Last weekend a work party of volunteers rebuilt the Fords of Avon Refuge which has provided emergency shelter for walkers and climbers in a remote part of the Cairngorms National Park for over forty years. The work party, which managed to complete all the major works over the weekend leaving only a few minor jobs, was made up of volunteers from the Mountain Bothies Association in conjunction with support from RSPB Scotland (who own the land on which the refuge is situated), the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) and the National Outdoor Centre Glenmore Lodge. Heather Morning, the Mountain Safety…

This year’s Arran Mountain Festival will run from Friday 16 September to the following Monday and has a packed programme of high level walking and scrambling. The Festival organisers say, “This is an opportunity to meet like-minded people, discover a fascinating island and have unforgettable days in the safe hands of experienced local guides. With names to inspire the imagination, such as Ceum Na Caillich (Witch’s Step) Caisteal Abhail (Castles) and the Sleeping Warrior, the mountains of Arran are some of Scotland’s most amazing landscapes. “The Isle of Arran is one of the most accessible of Scottish islands, with good…

This year’s Dundee Mountain Film Festival boasts a glittering array of varied films covering caving, climbing, kayaking, mountaineering, running and cycling. In addition there will be talks by round the world cyclist, Mark Beaumont, hillwalking writer Ian Mitchell, and Peter Habeler, who climbed Everest without oxygen with Reinhold Messner in 1978. Art work and photographs will be on display during the Festival as well as stalls, a raffle, and the chance to vote for the People’s Choice Film. The 29th Festival will run over 25 and 26 November at Bonar Hall in Dundee. Further details of prices and tickets can…

The Highlands has won the bid to host the 2015 World Orienteering Championships. The contest will be based in Inverness with competition sites on the Moray Firth coast and in the Cairngorms. The Highlands beat competition from Sweden in the bid which was supported by the Highland Council which has said that the Championships could generate £2million for the local economy. The Scottish Six Days orienteering event will run at the same time as the World Championships using some of the same courses. Sports Minister Shona Robinson said the contests would build on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014. She…

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) is combining its Annual General Meeting with a series of forums for clubs on membership recruitment, young people on meets, and civil liability insurance. The organisation represents walkers and climbers in Scotland and the AGM will be held at Dunblane Hydro on 3 September. Individual members who are unable to attend are urged to fill in the proxy voting forms sent out with the Scottish Mountaineer. Chris Townsend, who has served as MCofS President for the last four years, is stepping down, and there will also be an election for the post of Treasurer.…

This year's Great Wilderness Challenge, which attracts hundreds of participants and raises hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity is to be held in the Kintail area on Saturday 20th August. Kintail Mountain Rescue Team will be providing first aid and communications cover as well as a post event ceilidh. During the ceilidh the MRT will selling their very own beer produced by Andy Wills of the Plockton Brewery. The limited edition ale is called Stretcher Case and all the proceeds will be going to the MRT who will also be selling a limited number of Stretcher Case T-shirts. Proceeds…

Missing hillwalker, Richard Lyon, has been found safe and well. Mr Lyon, aged 59, who had been missing from his home in Kirkmichael, Ayrshire, since 2 August was found yesterday afternoon (11 August) the day after his car had been found in Dunblane. Police had appealed to hillwalkers and the public to keep an eye out for the missing man who they believed might have been hillwalking as he is a keen Munroist. Mr Lyon’s family issued a statement saying: “We would just like to thank everyone involved in helping to find Richard and we owe a great deal to…

The car belonging to Richard Lyon, who has been missing for over a week, and is thought by Police to possibly be hillwalking, has been found on Doune Street, Dunblane. Mr Lyon, who is aged 59 and from Kirkmichael in South Ayrshire, was last seen by his family on 2 August. His family say that his disappearance is completely out of character and they are extremely concerned for his safety. Last week Police launched an appeal for walkers and members of the public to keep an eye out for the keen hillwalker and Munroist. Strathclyde Police are looking into the…

Beinn a’Chlaidheimh – one of the celebrated peaks of the Fisherfield Forest, perhaps the remotest mountain region in Scotland – looks set to lose its status as a Munro following a new height survey. The heights of three spectacular mountains in the area – also known as the Great Wilderness – were re-measured during July by members of The Munro Society. Ruadh Stac Mor was confirmed to remain as a Munro at 918m, whilst the spectacular Beinn Dearg Mor was measured at 906m and remains as a Corbett. But Beinn a’Chlaidmeimh – 916m on current Ordnance Survey maps – was…