MBA Bothies reopen in Scotland and Wales

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Helen Webster

Following the lifting of most statutory restrictions and with the agreement of bothy owners, the Mountain Bothies Association has announced that the bothies they maintain in Scotland and Wales reopen for responsible use from Monday 9th August. Bothies in England reopened on 19 July following the lifting of restrictions there. MBA Chairman, Simon Birch, said: “Since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, we have adopted the position that our shelters are closed and we would like to thank all those responsible MBA members and the general public who have complied with that request. “Covid-19 has not gone away and…

Posted in Magazine, News

The Vanishing Ice

Posted on August 7, 2021 by Iain Cameron

Iain Cameron has been fascinated by ice and snow since the age of nine. In this extract from his book The Vanishing Ice, Iain describes an expedition to seek out the elusive snow patches that remain well into summer in the Scottish mountains as little-seen relics of the Ice Age. The bulk of Braeriach is immense. Apart from Ben Nevis, its only possible rival, the Cairngorms’ second-highest hill has no British equal in terms of complexity or majesty. Its name, translated into English as ‘the brindled upland’, understates its character significantly. There may be other hills in Scotland that are,…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature

Our pick – Scottish Lighthouse walks

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Paul Webster

Walkhighlands features 43 walks that visit one of Scotland’s remarkable collection of lighthouses. Taking all manner of shapes and sizes, these sentinels of the sea usually provide striking landmarks for those exploring on foot, as well as acting as a warning to boats out on the water. Here’s a few of the best. Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire Rising splendidly off the Aberdeenshire seaboard on a stone plinth, Rattray Head is a striking sight from the magnificent beaches between Peterhead and Fraserburgh. Like almost all Scottish lighthouses, it was built by the Stevenson family – in this case by David Stevenson in 1895.…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

A Tale of Two Canals

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Ben Dolphin

If I set you the challenge of walking or cycling between Edinburgh and Glasgow, how much poring over maps would you do to find the best route? You’d want it to be as pleasant as possible of course, so you’d probably want to avoid roads, avoid complicated navigation problems and, assuming that you ARE off-road, be as certain as you can be that the paths would be in reasonable condition. You’ll probably lose a few weeks of your life pondering this one so let me save you the bother by asking…..would it occur to you to simply use the canals?…

Posted in Magazine

Walkers urged to check for deer stalking before Heading for the Scottish Hills

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Paul Webster

Scotland’s Nature Agency, NatureScot, is urging hillwalkers to check online for deer stalking information before setting out during the busiest part of the season. NatureScot manages the Heading for the Scottish Hills website, which provides details on deer stalking on estates up to late October to help walkers avoid disturbing stalking. Scotland offers fantastic hillwalking, but summer and autumn are also important for deer stalking, which contributes to the rural economy and helps protect woodland and other habitats. With many more people getting out and about to enjoy all that the great outdoors has to offer with the easing of…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Cairngorms 2030 project secures £12.5m funding

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Helen Webster

The Cairngorms National Park has secured the largest award amongst five projects across the UK to receive a share of £50million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Horizon Awards. The Cairngorms 2030: people and nature thriving together project has been developed by the National Park Authority with 45 partners. The plan includes more than 20 schemes across the National Park, which is the largest of the UK and home to 25% of all its threatened species. The schemes planned include restoring 3,500 hectares of peatland, planting thousands of trees to help add 1,000 hectares of woodland cover, developing a…

Posted in Magazine, Nature, News

Don’t get lost in the hills – low-cost navigation courses

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Paul Webster

We have teamed up once again with Mountaineering Scotland to offer a series of non profit one-day navigation courses to help you get the skills to find your way in the hills. These single day courses have been very popular, and those in June were fully booked; we now have further dates in Arrochar on 16 and 17 October. This is the chance to brush up on your navigation skills while meeting other Walkhighlands users on a fun and friendly day. Each course will begin at 9am with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day…

Posted in Magazine, News, Walkhighlands news

Simply Red

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Polly Pullar

Polly Pullar has had a passion for red squirrels since childhood. As a wildlife rehabilitator, she knows the squirrel on a profoundly personal level and has hand-reared numerous litters of orphan kits, eventually returning them to the wild. As her new book A Scurry of Squirrels is published next week, she tells us of the charming rodent’s fight for survival. Perhaps it may come as a surprise that until 1981 when the red squirrel received legal protection, it was still legal to cull it. I certainly find it hard to imagine now that we have raised this enchanting little rodent…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature

Lessons from the Cape Wrath Trail

Posted on June 23, 2021 by David Lintern

In May 2021, regular Walkhighlands columnist David Lintern walked over 200 miles from Fort William to Cape Wrath. Here’s a few things he wished he’d known at the start. The long walk to the Cape means different things to different people; a challenge, a pilgrimage, a journey of discovery, an escape from the norm, a test of endurance, willpower and fitness. People generally start in Fort William and finish at the Cape Wrath lighthouse, although we met a fair number who were heading in the opposite direction. Is it the toughest trail in the UK, as it’s often billed? I’ve…

Posted in Features, Magazine

The Willow Walk: why a team of volunteers carried 3,000 saplings into the Cairngorms

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Sydney Henderson (Cairngorms Connect)

In early June, a team of courageous Cairngorms Connect partners and volunteers carried 3,000 downy willow saplings into the Cairngorm Mountains. This small species of native willow tree is specially adapted for life in the extreme climate of the Cairngorm mountains but sadly, is struggling to survive. Through a momentous team effort, this rare shrub is being thrown a lifeline, thanks to local volunteers, Cairngorms Connect, Trees for Life and the Cairngorms National Park Authority. Cairngorms Connect Communications and Involvement Manager, Sydney Henderson, describes the epic journey… The day began at the Cairn Gorm Ski Centre car park, and as…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature