountaineering Scotland for its annual literary competition. The Mountaineering Scotland Writing Competition 2017 is looking for the best in new mountain writing, whether fact or fiction, prose or poetry. And, with more and more people taking art in outdoor activities, there should be no shortage of climbers and walkers ready to put their experiences into words and share what makes mountains, or the act of walking or climbing so special to them. Entries should have some connection with mountains and mountaineering, rock or ice climbing, walking or ski-mountaineering,…

The organisers of this year’s Cowal-based walking and outdoor festival have announced it will run from Friday 6th October to Sunday 15th October. The Festival will feature more than thirty walks graded from gentle strolls to challenging day trails. CowalFest organisers say that the walks, which are facilitated by knowledgeable volunteers and take place amid the stunning scenery, are a perfect introduction to this often-overlooked area of Scotland. This year’s CowalFest will include walks aimed at those interested in wildlife or photography, families will be well catered for and evening events will include a ceilidh. A special feature this year…