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New long distance path could boost Mull economy

Iona

A proposed trail across Mull would attract new visitors to the island and could bring almost £1m a year into the local economy, according to a report published today (Monday 31 March) by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The route would create a visitor attraction unique to the island and encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more. It would also create opportunities to develop accommodation along the way and a wide range of other services matched to visitor needs, such as cafes, cycling supply shops and baggage transfer services. If well designed and with the right services in place, the…

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Wildlife watching and events planned for Beinn Eighe reserve

The visitor centre at Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross opened its doors this week enabling visitors to see the first results of a two-year upgrade. Owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) the reserve is a stunning mix of mountain and woodland which rises from the beautiful Loch Maree to the top of the Beinn Eighe ridge. It is one of Scotland’s wildlife hotspots and is home to golden eagle, pine marten, red deer and otter to name a few. Last year SNH started bringing live images of wildlife into the centre using remote cameras, and…

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Isle of May opens for the season

The first puffins have already started to arrive at the popular Isle of May national nature reserve, as it gears up for visitors this year, beginning 3 April. The island is renowned for its bird populations, its seals, its history and its carpets of flowers. The reserve, at the mouth of the Forth, has a boat service from Fife and East Lothian during the visitor season. David Pickett, the Isle of May reserve manager, said: “The Isle of May is a wonderful place to see seabirds and seals – and it’s certainly the best place in Scotland to see puffins.…

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2014 Mountain Writing Competition open for entries

Writers with a taste for the high life are being sought by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland for its long running literary competition. The MCofS Mountain Writing Competition 2014 seeks out the best in mountain writing, whether fact or fiction, prose or poetry. Entries should have some connection with mountains and mountaineering, rock or ice climbing, walking or ski-mountaineering, and winners will receive a cash prize and the chance to see their entries in print in the Scottish Mountaineer, the quarterly MCofS magazine which goes out to its more than 12,000 members. The first placed winners in prose and poetry…

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Loch Lomond camping ban may be extended

The Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority is to consider further measures to deal with antisocial behaviour and pressure from high visitor numbers which may include more wild camping bans. Wild camping on the east side of Loch Lomond between Drymen and Rowardennan during the summer months is currently banned under a byelaw introduced in 2011. The ban was enforceable with a £500 fine and regular Police and ranger patrols were implemented as well as other measures such as an alcohol ban. The Park Authority has now issued a report which shows that experience in the East Loch…

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Appeal to save Glen Licht House

Edinburgh University Mountaineering Club (EUMC) has put out an urgent appeal for donations to repair Glen Licht House. The hut, which is nestled among the Five Sisters of Kintail, is normally available to individuals and clubs by advance booking. Unfortunately, Glen Licht House’s roof was badly damaged in a storm last winter and the building is now falling apart. The EUMC is looking to raise both awareness of the issue and money to help repair it. The Club says that as well as essential structural repairs, they will also be able to improve the house’s interior with a better stove,…

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East Highland Way route improved

A new access gate near Pattack Falls – enabling walkers to reach a new bridge over the River Pattack – has enabled improvements to be made to the route of the East Highland Way. The new stretch uses a track and a path to avoid what used to be an unpleasant 2km stretch of road-walking on a busy, twisty section of the main A86 road; it is the latest in a series of changes which have reduced the road walking on the route by around 13km in total. Kevin Langan, who devised the route (as well as writing the guidebook),…

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Flytipping may force closure of Tyrebagger car park

Forestry Commission Scotland's Aberdeenshire team is appealing to members of the public to help keep a popular walker's car park open, by reporting incidents of fly tipping. Dan Cadle, the Recreation Forester in the area, said, “Over the last month we have had repeated dumping of fly tipped material in our Tyrebagger car park – in total about 6 tipper loads of house-hold and building trade waste. “We have reported it to Police Scotland and they are already following up on leads, and we are also passing them CCTV camera pictures of dumpers at the site. “Every time that we…

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Bothy work and closures planned for 2014

The 2014 bothy maintenance season is about to get into full swing and whilst the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) aims to keep disruption to a minimum, it is warning that some bothies may have to be closed for a short period or that space at some may be restricted. The MBA asks that walkers should check the maintenance programme on the MBA website and to be prepared to camp. It also says that work party dates can change, sometimes at short notice so it is worthwhile checking before setting off on a trip. Major work is to be carried out…

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Survey shows wind farms are damaging Scottish tourism

A new survey shows that walkers and climbers are turning their backs on Scotland as electricity companies industrialise wild lands. The Scottish Government is being called on to act now to protect wild lands as a survey reveals that wind farms in mountain areas are damaging a key area of tourism. The call from Scotland’s representative body for mountaineering comes ahead of tomorrow’s debate at Holyrood when MSPs will discuss the Draft Third National Planning Framework. A survey of nearly 1,000 climbers and hill walkers, carried out by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, revealed that 68% say parts of Scotland…

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Posted in Nature, News


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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.