Police have confirmed that the body found on Beinn Fhada near Morvich on 10 October was that of missing walker Stewart Sutherland. Stewart went missing while staying at the Great Glen Water Park on 20 September, his car was later found at a car park near Morvich and extensive searches took place to find him.
Colin Prior lecture dates
Outdoor retailer, Tiso, has announced a series of evenings with Colin Prior when he will talk about his latest book High Light. The evenings will end with a book signing and a free tasting of Bowmore whisky from Islay. The cost is £5 with profits going to Mountain Rescue. This stunning new collection documents the dynamic nature of the Highland landscape – and sounds a clarion call for a new, engaged naturalism. In a world where the environment is increasingly under threat, Prior argues, we should regain touch with what’s left of the natural landscape rather than rely solely on…
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Posted in Walkhighlands news
£1.2 billion nuclear submarine grounded off Skye
The BBC is reporting that the nuclear submarine HMS Astute has become grounded off the Isle of Skye. An eye-witness told the BBC that the submarine was stuck on the rocks near the Skye road bridge. The Ministry of Defence have said “This is a not a nuclear incident. We are responding to the incident and can confirm that there are no injuries to personnel and the submarine remains watertight. There is no indication of any environmental impact”. Earlier in the summer the submarine caused hold ups on the Skye bridge as motorists stopped to look at it, and local…
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Posted in Nature
Ratty thriving on Quinag
Water voles on the John Muir Trust’s Quinag property are thriving, despite a national decline in their numbers. Researchers from Aberdeen University found the third highest annual occupancy of water vole sites on the property, in Assynt, North West Sutherland, since the start of monitoring in 1997. Don O’ Driscoll, the Trust’s Conservation Officer for Quinag said: “It’s really encouraging to see the voles doing so well, especially compared to the national picture where they have declined massively. “Our plans for Quinag include improving the habitats here so that the native biodiversity, including water voles and golden eagles, can continue…
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Posted in Nature
Deer stalking season ends
The Scottish stag stalking season has now come to an end. This year, in addition to the Hillphones recorded message system, a new website was trialled aimed at giving walkers and climbers up to date access information. If you used the site, called Heading for the Scottish Hills, and run by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), it would be really helpful if you could provide any feedback which will be used to improve the website. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland, which was a partner in the trial, has expressed disappointment that many estates did not post detailed stalking and access information,…
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Posted in Access issues, News
John Muir Trust goes wild in the country
The John Muir Trust has published a new Vision for Wild Land and Wild Places entitled “Our Essential Wildness”. The Vision outlines how the Trust will work to protect and enhance wild land, while ensuring that people are able to engage with wild places and the needs of rural and remote communities are met. The John Muir Trust is the UK’s leading wild land conservation charity. It was founded in 1983, inspired by the work and legacy of conservationist John Muir, the first person to call for action to be taken to protect wild land. Stuart Brooks, chief executive of…
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Posted in Nature
Walkhighlands shortlisted for tourism awards
Walkhighlands has been shortlisted for 2 awards in this year’s Highlands and Island Tourism Awards. Walkhighlands entered the Best Use of Social Media and Most Enterprising Business in the Great Outdoors categories and focused on our interactive social network which allows Walkhighlands’ users to post trip reports, photos, log their Munros, keep a walks diary, and be part of a lively forum. Also shortlisted in the Social Media category are Jacobite Cruises and G2-Outdoors, based in Aviemore. In the Great Outdoors category Walkhighlands will be up against Isle of Skye Yachts and Backcountry Survival. Other nominees include the Caledonian Canal…
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Posted in Walkhighlands news
Deer warning to motorists
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is warning motorists that collisions between deer and vehicles soar at this time of year, with the risk of a collision almost twice as high in Scotland as in England. As the nights get longer and the clocks turn back, red deer are moving down from the hills at the same time as commuters head home. From 18 October to 1 November, electronic variable messaging signs will warn motorists at key locations on the main trunk roads in Scotland, such as the A9, A835, A85, A82, and A87. It is estimated that there are more than…
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Posted in News
Snow forecast brings safety warning
With snow showers forecast across the Scottish mountain tops today and tomorrow, and a couple of blizzards predicted for the Cairngorms, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has related the following experience which will be familiar to many at this time of year. “Jimmy thinks he is pretty switched on. He should be; let’s face it, he’s been around long enough! – 182 Munros under his belt and 20 years experience in the Scottish Hills. Jimmy’s hill walking buddies always rely on him and push him to the front when the navigation gets serious. In fact, they seem to think…
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Posted in News
Leo Houlding and Mick Fowler lecture dates
Berghaus has released details of its Autumn/Winter 2010 Adventure Tour featuring talks by top climbers Leo Houlding and Mick Fowler. The tour starts on 24 October and the Scottish dates are 4 November for Leo Houlding at the Ratho Climbing Centre just outside Edinburgh, and 2 December for Mick Fowler, also at Ratho. Other venues include Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol and Manchester. The tour will culminate in a joint lecture by Leo and Mick at the Royal Geographic Society in London on 27 November. Further details of prices and the English dates can be found at the booking website.
Posted in News