Countryside Ranger funding no more than “sticking plaster”

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Paul Webster

ScotWays (The Scottish Rights of Way & Access Society) gave qualified support to today’s announcement that Scottish Government Ministers have allocated up to £1.5 million for a third instalment of the Better Places Fund for seasonal posts to help manage recent vastly increased pressure on Scotland’s countryside. The early summer of 2020 saw unprecedented numbers of people heading into Scotland’s countryside following the lifting of the pandemic lockdown restrictions. Unfortunately, the sheer pressure of numbers caused problems – not enough parking places or toilets, traffic-jams at popular spots, over-crowding on paths and land managers struggling to cope with the impact…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine

Conditions over Ambitions

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Sarah Jane Douglas

Agitated is how I feel when I can’t get out onto the hills. I find it unbearable therefore I am unbearable and a bit of a nightmare to live with for most of January and February (though my partner Paul may argue I’m a pain most of the year round). I swear the skin on the tips of my forefinger and thumb have virtually worn away from the constant swiping as I check and re-check forecast updates. One storm system after the other has swept in over Scotland from the Atlantic. Conditions on the mountains have been fairly grim, and…

Posted in Features, Magazine

A love of Scotland’s beaches

Posted on March 5, 2022 by Dr Stacey McGowan Holloway

The Beaches of Scotland is a new guidebook by Dr Stacey McGowan Holloway, a guide to over 150 hand-picked beaches around Scotland’s coast, stretching from the mainland to the Outer Hebrides before sweeping north to Orkney and Shetland. Here Stacey explains why she loves to swim in the sea, and picks some personal favourites. The Scottish coastline extends nearly 19,000 kilometres in length including some 900 islands, several of which were formed and shaped by volcanoes, and is scattered with beaches. I currently live on the coast, and being able to look out daily to the sea and the Isle…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Gear review: Alpkit Brevent 22l rucksack

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £119.99Weight: 780g In recent years, retro-styled gear has been making a comeback – with many outdoor brands once again making rucksacks in canvas; perhaps heavy, but durable. The Alpkit Brevent is a 22l pack made from tough 330 denier dry waxed cotton. The dry wax treatment means ensures it’s water repellent for showers but does not lose wax to your clothes, though as with all (non-waterproof) rucksacks you’d want a cover or liner in heavy rain. There are two bellows style side pockets with compression straps – generously sized to easily take a litre water bottle a piece,…

Posted in Gear reviews, Rucksacks

Riverwoods – an Untold Story

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Helen Webster

Riverwoods is a stunning new feature-length documentary made by Scotland: The Big Picture that tells of how salmon – Scotland’s King of Fish – is vital not just to anglers but as a key part of the forest ecosystem. And how we need to restore our depleted landscapes to secure a future for our threatened wild salmon. The film is about to embark on a free screening tour around Scotland from March to April – at venues from Wick to Peebles; just book your place to see this beautiful film and the vital story it tells.. Three years in the…

Posted in Magazine, Nature, News

Weather warning for Scotland’s mountains and forests

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Paul Webster

Severe weather conditions over Scotland’s mountains look set to continue through the weekend and into next week, and great care will need to be taken by anyone accessing the hills. Mountain bikers have also been warned of potentially dangerous conditions in forests, for weeks to come. Experts have stressed the importance of being properly equipped for full winter conditions in the mountains and of planning routes according to the weather and avalanche forecasts before any trip. Specialist mountain weather forecasts are predicting sustained periods of gales or even hurricane-force winds on higher terrain for the next week. Snow, rain and…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Heavy Whalley – a life of service

Posted on February 17, 2022 by David Lintern

Heavy Whalley has spent a life in love with the hills and in the service of others, holding key roles in Mountain Search and Rescue over several decades. David Lintern met up for a chat. Please introduce yourself. My name is David ‘Heavy’ Whalley. I was born in Ayr and brought up to love the mountains and wild places. I was a bit of a wild kid and there were very few jobs about in Ayrshire at that time. I joined the RAF in 1971. Where did your passion for the mountains start? My Dad and Mum gave me a huge love…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Win tickets to the Banff Mountain Film Festival UK tour

Posted on February 9, 2022 by Paul Webster

The Banff Mountain Film Festival – UK and Ireland 2022 tour begins this Friday in Buxton, and includes dates around Scotland through March and September, with a new series of the best adventure films. We’ve three pairs of tickets to give away across Walkhighlands social media – hop over to our pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for your chance to win (there’s one pair of tickets to win on the Walkhighlands page for each site). THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED You can find full details – and a list of all the venues and dates – on the tour…

Posted in Magazine, News, Walkhighlands news

Red Alert: Aurora Likely!

Posted on February 2, 2022 by Ben Dolphin

If any four words can make me spill my mug of tea on my legs as I leap up from the sofa, it’s these. If any four words can, in so doing, make me scald my delicates without stopping to check they’re okay, it’s these. If any four words can have me tripping over the death-trap of boots at the front door as I stumble blindly outside into the darkness whilst screwing my camera to its tripod with one hand, tying my laces with the other and simultaneously trying to pull a woolly hat down over my head…..yep, it’s these.…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Munro ‘Tops’ functionality added to Walkhighlands

Posted on February 1, 2022 by Paul Webster

We’ve now added the Munro Tops to Walkhighlands. The Tops are the lesser summits over 3000′, which are not classed as separate Munro mountains. There are currently 226 Tops in Scotland, which some people aim to complete in addition to the 282 Munros. Tops have been added following requests from users. We are aware that the probably majority of walkers are not interested in also bagging Tops, whilst for others their inclusion could cause confusion, so we’ve made the Walkhighlands website experience more customisable – you can choose whether or not Tops feature. Tops are turned off by default, and…

Posted in Magazine, News, Walkhighlands news