Chain of rewilding ‘stepping stones’ to tackle Scotland’s nature and climate crises

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Paul Webster

A chain of nature-rich hotspots bringing together a diverse group of estates, farms, crofts and community-owned land is to be created across Scotland with a new rewilding network launched by charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture. The Northwoods Rewilding Network will allow more of Scotland’s many smaller landholdings of 50 to 1,000 acres to play a bigger role in restoring and connecting rich habitats full of life to boost declining species, tackle climate breakdown, and create new opportunities for rural communities. Northwoods will complement Scotland’s major landscape-scale rewilding sites by filling in the gaps in local areas and joining together a tapestry of smaller nature recovery…

Posted in Magazine, Nature, News

Scots set for return to the hills from Friday

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Paul Webster

In a surprise announcement today, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that restrictions on travel within Scotland are to be lifted from this Friday 16th April. It had been expected that this was to happen on 26th April, but it has been brought forward “to benefit people’s mental health”. All categories of accommodation still remain closed until the planned reopening on 26th April, when it is also expected that travel into Scotland from the other UK nations will also be permitted. Also from 26th, upto 6 people will be able to meet outdoors – currently there is a maximum of 4…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, News

Blood and Concrete

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Patrick Baker

Patrick Baker’s book The Unremembered Places was shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award, and is published this month in paperback. In it, he uncovers the human histories that have left traces in Scotland’s wild places. His writing blends walk report with archival research to tell the story of what you see in the landscape. This extract tells the story of the building of the Blackwater Dam above Kinlochleven in Lochaber, and the graveyard that is to be found there. At the start of the twentieth century, in a remote glen in the West Highlands, the clatter of pickaxes and voices…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Going further: Planning for long distance walks

Posted on April 7, 2021 by David Lintern

Getting your head around preparation for a big trip can be confusing. David Lintern takes it step by step… Over the coming months, we’re all looking forward to a little more freedom to travel and more outdoor exploration, but where to start, after what might well be a year away from the hills? A brief glance at the Long-Distance Route page on Walkhighlands is more than enough to whet the appetite, and the first and most obvious to say is not all long walks are created equal. Some require lots of logistical wrangling, others are more straightforward. Walkers on the…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Wild Winter

Posted on March 29, 2021 by John Burns

This week sees the publication of Wild Winter, the latest book from John Burns, bestselling author of The Last Hillwalker. In Wild Winter, John sets out to rediscover Scotland’s mountains, remote places and wildlife in the darkest and stormiest months. He traverses the country from the mouth of the River Ness to the Isle of Mull, from remote Sutherland to the Cairngorms, in search of rutting red deer, minke whales, beavers, pine martens, mountain hares and otters. In the midst of the fierce weather, John’s travels reveal a habitat in crisis, and many of these wild creatures prove elusive as they…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature

Use of MBA bothies: latest advice

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Paul Webster

The Mountain Bothies Association has issued an update to its advice. The bothies that the charity maintains in Scotland, England and Wales through its volunteers should not be used at present except in an emergency. This is because Covid-19 precautions such as social distancing, regular sanitising and wearing of face coverings might not be practised by some visitors which would put other people at risk irrespective of reducing rates of infection. MBA Chairman Simon Birch said: “While we now have a timetable for when travel restrictions might be removed, there is as yet no firm information about when other restrictions…

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Linn of Dee and Glen Muick roads to be restricted during busy periods

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Paul Webster

Aberdeenshire Council has put in place new road orders to allow for the roads to the Linn of Dee and to the Spittal of Glenmuick to be closed when car parks are full. Last year there was serious overcrowding at both locations, with vehicles parked dangerously, blocking emergency access roads and, in some cases, causing damage. The council will, when the car parks are full, be restricting entry over a 7-month period commencing from April 1st. Pete Crane, Head of Visitor Services at the Cairngorms National Park authority, said “Last year, as part of the visitor management work, Aberdeenshire Council…

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Project 282 – Film

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Paul Webster

Check out this superb 10 minute film of Emily Scott’s continuous round of the Munros in 2018. Back on the 26th of May 2018, Emily set off to climb all of Scotland’s Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet), attempting to make a continuous, self-propelled and self-supported round. The continuous, self-propelled and (largely) solo expedition took her 120 days and involved 2,200km on foot and 2,600km on the bike, with over 195,000m of ascent. Her great film of the trip – Project 282 – has received some success with film festivals, although of course Covid has meant that the majority of these…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Walkers needed for Scottish Mountain Hare survey

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Helen Webster

Hillwalkers are wanted for the first on-the-ground national survey to shed light on distribution and numbers of Scottish mountain hares. The survey, which is launched this week and will carry on throughout 2021, is calling on hillwalkers, naturalists and other outdoor enthusiasts to record sightings of the charismatic animals as they are out and about. No previous experience of wildlife surveys is necessary to take part. Mountain hares are Scotland’s only native hare and an important species in the Scottish hills, and gathering more accurate information about them will help inform conservation efforts. There is concern about the state of…

Posted in Magazine

More investment in nature reserves and rangers

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Paul Webster

Funding of £750,000 is being invested in NatureScot’s National Nature Reserves (NNRs) in preparation for visitors this summer. Up to 20 additional rangers and other staff are also being recruited to welcome people back and help them to respect, protect and enjoy our great outdoors. This is in additional to the new rangers already announced by both the Cairngorms National Park and Highland Council. More than a million people are estimated to have visited one of the nature agency’s 29 National Nature Reserves in 2020, a record number that is expected to increase this year. With coronavirus restrictions set to be eased…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News