The discovery of cases of ash dieback disease in Scotland has promoted calls for walkers to take action not to spread the disease if they are visiting woods. Carol Evans, director of the Woodland Trust Scotland said: “It’s worrying that more confirmed and suspected cases of Chalara ash dieback have been identified in Scotland, although given the scale of the search that has been carried out we had expected to see some. “Hopefully we’ll continue to see prompt action where infected trees have been found to try and ensure that the disease doesn’t spread further from these locations. “It’s important…

With more snow forecast for this weekend we asked Heather Morning, Mountain Safey Officer for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) to impart some of her wisdowm on venturing out in winter conditions. Heather, who as well as working for the MCofS, is a keen climber and walker and member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, said: “Some folk would say there is no such thing as ‘winter hill walking’; only ‘winter mountaineering’. I think this is a good basis to start from; the hills in winter definitely hold challenges both technically and physically that just don’t exist in summer…

Work has now been completed on two navigation cairns on Ben Nevis. Following a public consultation process at the start of 2012, one new cairn has been erected and the Number 4 Gully cairn has been replaced. The Coire Leis cairn measures approximately two metres high with a large and distinct capstone.  The cairn serves as a navigation marker for the descent line from the bealach into Coire Leis. The Number 4 Gully cairn measures approximately 1.7metres high, with a large and distinct capstone which has two aluminium number 4s on it (one facing N/NE and one facing S). The…

A new long distance route running the length of Scotland was launched today. The unofficial route, which has been devised by outdoors writer Cameron McNeish and uses existing long distance trails and established walking routes, links Kirk Yetholm just north of the border and Cape Wrath in the far north west Highlands. The 470 mile Scottish National Trail will be marked by plaques at the start and finish and where it utilises other long distance walks, such as St Cuthbert’s Way, the Forth and Clyde and Union Canals and the Rob Roy Way there is some waymarking for those routes,…

The latest Scottish long distance walk to be added to Walkhighlands is the East Highland Way. Devised by Kevin Langan, the East Highland Way is an unofficial route running across the Highlands from Fort William to Aviemore. Stretching for 134km, the route enables a link between the West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way with the Speyside Way. Much of the route follows forestry and moorland tracks and paths, but there is a variety of woodland along the way and enough open sections to give some superb views across the Central Highlands, as the route passes in the shadow…

The bunkhouse at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel will close next week. The Hotel hopes to eventually re-open a bunkhouse but at present there are no immediate plans to re-build and no planning permission exists. The Hotel intends to increase the number of hotel bedrooms in the near future. The bunkhouse has long been a stopping point on the West Highland Way and for the nearby Munros. Alternative hostel accommodation is available at the West Highland Sleeper at Bridge of Orchy rail station and at the By the Way Hostel in Tyndrum.