walkhighlands

Swallows success and puffins static on St Kilda

Swallows and Leach's Storm Petrels are the successes from St Kilda's bird breeding season this summer, the National Trust for Scotland reports, whilst numbers of puffins have remained the same. For the first time, a pair of migrating swallows have raised three chicks on the Hebridean island of Hirta. The nest was established in a garage operated by defence contractor, Qinetiq, who agreed to leave the doors open for the duration of the breeding season. Swallows are regular summer visitors to St Kilda, but this is the first time that they have successfully raised young. Meanwhile, efforts to monitor the

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Posted in Nature

West coast killer whales spotted off Scottish east coast

There has been a confirmed sighting of the West Coast Community of killer whales off Peterhead, the first time members of this small and highly unique population have been reported off Scotland's east coast. Video footage of the sighting, by Peterhead man Ian Nash on 20 August, clearly shows a male whale known as ‘John Coe’, identified by a very distinctive notch in his dorsal fin, along with another male and at least one female. HWDT has been monitoring the movements of this group since the early 1990s, with sightings recorded mainly in the Hebrides as well as off Ireland

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Posted in Nature

3rd Night of Adventure planned for 2 September

For the third year running, the Hopes and Homes for Children charity is running its Night of Adventure in Edinburgh. The event will bring together an eclectic collection of explorers and daredevils to share the experiences of adventure with a live audience. The evening will be hosted by award-winning writer and journalist Nick Thorpe. This year's speakers include Mark Cooper, ultra runner who completed a run from Amsterdam to Barcelona, award-winning photographer Anna Henly, and outdoors writer, photographer and sometime Walkhighlands contributor, David Lintern. The Night of Adventure will be held on Monday 2 September at Vue Cinema, Omni Centre,

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Posted in News

2013 Isle of Harris Mountain Festival

The programme has been finalised for this year's Isle of Harris Mountain Festival and there seems to be an intriguing mix of walks, talks, films, challenges and fun events. The Festival runs from 14 to 21 September and will include walks led by Alison O’Neill the “Barefoot Shepherdess” (footwear optional), golden eagle spotting and deer rutting walks, mountain walks, and the Harris 5 Peak Challenge. Chris Townsend will give a talk about his recent Scottish watershed walk, and there are also talks by Cameron McNeish, and photographer Laurie Campbell. Other events include a raft race, sea kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing,

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Posted in News

Dunbartonshire & Stirling Outdoors Festival kicks off 31 August

A week on Saturday (31 August) will see opening of the third Great Outdoors Festival. Running from Saturday 31st August to Sunday 8th September the festival offers a programme of events across West and East Dunbartonshire and Stirling areas. Festival organisers say, “This is your chance to get out and about in some of Central Scotland's best settings: the Campsie Fells; the Kilpatrick Hills and the Trossachs and all the bits in between. “The Great Outdoors Festival offers walking, running and paddling and is a great way to explore the countryside. Experienced leaders guide all of the Festival’s events so

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Posted in News

Wild land charity takes legal action against Highland Council

The John Muir Trust (JMT) has lodged a petition to the Court of Session for a judicial review of the decision of the Highland Council South Planning Application Committee to conditionally raise no objection to a proposed 83-turbine wind farm at Stronelairg in the heart of the Monadhliath Mountains. The decision went against the national interest objection from Scottish Natural Heritage, which stated that the development, spread over an area of 35 square kilometres, one and half times the size of Inverness, would destroy the character of one of Scotland’s key areas of wild land. Planning authorities are legally obliged

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Posted in Nature, News

Mountain article competition at MCofS

Budding writers are being sought by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland for its long-running literary competition. Since 1987 the MCofS has run its Mountain Article Competition, seeking out the best in mountain writing, whether fact or fiction, prose or poetry. Articles should have some connection with mountains and mountaineering, rock or ice climbing, walking or ski mountaineering. Winning entries get a cash prize and the chance to see their piece in print in The Scottish Mountaineer, the quarterly MCofS magazine which goes out to more than 11,000 members. The first-placed winners in the prose and poetry categories will also receive

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Posted in News

Use of bothies during stalking season

Walkers using Scottish bothies are being warned to check that the bothy is still open as some are used for deer stalking activities during the stalking season. The majority of bothies are unaffected but for any maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) walkers can check on their website. The MBA says that a small number of bothies are required by their owners at this time for estate purposes, and at others, a particular route to a building may be preferred. Advice, including a contact number which can be used to check the position, is provided in the individual bothy

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Posted in Access issues, News

Inverness screening for Cairngorms in Winter film

A feature length film showing the beauty and harshness of the Cairngorms during the winter months will be shown in Inverness on 28 August. Billed as a celebration of the UK’s largest and highest National Park, The Cairngorms in Winter with Chris Townsend, takes the viewer on a spectacular 96 minute journey through awe inspiring scenery in the heart of Scotlands mountains. Filmed during the winter of 2012, the film is a very personal account from experienced long distance walker, writer and photographer, Chris Townsend on why he loves the Cairngorms and always looks forward to returning despite having walked in some of

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Posted in News

Suileag Bothy closed 31 Aug to 7 Sept

Suileag bothy near Lochinver will be closed between 31 August and 7 September to enable MBA volunteers to undertake a number of repairs to the building. This is one of a number of work parties that will be taking place during the late summer. The Tarf Hotel (the Feith Uaine bothy) in the eastern highlands of Scotland and Dibidil on Rum are two others that will be receiving attention. Details are available on the MBA website where intending users of these and other bothies can also find information about any restrictions in use which may apply during the periods when

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Posted in Access issues, News


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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.