We would like wish all visitors to Walkhighlands a very Merry Christmas, and a happy year of Scottish walking in 2013!
Gaelic hillname pronunciation made easier
Pronouncing the names of the mountains in Scotland can be as difficult as climbing them to some visitors. Walkhighlands has launched a new series of easy-to-use pages that enable visitors to more easily find and listen to recordings of the pronunciation of Gaelic hillnames. The recordings – which feature a native Gaelic speaker – are the most comprehensive set available, covering all the Munros, Corbetts and Grahams. There are also hundreds of recordings of other placenames accessible via the ‘play’ button next to the title on walk descriptions, such as all of those on the Isle of Skye. The names…
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Posted in Walkhighlands news
Scotland End to End TV dates
Cameron McNeish will be showcasing his Scotland End to End walk in a couple of TV programmes over the festive period. The first hour-long programme will be shown on Thursday 27 December at 7pm with part two being shown at the same time the following day, Friday 28 December. They will be shown on BBC 2 Scotland, viewers south of the border can catch them on on Sky, Freesat and BBC iPlayer.
Posted in News
Landowners encouraged to report beaver issues
The Tayside Beaver Study Group is encouraging landowners to contact them if they have any issues with beavers on their land, after a Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) study confirmed that approximately 146 beavers are presently living in the wild in rivers in Tayside. Surveys from May and July 2012, along with long-term observations, found that there are about 40 groups of beavers and seven dams in the Tay catchment. The beavers were found in the Tayside rivers and lochs stretching from Kinloch Rannoch, Kenmore and beyond Crieff in the west, to Forfar, Perth and Bridge of Earn in the East.…
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Posted in Nature
Enivironmental bodies condemn hill-tracks decision
Scotland’s environmental groups and charities have expressed surprise and disappointment that the Scottish Government has decided not to remove permitted development rights for agricultural and forestry tracks. Scottish Environment LINK – whose members inculde RSPB Scotland, the John Muir Trust, the National Trust for Scotland, Ramblers Scotland and the Scottish Campaign for National Parks, issued their response, which echoes the condemnation by the Mountaineering Council for Scotland. The decision is despite the government’s earlier statement that it had received ‘compelling evidence’ of the damage that uncontrolled development of these tracks has caused, and therefore was convinced of the need to…
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Mountaineers angry at bulldozed hill tracks decision
Mountaineers have condemned the Scottish Government as ‘feeble’ for its failure to stop new hill tracks being bulldozed through unspoilt landscapes. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has been campaigning for all new tracks to require planning permission. This would prevent land owners from claiming that tracks are for agricultural use when they are really just for use by shooting parties or for other recreational purposes. However planning minister Derek Mackay has announced that he is allowing a free-for-all to continue and will do nothing to prevent the construction of ever-more huge, unsightly and damaging hill tracks through previously unspoiled mountain…
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Drybags
It rains in Scotland, so unless you fancy lugging around soggy sandwiches – and perhaps more worryingly insulating clothing – it’s necessary to take precautions against moisture ingress. Most rucksacks are made from water-resistant materials, but they don’t have sealed seams and have zips and other openings that can allow water in. Short of carrying one of the drysacks-with-straps designs like the Alpkit Gourdon, you’ll need to consider some kind of supplementary protection. Pack liners are basically big waterproof bags that are placed inside an empty rucksack before filling as normal. They can be as simple as a binbag with…
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Posted in Accessories, Gear reviews
Avalanche forecasts for all areas
From today (13 December) the SportScotland Avalanche Information Service will be issuing forecasts for the five main climbing and hillwalking areas. Last weekend forecasts were issued for Lochaber and the Northern Cairngorms. They have now been joined by detailed information for the Southern Cairngorms, Glencoe and Creag Meagaidh. Further details including a guide to reading the forecasts and how to get them on your mobile can be found at the SAIS website. As always the SAIS also wants to hear reports of avalanches, so if you witness one please get in touch with the SAIS via their website. More information…
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Posted in News
Community buyout plans for Mull of Galloway
Nearby residents are hoping to own the most southerly part of Scotland if their community buyout plans are successful. The Northern Lighthouse Board is seeking to sell 30 acres at the tip of the Mull of Galloway and a local community company wants to try and buy it. The Mull of Galloway is home to an internationally important seabird colony as well as dramatic cliffs and the lighthouse and associated buildings. The Mull of Galloway Trust wants to buy the land in order to preserve it and avoid any commercial exploitation as experienced at Lands End in Cornwall. A Trust…
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Posted in Nature
Arran Mountain Festival programme announced
The four day programme of events for next year's Isle of Arran Mountain Festival has been released. The Festival will run from 17 to 20 May 2013 and features a wide variety of guided walks and scrambles throughout Arran’s hills and mountains as well as a mountain quiz night and a trip to Holy Island. Festival organisers say, “The Arran Mountain Festival 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…
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Posted in News