The 73-year-old hillwalker who has been missing in the Glendessary area since Sunday has been found safe and well this afternoon (Weds 2 May). A large scale air and ground search had taken place for the last 2 days and Police had appealed for other walkers to look out for Neill McCawley from Worcester. Mr McCawley has told his rescuers that he underestimated the difficulty of the walk and the route, which resulted in him having to camp for longer than he had originally anticipated.
News
Search resumes for missing Glendessary walker
Police in Fort William are continuing to co-ordinate the search for a hill walker who was reported missing on Sunday (29th April). The 73yr old man from the Worcester area was last seen by fellow walkers in the Glendessary area on Friday evening. Yesterday, Monday 30 April, a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth supported by members of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team carried out aerial searches in and around the Glendessary area. Despite over 4 hrs of flying time there was no trace of the missing walker. Today the search has resumed with a number of mountain rescue…
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MunrOverground map will raise funds for mountain rescue and conservation
The Munros are often viewed through a prism of contour lines, spot heights and arcane symbols, but a new map of Scotland’s highest mountains provides a new perspective. The MunrOverground is a unique take on the Munros, as well as a host of Scotland’s other awe inspiring wild places such as the Linn of Dee, Sandwood Bay and Fingal’s Cave. Peter Burgess, a former geography teacher who lives in East Ham in London, created the map following the success of his first creation, Tubular Fells, a topological map of the Lakeland Fells which was inspired by Harry Beck’s iconic interpretation…
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New snow poses avalanche risk
Forescasters are warning that recent heavy snowfalls have raised the risk of avalanches in the Northern Cairngorms and also some slopes in Lochaber. Although the Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has ended its daily forecasts for the season it continues to monitor snow conditions and is warning of ‘considerable’ risk of localised natural and human-triggered avalanches on higher slopes this weekend. See the full forecast to see which slopes are likely to be affected on the SAIS website.
Posted in Access issues, News
Hill Tracks Consultation, your views needed now
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on proposed legislation which would mean new bulldozed hill tracks would require planning permission. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) which has campaigned hard for this new law, is urging hillwalkers to make their voices heard and respond to the consultation. At the moment landowners currently enjoy Permitted Development Rights (PDR), which means that a planning application and consent is not required prior to bulldozing a track. The consultation is seeking views on a proposal to remove PDR for the formation of access tracks for forestry and agriculture purposes. The MCofS welcomes these proposals…
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Capercaillie death was avoidable says estate
Rothiemurchus Estate and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) say that the death of a capercaillie by a dog last week could have been avoided. The capercaillie which became an unwitting star due to its unusual behaviour was found dead on the popular Highland estate of Rothiemurchus near Aviemore. The lone male within Rothiemurchus was less shy than other capercaillie and defended its territory instead of hiding or running away when people and/or dogs approached. Last week it was killed by a dog. The Estate and SNH say the incident highlights the importance of responsible access within sensitive areas in the Cairngorms…
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West Highland Way diversion
There will be a diversion in place for a section of the West Highland Way from the end of April. The Forestry Commission is undertaking work to remove wind blown trees in Garadhban Forest. This will affect a short section of the the West Highland Way from Drymen to Rowardennan and a signed diversion will be in place. This diversion is in addition to the restrictions for walkers with dogs just a short distance further along the West Highland Way near Conic Hill. Lambing will be take place between 15th April and 15th May 2012 inclusive and will mean that…
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GPS disruption for North West Highlands
Europe's largest military exercise will be taking place later this month and is likely to cause some disruption to GPS services which may affect hillwalkers. Exercise Joint Warrior will run from 17-26 April and will involve some jamming of GPS signals affecting the far North West Highlands and northern areas of the Outer Hebrides. There will also be a closure of the firing range near Cape Wrath which could affect backpackers attempting the Cape Wrath Trail. GPS jamming is likely to affect the area around Loch Ewe and Faraid Head from 17 to 26 April between the times of 09.00-10.00…
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Live wildlife cams set up at Beinn Eighe
Some of the 30,000 visitors who visit the Beinn Eighe nature reserve each year will get a close up view of the wildllife thanks to new remote cameras installed on Loch Maree and the surrounding woodland. Located just outside Kinlochewe, the Beinn Eighe information centre has a range of interactive exhibits about the reserve which was Britain’s first in 1951 and is owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage. There are also toilets, picnic areas and a range of circular trails for all abilities. Beinn Eighe has golden eagle, Scottish crossbill, mountain hare, red deer and black throated divers, while…
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New waterbus route aimed at Ben Lomond walkers
The Loch Lomond water bus service is now up and running again for the summer and this year includes a morning sailing to Rowardennan aimed at walkers wanting to make an early start on Ben Lomond. This service will leave Tarbet at 8.45am leaving plenty of time to climb the popular Munro before the last waterbus returns from Rowardennan. A new service linking Balloch and Luss will also be launched later this summer. Fiona Logan, CEO of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park said, “We had a fantastic response to the introduction of regular daily water bus routes last…
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Posted in Access issues, News