Ben Nevis abseil posts removed

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Helen Webster

The eight abseil posts leading down from the Carn Mor Dearg arête into Coire Leis on the north side of Ben Nevis have been removed. The majority of the poles had fallen into disrepair and were unsafe to use. The highest abseil post provided a useful navigation aid and is to be replaced by a two metre high cairn that will be constructed in the same style as the other navigation cairns which currently exist across the summit plateau. This cairn will mark the top of the obvious descent line into Coire Leis in poor visibility. The cairn will be…

Posted in Access issues, News

Clean up planned for Scottish Mountains

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Helen Webster

The fifth annual Big Spring Clean, which forms part of the Ski Club's Respect the Mountain campaign, returns on Saturday 16 June and this year will offer new activities such as mountain biking and an eco-walk to add to the fun of the day. Volunteers will also be tackling the damaging litter left on the slopes by mountain users at Cairngorm Mountain, the Nevis Range, and Glenshee. Last year 44 sacks of rubbish were collected across all three resorts by skiers, walkers and dedicated litter pickers. All sorts of unusual items were found amongst the general litter and waste including:…

Posted in Nature, News

Discover Loch Leven on 10 June

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Helen Webster

RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) are joining forces on June 10th for a free, fun-filled day at Loch Leven national nature reserve. This year, RSPB's Open Day is running in conjunction with Loch Leven Discovery Day to be bigger and better than ever, with free buses running between the two sides of the loch. This family day has an action-packed programme of free events, from pond-dipping, bushcraft, facepainting, willow-weaving, bird-watching, aquatic displays, beat the black grouse goalie, story-telling, guided walks, and all kinds of kids’ activities. RSPB will also officially launch their newly named, refurbished visitor centre and improved…

Posted in Nature, News

20 new Scottish woods created for Jubilee

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Helen Webster

From Stornoway to Stirling, and from Dunbeith to Dalbeattie, 20 new native woods will be created across Scotland to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The woods are part of a UK-wide project to create 60 Diamond Woods across the country, one for each year of The Queen's reign. Each Diamond Wood will be at least 60 acres in size. In total the Diamond Woods in Scotland will cover more than 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares), forming a collective area of woodland nearly four times the size of Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. 1.5 million native trees will be planted within the 20…

Posted in Nature

Wild Lochaber Festival kicks off

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Helen Webster

A festival showcasing the wild places and wildlife of Lochaber starts on Friday 1 June. Based around Fort William the Wild Lochaber Festival includes a varied programme of walks, boat trips, wildlife safaris, kayak adventures and rock safaris. There will also be a schools photography contest and a fair to be held on 2nd and 3rd June at the West Highland College in Fort William. Some of the events, including a Hairy Cow and Wee Beastie Hunt on Cow Hill above Fort William, are free, while others such as a wildlife cruise around the Small Isles, or a landrover safari…

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Memorial for Ben More war grave

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Helen Webster

A memorial is to be placed near the graves of the aircrew of a plane which crashed on the slopes of Ben More in Assynt in April 1941. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is hoping to trace the relatives of the six crew members before a granite memorial slab is put in place. At the moment a small cairn marks the crash site and some wreckage can still be seen on the remote Munro. The crew were flying the twin-engined aircraft on a night navigation exercise from RAF Kinloss in Moray on 13 April. The plane crashed at 701 metres…

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Midge forecasts back for 2012

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Helen Webster

This year has seen predictions of either a bumper or a lean year for that scourge of walkers, the Scottish midge. Once again the Scottish Midge Forecast will be providing forecasts of the level of midges in each area to help you plan your outdoor trips. Now in its seventh year, the Midge Forecast uses actual midge catch data recorded from special traps combined with weather forecast data from the MeteoGroup. The Midge Forecast says, “Since it was first trialled in 2004, the midge forecasting system has proven to be as accurate as other established forecasts such sun and pollen…

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Night of Adventure planned for Edinburgh

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Helen Webster

Adventurer Alastair Humphreys will be hosting a Night of Adventure in Edinburgh on 18 June in aid of charity, Hope and Homes for Children. The organisers promise this will be an exciting, adventure filled evening where an eclectic collection of ordinary people come together to share their extraordinary achievements with a live audience. Each speaker is limited to just 20 slides to accompany their tales, displayed on a huge cinema screen. The challenge is that each slide will automatically scroll forward after just 20 seconds. With this unusual and challenging presentation format, once the talks begin there is no stopping…

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Scottish Nature Photo Comp open for entries

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Helen Webster

To celebrate Scotland's amazing biodiversity, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is launching a free photo contest today. As part of Scottish Biodiversity Week festivities, SNH is encouraging Scots to enjoy nature by capturing their favourite natural places and wildlife. The sixth annual Nature Photography Competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers. Keen photographers have plenty of time to get snapping, with a deadline of July 31 to get their photos to SNH. First prize is a one-to-one tutorial with one of Scotland’s leading professional nature photographers, Lorne Gill; second prize is a Nikon D5100 Digital SLR camera with a…

Posted in Nature

Rare parasitic flower alive and well in the Dollar Glen

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Helen Webster

Ecologists have discovered new colonies of an extremely rare flowering plant in Scotland whilst checking the condition of woodland at Dollar Glen. The extremely rare parasitic flower Toothwort was thought to have disappeared from the glen, having last been spotted 10 years ago. Completely lacking in chlorophyll, and with leaves reduced to scales, these pale plants survive by living off Elm and Hazel roots. Lindsay Mackinlay, National Trust for Scotland Nature Conservation Adviser, said: “This is a really exciting find. For years, we have kept an eye out for this species but with no joy, then when we were wandering…

Posted in Nature