Anyone wishing vehicular access to Glen Strathfarrar over the festive season, from 24th December to 4th January, should make sure they get in touch with the MCofS office by 23rd December, so that details can be passed to the gatekeeper. Details of the booking procedure are here. The glen gives access to a popular round of four Munros as well as up to the Loch Monar dam and An Sidhean.
News
Police appeal to walkers over poisoned Glen Lethnot eagle
Police have appealed for walkers in Angus for information about a poisoned golden eagle. The bird was found dead earlier this month and tests have now revealed that it was illegally poisoned. Anyone who was in the Glen Lethnot area between 10 and 25 November is asked to contact the Police. The eagle, named Fearnan, was ringed as a chick in a nest near Loch Tay in Perthshire in June 2011 and had spent much of its life in Speyside, before moving to the Angus glens in early November. Satellite tracking equipment showed that the bird stopped moving only three…
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John Swinney urged to act over Chesthill Estate access
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) – which represents Scotland’s hillwalkers and climbers – has called on John Swinney MSP to take action on an estate which is flouting Scotland's access laws. The MCofS has appealed to John Swinney – MSP for Perthshire North – after concluding that the local council has given up on the problem. For several years walkers in Perthshire’s beautiful Glen Lyon have faced locked gates, intimidating signs and abusive behaviour when venturing onto the North Chesthill Estate, Inverar. Reports of such problems have been made over a number of years to the access officer for…
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Posted in Access issues, News
National Trust counts costs of recent storms
The National Trust for Scotland is still counting the costs of last week's ferocious winds, as the Met Office once again issues yellow warnings for high winds over the weekend. Properties in the charity's care all over the country sustained damage in the severe weather that raged all over Scotland over Wednesday night and into Thursday last week. Expert conservation staff are still counting up the costs of the clean-up which is expected to be approaching £75,000 across the country, if not more. Trees were uprooted, roofs damaged, and in one case, torn off and paths were washed away. Amongst…
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Wind farm threatens Cairngorms National Park says MCofS
Plans to create a wind farm on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park are being opposed by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS). The Nathro Hill wind farm, proposed for a site near Brechin, would be the largest wind farm in Angus and would affect views into the national park and from it. The developers had welcomed announcements that both the Ministry of Defence and RSPB Scotland had withdrawn their objections following assurances, but an addendum to the plan has not addressed the MCofS objections. The MCofS objection was lodged on the grounds that the proposed development of 17…
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Posted in Access issues, News
Scottish avalanche forecasts start today
Avalanche forecasts for selected areas of the Scottish mountains start today (Thursday 12 December). Throughout the winter the sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) will issue daily reports on the avalanche dangers in the most popular mountain areas, allowing mountaineers, ice climbers and off-piste skiers to make informed choices about where and whether to go. It means a dedicated band of avalanche experts going out every day, whatever the weather, to carry out assessments of the snow conditions in the Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Lochaber, Glen Coe and Creag Meagaidh. For the first time this year, they will also provide a…
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Posted in Access issues, News
Scottish Winter Mountains on BBC tonight
The BBC's new documentary “One Wild Winter in the Scottish Mountains” will be shown tonight (Wednesday December 11) at 9pm on BBC 1 Scotland. The show will focus on the 2012 winter on Scotland’s peaks. “The Scottish Mountains are Britain's biggest playground. Every winter thousands of people want to experience them at their most magnificent. In an age of mobile technology, many of these adventurers carry cameras. The size and quality of modern day cameras allow people to capture extraordinary images thousands of feet up. Tales of triumph and of tragedy are captured in the most immediate and intimate way.…
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Posted in News, Walkhighlands news
Chris Townsend to be BMC hillwalking ambassador
Outdoors writer and photographer Chris Townsend has been announced as the first ‘hill-walking ambassador’ at the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). Chris Townsend – who is renowned for his long distance walks as well as his widely respected gear reviews and books – walked more than 15,000 miles on 12 huge epic walks. He is also the author of 15 books as well as being the writer/photographer for Walkhighlands’ own guides to the Southern Upland Way and the Annandale Way. More recently Chris was the star of the ‘Cairngorms in Winter’ documentary film shot by Terry Abraham, which featured at the…
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Clachaig Winter Lectures set for February
The dates have been announced for next year's winter lectures at the Clachaig pub in Glencoe. The four lectures, held at 8pm every Tuesday in February, will kick off with Andy Nelson on 4 February. Andy is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and Deputy Leader of Glencoe Mountain Rescue. He is active in the mountains every day; guiding privately, training military personnel and as part of the Glencoe MRT (usually at night!). He will talk about ways to prepare for a winter walk or climb and how to pre-empt or overcome some of the challenges you may face so you can…
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Posted in News
Winter hillwalkers reminded of need to learn winter skills
Having the correct skills for Scotland's winter mountains is as important as having the correct equipment, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland have warned. With winter now firmly established, the body representing Scotland’s hillwalkers and climbers is advising would-be hill-goers that it’s not enough just to fork out lots of money for the latest foul weather gear and mountaineering equipment. “Ice axes and crampons are an essential part of kit for winter,” said MCofS Safety Adviser Heather Morning. “But they can be a liability rather than a lifesaver if you don’t know how to use them. “Every winter brings its toll…
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Posted in News