U-turn on moving clocks

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Helen Webster

The UK Government has dropped plans to move UK clocks forward an extra hour. The proposal was widely reported last week as likely to be included in plans presented today (4 March) alongside a consultation about scrapping May Day in England and Wales and replacing it with a bank holiday in the early spring or autumn. Although tourism chiefs were largely in favour of moving the clocks it would have resulted in darker mornings for much of Scotland and there were fears that this would increase the road accident rate. However the plan would have brought UK clocks in line…

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Loch Lomond car park closure at Sallochy

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Helen Webster

The car park at Sallochy on the east side of Loch Lomond is currently closed for maintenance work and is likely to remain closed for the rest of March. West Highland Way walkers are being diverted onto the beach for a short distance and car drivers are being directed on to Rowardennan. Work is also being undertaken at the Rowardennan car park although an area will remain open for parking. Rowardennan is very popular with walkers tackling Ben Lomond and therefore walkers might want to take account of the restrictions on parking space when planning their trips in March.

Posted in Access issues

Win a 2 night stay on Speyside

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Helen Webster

Walkhighlands has teamed up with Craggan Outdoors and have a two night stay at Craggan Outdoors Bothy, sleeping up to 6 people, to give away. Craggan Outdoors, based on beautiful Speyside at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, has for the last two years been the TripAdvisor top-rated outdoor activity centre in Scotland. Choose from a range of over twenty fantastic activities, suited to people of all ages and abilities. Stay in either a 27-bed Bunkhouse or 6-bed Bothy, both sitting atop a hill within the Glenbeg Estate with views to the Cairngorms and Cromdales. For a chance to…

Posted in Walkhighlands news

Celebrity cyclist leads countdown to famous bird's return

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Helen Webster

Mark Beaumont, the renowned Scottish cyclist and ambassador of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, made a visit to Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve and Visitor Centre yesterday (Wednesday 2 March) to see the home of the UK’s oldest known breeding osprey, a bird which is hoped to return to Scotland in less than one month. Beginning the countdown to see whether the famous bird will return for its 20th breeding season, Beaumont learnt more about the remarkable history of this individual osprey, which, at around 24 years of age, has lived over three times longer than an average osprey and…

Posted in Nature

Scottish avalanches now on the map

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Helen Webster

The sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has mapped all the reports of Scottish avalanches since 1999 so walkers and climbers can clearly see where and when avalanches have taken place. As well as being a fascinating map to browse, the 3000 or so avalanches graphically presented on the maps complement the avalanche hazard warning produced by SAIS as a useful planning tool for hill walkers and climbers. The SAIS relies on people out on the hills to report avalanche incidents, either directly witnessed, or evidence such as avalanche debris. Knowledge of recent avalanche activity is one of the best possible…

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Legal challenge to beaver trapping

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Helen Webster

An order to trap escaped beavers in Tayside may be challenged in the courts by a newly-formed campaign group. The Scottish Wild Beaver Group, formed in January 2011 to lobby for the survival in the wild of beavers in East Perthshire, said the order by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to re-capture the beavers could breach EU law. SNH ordered the trapping of beavers in the Tay river system last November after up to 20 beavers were believed to have escaped from private collections in Angus and Perthshire and have been living and breeding in the wild. SNH told the BBC…

Posted in Nature

Ben Attow trip scoops monthly prize

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Helen Webster

February may be the shortest month of the year, but there was no shortage of walk reports entered in Walkhighlands.co.uk monthly trip reports competition. 189 reports of walks were posted publicly on the site with everyone in with a chance to win a total of £90 worth of prizes from online outdoor gear retailer Webtogs. This months winner, and £60 to spend at Webtogs, goes to Yokehead. He put in a stack of quality reports, choosing just one was difficult. But the prize goes to his report for Ben Attow in Kintail entitled, That’s Attow Do It. The runner up…

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Fersit bridge closure affects hillwalkers

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Helen Webster

Hillwalkers wanting to access hills from the village of Fersit near Roy Bridge are warned that Inverlair Bridge will be closed until midnight on 6 March. Although a temporary pedestrian bridge and shuttle bus will be provided, there will not be sufficient parking on the Roy Bridge side of the closed bridge for visitors. Fersit is the starting point for the hills of Stob Coire Sgriodain, Chno Dearg and Stob Coire Easain and Stob a’Choire Mheadhoin.

Posted in Access issues, News

Mountain Leader Training Course launched

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Helen Webster

Are you involved with taking the lead as part of your walking or mountaineering club days out? The MCofS are offering members the opportunity to apply for a place on a Summer Mountain Leader Training Course (SMLTB) which will run over two long weekends in September. The MCofS in partnership with Richard Bentley from Mountain Motion are offering club members the opportunity to participate in a SMLTB course based from the Loch Lomond Outdoor Centre at a special discounted rate. The six day, 2 modular course will be held on the following dates: Friday 9th September – Sunday 11th September…

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Trump tripped up over homes purchase

Posted on February 26, 2011 by Helen Webster

Campaigners look to have scored a great victory as Donald Trump has declared that he will not use compulsory purchase powers to clear residents of Menie from their homes. The Press and Journal has reported that after almost two years of uncertainty, Trump has said he will not use attempt to use compulsory powers to purchase four homes as part of his plans for his golf resort on the Aberdeenshire coastline. Trump had been given planning to include the sites in his resort although the owners had not agreed to sell the properties. Trump told the Press and Journal: “We…

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