Festival speaker encourages communities to review benefits of allowing land to return nature and creating iconic destinations. A national rewilding expert is proposing that one of Scotland’s first modern wildernesses could be created in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. The idea will be included in a talk by David Balharry, Scotland Director of Rewilding Britain, at Wild Film Festival Scotland in Dumfries on 26 March. David is presenting a long term vision for between 200km2 and 600km2 of the old Ettrick Forest to be returned to its wild state and asking if this approach can offer better opportunities…

To celebrate the fact that the Forres area has achieved ‘Walkers are Welcome’ status, local organisations have come together to arrange a long-weekend of walks, running from the 31st March to 2nd April. The Walkers are Welcome accreditation is given to towns who can show they have excellent facilities for walkers, such as waymarked routes, well-maintained paths and active walking groups. To showcase what’s on offer in the area, groups involved in securing the accreditation are putting on a selection of free walks in the spring. The weekend kicks off on the afternoon of Friday 31st March with Forres Footpaths…

Marginal conditions in the mountains this winter have led to uncertainty and difficult decision-making when planning journeys – whether heading for the Munros or for climbing trips. Because of this Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre, has issued advice to all mountaineers on how to get the best out of their mountain journeys. Shaun Roberts, Principal of Glenmore Lodge, and a mountaineer of 30 years’ experience, said: “This is a very different winter to those we have become used to in Scotland. If you are planning to travel to high ground this weekend for Munro tops, or maybe to…

Sustrans is asking walkers to provide information to help plan the development of walking and cycling paths in Scotland. A large national survey is now open and all walkers and cyclists are being encouraged to take part. The National Walking and Cycling Network (NWCN) is a network of walking and cycling paths and routes in Scotland. The network includes all of Scotland’s Great Trails, Scottish Canal towpaths and the National Cycle Network (NCN). The Sustrans survey aims to assess: The benefits that access to walking and cycling paths and routes bring to the people that use them and; how walking…

Mountain Aid have announced they will be holding a “Skills for the Hills” day on 25 March in Glasgow. The event is set to inspire, educate and entertain the many who head onto our hills, be they summer hill walkers, all-weather climbers or mountain bikers. It also seeks to encourage the many more who don’t know what they are missing, and signpost some of the ways they can get started. The event will take place in the Strathclyde Suite of Glasgow’s Concert Halls from 10am to 4pm. The event will be officially opened by outdoor broadcaster and journalist Cameron McNeish,…

The Aviemore Adventure Film Festival is set to return from 9 to 12 March this year hosting hosting a variety of films, talks, workshops and outdoor events. After a successful 2016 Festival, this year’s festival is even bigger than before, packed with a superb line-up of events for the outdoor enthusiast. For the first time outdoor activities and workshops will be included in the programme alongside the mainstay of inspiring talks from leading outdoor athletes and exhilarating film screenings from around the adventure world. The Festival kicks off this year on Thursday 9th March, with a day dedicated to celebrating…

Renowned outdoors writer Hamish Brown has been declaed as the winner of the 10th Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. The award will be presented to the 82 year old at the Fort William Mountain Festival next month. Hamish was the first person to complete all the Munros in a single journey, and wrote his classic ‘Hamish’s Mountain Walk’ about the adventure. He is the author of many other mountain and walking books, and is regarded as a pioneer in outdoor education. As well as his beloved Scotland, Hamish has had a long-standing love of the mountains of Morocco.…

Following the success of the joint Walkhighlands/Mountaineering Scotland navigation courses over the last few years there will be a further 2 courses this summer. These single day courses will be held on 27 and 28 May at Arrochar and on 8 and 9 July in the Ochils. This is the chance to brush up on your navigation skills while meeting other Walkhighlands users on a fun and friendly day. 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 courses will be…

Entries are now open for this year’s Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival photo competition. Organisers are calling for entries under the following two cateogries: 1) My Adventures Since EMFF 2016! 2) The Wild Places of Scotland Entries close on 15 January and the results will be announced at the Festival being held this year from 4th to 6th February. For a prize, the winner can choose from: A weekend pass for EMFF 2018; or, a £50 donation to the John Muir Trust or Scottish Mountain Rescue. Full details of how to enter can be found here.