Members of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) elected Brian Linington as President at their AGM on Saturday 3 September. Brian was originally elected to the volunteer Board of the MCofS in 2008 and has chaired Board meetings since 2009, with further responsibility for Strategy. He replaces Chris Townsend who had reached the term of his period of office. Brian, an active mountaineer who lives in Plockton on the west coast of Scotland, expressed his appreciation of members’ confidence in him following the vote, and stated:”Mountaineering covers a range of activities from indoor climbing and hill walking, to outdoor climbing…

If you are a member of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, you can receive 10% off at Tiso stores during September as well as helping the John Muir Trust who will receive a 5% donation for every purchase. The offer excludes discounted items, GPS, kayaks and canoes, skis and ski hardware, electrical goods, DVDs and publications. The offer is for in-store only and MCofS members must show their John Muir Trust Tiso discount card.

The organisers of this year’s Drovers’ Tryst walking festival say that over half of the walks on offer are now sold out, including many of the higher level routes. However the packed programme also includes many easier walks, a ceilidh, music, mountain film, pub quiz and of course the famous Hairy Coo and St Fillans mountain bike challenges. The friendly festival will take place this year from the 8th to 15th October. Crieff & Strathearn Drovers’ Tryst annually celebrates the life, work and play of the people who made Crieff the cattle-droving crossroads of Scotland in the 1700s. The modern…

Ben Fleetwood became the youngest known person to have climbed all the Munros when he summitted Ben More on Mull last week. At the age of 10, Ben from near Kendal in Cumbria, is believed to be the youngest to complete all 283 of the Scottish mountains over 3000 feet, designated as Munros. Ben was accompanied by his Dad, John, on the walks and was joined by his mum on approximately half of the trips. Previously Ben was one of growing number of young achievers who have held the record for the youngest completion of the Wainwrights, which he finished…

The Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) says that Gleann Dubh-Lighe bothy in the west highlands of Scotland has been burnt down. Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that they attended an incident in the early hours of 31 August and that the building has been totally destroyed. The MBA says that it is too early to say whether the bothy will be rebuilt, but that walkers should take note that there is no bothy in Gleann Dubh-Lighe at the moment. Gleann Dubh-lighe bothy is situated on Fassfern estate west of Fort William. It has been maintained as an…

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…